Jimmy Webb has been described as the angel of Saint Mark’s, and he earned that title with every fiber of his soul. The famed stylist and friend to a myriad of rock n’ roll misfits passed away from cancer yesterday at 62.
The cheerful, kindhearted Webb was open about his earlier struggles with drug addiction and homelessness, and eternally grateful for his opportunities to overcome them. He did everything with great zeal. His flair for styling evolved over the years as he created outfits for clubbing at places like Studio 54. He got clean in 1999 and finally landed his dream job at Trash and Vaudeville. From there, Webb cultivated a broad, appreciative clientele as well as countless wonderful friendships. From the seasoned stage vets, to the disgruntled teens needing a safe place to vent, to little kids just discovering The Ramones, Jimmy embraced them all.
Photo by Alice Teeple
“I’ve lived through so many times and not a lot of people are left,” Jimmy told Downtown Magazine in 2018. “The reason I keep dancing and the reason this store is here, and the reason I’m so blessed by people like Debbie and Iggy and Slash, is because I carry on and I dance for all of those who aren’t here to dance anymore. They all touched me in a very special way.”
Jimmy Webb’s knack for styling brought him a special kind of fame amongst the rock n roll set, the alt kids, the punks and the pop stars. He outfitted everyone, made everyone feel special, and knew just what would make a person shine their brightest. Jimmy’s looks have been featured in Rolling Stone, Vogue, MTV…and the streets of the East Village. In 2017, he opened his own boutique, I NEED MORE.
Downtown’s editor in chief, Deb Martin, knew Jimmy for years, often helping him out in I NEED MORE. In 2018 Jimmy made an appearance in Downtown Magazine. She fondly reflected on their close friendship:
“Jimmy loved with his entire self, and when he loved you he loved you and was the most loyal friend. But he also had a finely-tuned bullshit meter and some of the best laughs we ever had were about the con-artists and grifters we have known. He loved authenticity because he was wickedly, fiercely authentic.
I will forever miss his long, frequently hilarious voicemails and texts. I will miss his kindness and his love. I will miss his laugh. We were spending a lot of time together in the past year or so, and I treasure every single moment. My office was just a couple of blocks from the store so I would pop over whenever I could just to give him a hug and share a laugh or see if he needed anything. I helped him plan his last big event, Footprints in February—Debbie Harry and Iggy Pop put their hands and feet in cement inside the store, Hollywood-style. He emailed me the guest list and asked me if I thought it was ok. I told him that no one could dream up a better downtown guest list. It turned out to be the party of the century. But then all of Jimmy’s parties were the best because of Jimmy and the gigantic love that he showered on everyone. He touched so many lives. But that night in particular was filled with love and light. It took a lot out of him and even though we had a lot of fun planning it, there was also a touch of sadness because I think we all knew that it could be the last party. He had been battling cancer for several years, he was a fighter, he muscled through it, but it was taking its toll.
The last time I saw him was at the end of February, a couple of days after the party. I had already started to quarantine but I had to pick up something at the store. He wasn’t feeling well but he had to go in. He called me from the car and we met at I Need More. We talked about the party and had a great laugh as we always did. He told me, “I’m so glad you came in today, you always make me laugh and I really needed to laugh.”
It was the great joy of my life to make Jimmy Webb laugh. I feel so lucky to have called him friend, and I’m sad for anyone who didn’t have the chance to know this remarkable man.
The world is a little less brilliant today, but I know Jimmy wouldn’t want us to be sad. Well, maybe just a little sad, but not forever. He would relish all the tributes pouring out from all over the world but he would also tell us, the people he loved, that we have to carry on for him. I will forever be grateful to have loved and to have been loved by Jimmy Webb. I will keep on dancing for him, until the end of my time here on Earth.”
With Debbie Harry
With Iggy Pop
With Debbie Harry
With photographers Bobby Grossman and Mick Rock
With Amos Poe
With Jim Jarmusch
With Henry Rollins and Duff McKagan
With the Gruens
With Bob Gruen
With Iggy Pop
With Godlis and Bobby Grossman
With Debbie Harry and Chris Stein
With Danny Fields
Thank you, Jimmy, for all you gave us. We shall miss you.
A still from the film Desolation Center. Image from IMDB.com
Blixa Bargeld and FM Einheit of German band Einstürzende Neubauten, performing at an event in the Mojave Desert. Photo credit: Fredrik NIlsen (1984)
The story of punk rock in the US reads a bit like the story of jazz: a time of musical experimentation where even influential moments and artists can slip through the cracks of history. Many stories were never written down, and many artists failed to leave a trace: no recordings, few pictures–only the memories of those who were there to see and know them.
