It was the summer of 1985, and there was an energy bubbling over from the country’s capital. Washington, D.C. is not a stranger to producing iconic punk bands, be it Minor Threat or Bad Brains, but in the mid-eighties, there was a shift happening. The hardcore legends had begun to dwindle, and the Revolution Summer was officially underway as 1985 started to get hotter. This movement of D.C. bands gave birth to the progression of hardcore punk, giving birth to subgenres like emo and post-hardcore. While these bands were slowly moving away from the hardcore movement, the ethos of their forefathers was very much present, especially when discussing Rites of Spring.
Rites of Spring were some of the poster children for the Revolution Summer, and have been in the middle of some fan-fueled controversies. Many people dismiss the four-piece as strictly emo, overlooking the blistering tempos in which they deliver their moody, angsty lyrics. The quartet of Guy Picciotto, Edward Janney, Mike Fellows, and Brendan Canty enjoyed a short stint together after forming in 1983. Still, their impact has become an undeniable stamp in the punk history books. For this Golden Age Thursday, we have raw footage of Rites of Spring performing “For Want Of,” a classic from their timeless 1985 self-titled debut. The footage is taken right in the midst of the Revolution Summer, and highlights Rites of Spring’s hardcore tendencies. You can watch the performance from the old 9:30 Club in Washington, D.C. below.
