DIY Punk Rock Legends Bring Their Latest Project to Mac’s Bar

Above: The Messthetics. Photo courtesy of Fusion Shows.

Without Fugazi, the DIY punk rock scene would not be the same – it may not have even existed. Perhaps bands like The Red Hot Chili Peppers, NOFX, Nirvana, or Pearl Jam would never have started, without Fugazi paving the way. The Washington, D.C. band started in 1987, and made waves on stage, and in the music industry itself from their reluctant, and anti-industry DIY approach.

In 2016, Fugazi members Brendan Canty (drums) and Joe Lally (bass) joined Anthony Pirog (guitar) to form The Messthetics, after a Fugazi hiatus. The punk legends are bringing their latest project, The Messthetics to Mac’s Bar on Wednesday, March 6 at 7 p.m. The opening acts will be local band The Plurals, and Helen Money.

Tommy Plural is an MSU Anthropology graduate, and a member of The Plurals. The Lansing-based group describes their sound as no-frills; one made up of guitar, bass and drums.

“Our music is indebted to early punk and alternative like Pixies, Dinosaur Jr., The Replacements, etc.,” Plural said, “but we have a lot of fun doing our own thing with it.”

The local band is excited to open up for members of a band which greatly impacted their sound and directed their paths.

Above: The Plurals

“I think for all of us, we heard the name among older kids in high school as a sort of revered, untouchably cool band,” Plural said, of Fugazi. “I personally probably didn’t closely listen to a record until my late teens, but they have a firm place as a musically influential band, and one whose career is an example to live by. For a while, about ten years ago, The Plurals used to end shows with a cover of the Fugazi song, ‘Merchandise.’”

For Fusion Shows Talent Buyer Scott Bell, having the band take the stage at Mac’s Bar is also a big deal. Bell started listening to Minor Threat and Fugazi, reading up on bands from the early ‘80s DIY scene, and he believes Mac’s Bar and Lansing have proved to be a surprising source of support for bands and artists like The Messthetics.

The surprise – in part, might come from the facilities, according to Plural.

“The facilities are below par, the events calendar can be confusing, but the room sounds good, and it’s one of the last remaining Lansing area ‘salt of the earth’ dive bars that makes you appreciatively cringe,” he said.

“Underneath the rough exterior is an unpretentious cheap and simple drinking establishment primarily occupied by kind people, regardless of anyone’s decades-old-story about bikers stabbing hockey players or something. It’s perfectly fine,” Plural said.

The last few remaining CBGB-style dive bars and basement venues have history within their walls, and scribbled on their bathroom doors. A long lineage of garage rock, as well as internationally-known talent frequently comes through the doors of Mac’s Bar, and the nearby Avenue Café.

There’s not just one scene that makes up the identity of the space either– Bell sees different genres take the sticky stage: punk, metal, hip hop, etc.

“Each group brings their show and makes Mac’s Bar their home for the night,” Bell said. “I’m aware that sounds overly romanticized for a dirty dive bar, but I see it happen every month.”

For Bell, The Messthetics playing Mac’s Bar is a testament to the possibilities that the fiery DIY mindset can bring.

“The venue and the band are cut from the same cloth,” Scott said. “Fusion Shows started here, and so many other bands and artists started here with no one else helping them along the way – just an ‘I’m going to do this myself’ attitude.”

That do-it-yourself mentality was one of many inspirations for the grassroots-feel record label GTG Records, founded by The Plurals, in Lansing. The label celebrates the community of members and artists from all over the country.

“We founded the record label GTG Records (partially inspired by Fugazi’s Dischord Records) initially to put out our own stuff, and watching that become a label with some national recognition and a talented roster of bands has been huge too. Being able to share the stage with some of our heroes on Wednesday is a great example of the cool things we’ve gotten do to do.”

The Plurals and Helen Money open up for The Messthetics on Wednesday, March 6 at Mac’s Bar. Doors open at 7 p.m. Tickets are $12 in advance, and $14 at the doors. For tickets and more information, visit Fusion Shows website.