The Gits: Great American Rock and Rock Band
September 19, 2008 8:46 AM Subscribe
Pitchfork television is featuring "The Gits: Great American Rock and Rock Band" (music embedded) for the next week.
The Gits were a great band from Seattle. Their lead singer, Mia Zapata, was raped and murdered just as they were about to sign to Atlantic records.
This documentary features some amazing music.
It also made me cry.
The Gits were a great band from Seattle. Their lead singer, Mia Zapata, was raped and murdered just as they were about to sign to Atlantic records.
This documentary features some amazing music.
It also made me cry.
A very, very, soft spot in my heart for The Gits. I used to hang out with Steve quite a bit (he used to go my old karate school on the hill - remember him Mike? Damn, what a nice guy) and being friends with so many people from the house (Michelle Orgill and all those cats) and it just broke your heart to see those guys have to deal with such a terrible thing right when people were just getting so excited about the band. Man I loved those shows.
I went to the big release party for another film, the Gits Movie, about Zapata a ways back and it was just days after they caught that scum bad Mezquia. Steve was pretty psyched.
It was both so awesome and inspiring (because the detective involved did it all pretty much on his own time and NEVER gave up—and remains largely uncredited in public accounts— mostly becuase he was so touched to see Mia's friends and family never, ever, gave up) and it was so sad.
posted by tkchrist at 10:57 AM on September 19, 2008
I went to the big release party for another film, the Gits Movie, about Zapata a ways back and it was just days after they caught that scum bad Mezquia. Steve was pretty psyched.
It was both so awesome and inspiring (because the detective involved did it all pretty much on his own time and NEVER gave up—and remains largely uncredited in public accounts— mostly becuase he was so touched to see Mia's friends and family never, ever, gave up) and it was so sad.
posted by tkchrist at 10:57 AM on September 19, 2008
The Gits Movie (MySpace)is also out on DVD, after a couple of years of work by some talented filmmakers and heavy collaboration with the band members. I helped Steve (the drummer) put together the soundtrack CD which is also newly available.
You can visit The Gits website and check out older material, photos, posters, etc. Their story is incredible. For those who don't know, Mia's killer was located 10 years after the murder by using the new national DNA database. Some incredibly forward-thinking police saved DNA evidence from the crime scene, and a decade later the technology allowed them to track down the killer in Florida.
Mia's murder inspired a couple of awesome Seattle music compilations and a still-active social service called Home Alive, dedicated to promoting anti-violent self-defense, public education and awareness.
It's an incredible story, and The Gits music is one of the best things to come out of Seattle, ever. I'm biased of course, but give a listen and you will be too.
.
posted by Aquaman at 11:03 AM on September 19, 2008 [1 favorite]
You can visit The Gits website and check out older material, photos, posters, etc. Their story is incredible. For those who don't know, Mia's killer was located 10 years after the murder by using the new national DNA database. Some incredibly forward-thinking police saved DNA evidence from the crime scene, and a decade later the technology allowed them to track down the killer in Florida.
Mia's murder inspired a couple of awesome Seattle music compilations and a still-active social service called Home Alive, dedicated to promoting anti-violent self-defense, public education and awareness.
It's an incredible story, and The Gits music is one of the best things to come out of Seattle, ever. I'm biased of course, but give a listen and you will be too.
.
posted by Aquaman at 11:03 AM on September 19, 2008 [1 favorite]
Thanks Aquaman for fleshing out my somewhat rushed post with some other good links.
posted by brevator at 11:09 AM on September 19, 2008
posted by brevator at 11:09 AM on September 19, 2008
God, I loved The Gits. They were one of the few bands I would enter The Vogue to see, that's how much I loved them. I'd moved away from Seattle a few months before Mia's murder, but even in SF it was pretty devastating.
I remember when Mia was a barback at that restaurant on the corner at the end of Broadway - my friends and would always try to get her to come to our table - we were totally starstruck. And nerdy.
posted by smartyboots at 11:30 AM on September 19, 2008
I remember when Mia was a barback at that restaurant on the corner at the end of Broadway - my friends and would always try to get her to come to our table - we were totally starstruck. And nerdy.
posted by smartyboots at 11:30 AM on September 19, 2008
Hell yes, Todd. Steve is a stand-up guy, and he was kind enough to get the Boxers a few gigs back when.
Smartyboots, you refer to the mighty Deluxe, I think.
