Fugazi: The Path of Most Resistance

Over the years Fugazi have achieved this almost mythic status. These paragons of punk ethic. That through Dischord and their business practices took DIY independence to its absolute pinnacle. The band that were super-serious straight-edge vegans that didn’t even use heating in winter. The band that never said yes. While their politics and ethics were super important, more than that they were a band that changed things. Post-hardcore, as flimsy a signifier as it is, was the house Fugazi built. At the Drive In, Refused, Glassjaw, Biffy Clyro, Deftones all took note from Fugazi’s musical playbook. It is unwise to put bands on god-like pedestals, but in more simple terms than that: Fugazi rocked pretty hard. Many bands have done great things with less than great music. Fugazi did both, but though embellishment and oversimplification they have become an idea more than a band. But let’s focus on the band. Who were Fugazi? What made them different? And what makes them so much more than simply a band?