FUGAZI - Live Dublin, Ireland 1989

Since the band didn't do interviews with major publications, some journalists were left to improvise and opted to take creative license. The rumor mill amongst the fan base was equally imaginative. In fact, some concertgoers might have been surprised to see the band pull up to venues in a van, not arriving by a convoy of camels. Those who spoke with bandmembers were surprised to hear that they lived in houses — not monasteries — with running furnaces and that their diets weren't strictly rice-based. Worse yet, the band gained a reputation for not having a sense of humor. Their records never kicked out the yucks (they weren't Ween, after all), but this was probably the most unwarranted myth of all. Those who were resourceful enough to find interviews with the band in small fanzines might have been shocked to read that MacKaye was influence by Ted Nugent as much as Jimi Hendrix. Now that takes a sense of humor. As the increasing responsibilities of adulthood and outside musical involvements increased, Fugazi's recordings and tours became more sporadic. Red Medicine was released another two years after In on the Killtaker, chipping away some of the latter's abrasion in favor of more jam-oriented experiments. It certainly wasn't a wholesale junking of the band's early sound, but more a matter of wanting to do things differently. They still sounded like Fugazi, but they weren't painting themselves into a corner, either. The even wilder End Hits came in 1998, amidst rumors of the band being put to rest. Eschewing the notion, more choppy touring in support of the record continued throughout the year. In 1999, the Instrument video and soundtrack hit the shelves. The result of several years spent working on a proper Fugazi documentary, friend Jem Cohen assembled a lengthy homage to the fab four, including live performances and interviews. The soundtrack featured demos, jams, and incidental cutting room scraps, still forming an enjoyable listen that focused on the band's instrumental talents. 2001 saw release of the band's sixth proper LP, The Argument, which was simultaneously issued with the three-song Furniture EP. Outside of Fugazi, both MacKaye and Picciotto helped other bands with production. MacKaye continued to operate Dischord, and Lally began his own label, Tolotta. Picciotto also ventured into filmmaking.