Aquaman, you played with Steve in the Toucans, right?
posted by mwhybark at 11:40 AM on September 19, 2008
Smartyboots, you refer to the mighty Deluxe, I think.
Aquaman, you played with Steve in the Toucans, right?
posted by mwhybark at 11:40 AM on September 19, 2008
Also, time fucking flies like an arrow, don't it?
posted by mwhybark at 11:45 AM on September 19, 2008
posted by mwhybark at 11:45 AM on September 19, 2008
mwhybark - yup, The Deluxe.
Man, Mia was such an unbelievably charismatic person, even as a barback.
The first show I saw them at was at the Off Ramp with Hammerbox and 7 Year Bitch (before Stephanie died). I have no idea if anyone else remembers that show, but it was one of my top ten favorite shows I've ever been to, one of the ones where I felt like a member of the chosen few to have seen it.
Now I'm all nostalgic - I should go to the bar and drink Red Hook with my coworkers til I pass out. Those sure were the days.
posted by smartyboots at 12:03 PM on September 19, 2008
Man, Mia was such an unbelievably charismatic person, even as a barback.
The first show I saw them at was at the Off Ramp with Hammerbox and 7 Year Bitch (before Stephanie died). I have no idea if anyone else remembers that show, but it was one of my top ten favorite shows I've ever been to, one of the ones where I felt like a member of the chosen few to have seen it.
Now I'm all nostalgic - I should go to the bar and drink Red Hook with my coworkers til I pass out. Those sure were the days.
posted by smartyboots at 12:03 PM on September 19, 2008
Off Ramp with Hammerbox and 7 Year Bitch
I do. But I missed The Gits that night. I LOVED HAMMEBOX. One of the few that did, I suppose.
I worked at the Off Ramp off and on for a couple years back in the day. Man what a fabulous fucked-up, scroungy, wonderful place that was. I occasionally have these dreams that it's Friday Heavy Metal Night night and I have to go clean up the Off Ramp bathroom back by the bar (and it was worse than the one from Trainspotting by A MILE). In the dream I'm torn because, while vile and disgusting, there is always some big haired chick from Lynnwood wanting to blow me while I mop. Do I stay? Do I quit this god-awful job?
As I get older disgust seems to always win out more and more in that dream.
posted by tkchrist at 12:17 PM on September 19, 2008
I do. But I missed The Gits that night. I LOVED HAMMEBOX. One of the few that did, I suppose.
I worked at the Off Ramp off and on for a couple years back in the day. Man what a fabulous fucked-up, scroungy, wonderful place that was. I occasionally have these dreams that it's Friday Heavy Metal Night night and I have to go clean up the Off Ramp bathroom back by the bar (and it was worse than the one from Trainspotting by A MILE). In the dream I'm torn because, while vile and disgusting, there is always some big haired chick from Lynnwood wanting to blow me while I mop. Do I stay? Do I quit this god-awful job?
As I get older disgust seems to always win out more and more in that dream.
posted by tkchrist at 12:17 PM on September 19, 2008
HASH AFTER THE BASH
Last time I was in the Comet men's room, "We miss you Friday" was still up. Dunno if it yet abides.
posted by mwhybark at 12:19 PM on September 19, 2008
Last time I was in the Comet men's room, "We miss you Friday" was still up. Dunno if it yet abides.
posted by mwhybark at 12:19 PM on September 19, 2008
Smartyboots, check it out. My googlefu is not up to it in this particular musical space, but based on the comprehensive amount of bootlegs I have noted for other areas of personal musical experience, I would guess your chances of actually finding one of this exact show are better than even.
Haw, for a while C/Z operated out of an apartment I lived in the year before it was mine.
posted by mwhybark at 12:24 PM on September 19, 2008
Haw, for a while C/Z operated out of an apartment I lived in the year before it was mine.
posted by mwhybark at 12:24 PM on September 19, 2008
My last memories of The Comet were:
Rob Tonkin inexplicably leaping up on the pool table and yelling:
"FREE FOOD FOR THE POOR!" Or was it "I WANT TO GET LAID!"?
it was so loud I couldn't hear. But I do know the dudes playing pool were none to pleased and started swing pool cues at his legs. Which he dodged brilliantly like a ninja. Only to come down on a pool ball, turn his ankle and SWOOOOP-BASH! On to the floor. He stood up screaming because he broke his thumb back at an impossible angle. It looked like a deranged hitch-hiker wanting to backwards.
