Sep 08, 2015 Krk Dominguez’s More Than a Witness at Lethal Amounts
I missed the opening night of the More Than a Witness: Post-Hardcore and Beyond 1985-2015 photo show by Krk Dominguez at Lethal Amounts. That was too bad, because it would have been great to tell the photographer to his face how awesome it was to see his no-frills (but not without thought) captures of so many bands I love and smelly venues that I never thought I’d miss (Raji’s, Al’s Bar, Spanky’s, Club with No Name). I’m sure many of the subjects were there, too, as well as his colleagues from Flipside magazine. It would have been cool to say hi to them, too.
But sometimes it’s better to visit an art show after it has opened. That’s when you can take time to soak in an image without worrying about bumped around by crowds or having beer spilled on you. Although for this particular collection of images, either would have been more appropriate…
There are plenty of jaw-dropping photos from the stage, the pit, or nondescript alleys of top-shelf bands like Ramones, Black Flag, and The Adolescents as well as martyrs to the scene such as El Duce, G.G. Allin, and Kurt Cobain. Those are headliners that not only deserve all the attention they get but also charge the surfaces of the huge prints–some as big as four feet across.
I appreciate the lesser-known subjects, too. Dwarves, Claw Hammer, Melvins, Butthole Surfers, GWAR–on the pages of Flipside they were given equal coverage with the huger and hotter names. Is it true that the contributors only interviewed bands that would have drinks with them? Krk might have had some adult beverages with them, but he was still able to nail a lot of great shots in the days before digital photography and cell phones made good shots easy.
And the show is in no way pretentious or lame. I bought a value-priced $20 “lobby card” from the gallery to go with a larger print that I acquired directly from Krk last year for 30 or 40 bucks. Both images are from shows that I attended in and just out of high school (The Smiths at Irvine Meadows and The Cramps at the Hollywood Palladium) and to me having them shot by him is as good as having an Ed Colver or Charles Peterson.
There’s a totally understandable no-photos policy so you’ll have to make do with the pictures on the windows and then go see the striking B&W images for yourself at the gallery. However, Krk has also been on a tear posting Hi-8 footage from the post-hardcore era. Local legends L7 and post punk originals Fugazi in Olympia? Laughing Hyenas at L.A.’s own beloved Jabberjaw? You can see those clips and more for free in the comfort of your own home or coffeehouse on YouTube.
I love how bands I saw during my musically formative years such as L7 are back in action or a group like the Evens carries on the legacy of Fugazi. But it’s even more meaningful to me that Krk continues his involvement with the underground music scene. Flipside ran its course, but he still goes to shows, takes photos, and contributes to the punk subculture. And to see Krk’s body of work get such respectful treatment is awesome–and for a person like me who helped make a zine that is gone but has never given up on DIY culture, it’s a little victory.
More Than a Witness is up at Lethal Amounts through the end of September at 1226 W 7th Street, just a couple of blocks west of Downtown Los Angeles. Check it out and visit Krk’s site at krkdominguez.com, too. But more importantly, do what you love for life–even if it doesn’t make you famous, rich, or happy. You just might make someone else’s day.
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