And we just ignored him as our main concern was preventing serial nudist Larry Steiner from jumping up on chairs or hanging from lights and dangling his very large balls in our faces every five minutes.
posted by tkchrist at 12:31 PM on September 19, 2008
Rob Tonkin inexplicably leaping up on the pool table and yelling:
"FREE FOOD FOR THE POOR!" Or was it "I WANT TO GET LAID!"?
it was so loud I couldn't hear. But I do know the dudes playing pool were none to pleased and started swing pool cues at his legs. Which he dodged brilliantly like a ninja. Only to come down on a pool ball, turn his ankle and SWOOOOP-BASH! On to the floor. He stood up screaming because he broke his thumb back at an impossible angle. It looked like a deranged hitch-hiker wanting to backwards.
And we just ignored him as our main concern was preventing serial nudist Larry Steiner from jumping up on chairs or hanging from lights and dangling his very large balls in our faces every five minutes.
posted by tkchrist at 12:31 PM on September 19, 2008
On reflection, it wasn't C/Z, I think. Empty? Some guy named Blake, if I recall correctly.
posted by mwhybark at 12:48 PM on September 19, 2008
posted by mwhybark at 12:48 PM on September 19, 2008
Hi everybody. Just played a show (in the band "Awesome") with Carrie Akre last night. She just keeps getting better. Mark Pickerel on drums. Fanfreakingtastic.
Steve played with us in The Toucans for 7 years before getting his master's degree and moving on to greener pastures (Oakland). He's still rocking it down there with Klaus Flouride (Dead Kennedys) and The American Professionals.
Saint Bushmill's Choir is currently being courted by an indie movie for music licensing.
World keeps on spinning.
posted by Aquaman at 2:31 PM on September 19, 2008
Steve played with us in The Toucans for 7 years before getting his master's degree and moving on to greener pastures (Oakland). He's still rocking it down there with Klaus Flouride (Dead Kennedys) and The American Professionals.
Saint Bushmill's Choir is currently being courted by an indie movie for music licensing.
World keeps on spinning.
posted by Aquaman at 2:31 PM on September 19, 2008
Smartyboots, Carrie was Hammerbox's singer. World spins on indeed. See you guys at the OffRamp, '92!
posted by mwhybark at 2:55 PM on September 19, 2008
posted by mwhybark at 2:55 PM on September 19, 2008
Aquaman, what part of town do you live in? And tell me a bit more about yr gaelic yen - are you in SBC now? I played rocky irish for a few years, kinda miss it, haven't found a session night that works for me.
posted by mwhybark at 3:05 PM on September 19, 2008
posted by mwhybark at 3:05 PM on September 19, 2008
Gits. Never heard of 'em. Expected 'em to suck. Listened just now. That gal was good. Real good. They had good songs. But that gal. Whoa. She coulda been the voice of her generation.
posted by Faze at 6:55 PM on September 19, 2008
posted by Faze at 6:55 PM on September 19, 2008
Yeah, Faze, that's the reaction people get. I think for every thousand bands that get hyped far beyond their ability to deliver, there's one band that gets stuck with the reverse.
The Gits were that band. Mia was that singer.
Saint Bushmill's Choir ran 1994-2004, and served as the decade-long wake for Mia & all the other fallen soldiers of Seattle's music scene, and the support group for those left standing. Bar records fell where e'er we played, and I can't remember a show that didn't end with us soaked to the skin in beer, thrown as always with love.
Cheers, all.
posted by Aquaman at 8:40 PM on September 19, 2008
The Gits were that band. Mia was that singer.
Saint Bushmill's Choir ran 1994-2004, and served as the decade-long wake for Mia & all the other fallen soldiers of Seattle's music scene, and the support group for those left standing. Bar records fell where e'er we played, and I can't remember a show that didn't end with us soaked to the skin in beer, thrown as always with love.
Cheers, all.
posted by Aquaman at 8:40 PM on September 19, 2008
mwhybark, Blake's label was indeed Empty, though as a zinester I always dealt direct with the fabulous Meghan Smith, yard sale- and rollerderby-queen.
posted by Scram at 8:30 PM on September 20, 2008
posted by Scram at 8:30 PM on September 20, 2008
« Older Chronophage | Reuse Newer »
This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments
I can't help but remember the other empty stools at the Comet from back in the day, either. RIP.
posted by mwhybark at 9:46 AM on September 19, 2008