That’s part of what makes Desolation Center such a treat. The documentary is a wealth of never-before-seen pictures and videos, revealing a near-forgotten story about a series of guerrilla music and art performances in 1980’s Southern California that changed the music world. Director and sometimes-protagonist Stuart Swezey mixes buried photos and live performance footage with interviews of attending musicians and concert-goers. The result is a brilliant, if sometimes hyper-focused, story of youthful innovation and rebellion, and which directly inspired projects like Lollapalooza, Burning Man, and Coachella.
The ‘80s So Cal punk scene, as Swezey remembers it, was a hotbed of diversity and musical experimentation. It was also a favorite raiding target for the police, who were looking to drum up headlines and media attention. At 20 years old, Swezey founded a production company, Desolation Center, aiming to produce shows where the police wouldn’t find them. Early attempts focused on obscure Los Angeles locations, with no success. As long as they were in the city, he decided, the police would find them.
The solution he came up with was a secret concert in an undisclosed location in the Mojave Desert. Punks clamored onto bright yellow school busses for an hours-long drive into the wilderness. The “stage” was small and ran on a generator that barely worked. The wind and sand were so severe that Swezey had to reposition the busses to protect the stage. Nobody made any money; everyone was dehydrated; it was a huge success.
Over the next few years, Desolation Center produced only a few more shows. A second desert show featured pyrotechnics artists Survival Research Laboratories, and German experimental band Einstürzende Neubauten, who made music with scrap metal and construction tools. Another show performed on a hastily-crafted stage built onto a whale-watching ship. Each attracted more attention while focusing–for the most part–on the local punk rock scene.
Punks exit a bus after an hours-long trip into the desert. Photo from IMDB.com
We are lucky that so much of these events were preserved. Desolation Center disbanded after only a half-dozen shows–long before they reached the mainstream–leaving the underground sensation to fade into obscurity. As of this writing, neither the film nor the production company have wikipedia pages. If the performances had happened a decade earlier, the documentary probably wouldn’t exist. Instead, home video technology captured rare performances, reactions, and emotions in ways that the cameras of the late ‘60s and early ‘70s could not have. It is one thing to hear about Survival Research Laboratories blowing up a cave, or to see a picture of Einstürzende Neubauten banging rocks on sheet metal. The videos bring the stories to life.
If the documentary suffers from anything, it is overly-focus and a sometimes-monotonous pace. The story marches from one performance to the next, start to finish, with little consideration for a larger story or evolving cultural context. For such an influential series of events, there is little discussion of changing culture until modern festival founders pop up at the end to cite Desolation Center as an inspiration. The format, at times, feels like a count-by-numbers procession of events which begins to become tedious as the story goes on.
Overall, Desolation Center is still a fascinating watch. If you’re a punk rock enthusiast, you’ll love the never-before-seen footage and reflections into an influential music scene. If punk rock is not your thing, there is still a wealth of hilarious, absurd, and sometimes heartfelt anecdotes of a movement full of anarchic experimentation and youthful rebellion. If you’ve never given much thought to punk rock before, bring a pen. You might want to write down a band name or two for later.
Courtesy of IMDB.com
Rooftop Films
Desolation Center made its New York premiere at the Greenwood Cemetery as part of the Rooftop Films’ 2019 Summer Series. The event featured a Q&A with filmmaker Stuart Swezey, Lee Ranaldo (Sonic Youth) and Bob Bert (Sonic Youth, Pussy Galore, Lydia Lunch Retrovirus, Wolfmanhattan Project). If you’re interested in attending a Rooftop Films event, check it out here.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 05: Atmosphere during the Mae McKagan Capsule Collection Launch At I NEED MORE the Mae McKagan Fall/Winter 2019 Capsule Collection Launch at I NEED MORE on June 05, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Gonzalo Marroquin/Getty Images for Mae McKagan Fall/Winter 2019 Capsule Collection)
Eighteen-year-old designer Mae McKagan debuted her new Capsule Collection last night at an exclusive event hosted by Downtown and I NEED MORE, Jimmy Webb’s punk rock boutique in the Lower East Side.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JUNE 05: Atmosphere during the Mae McKagan Capsule Collection Launch At I NEED MORE the Mae McKagan Fall/Winter 2019 Capsule Collection Launch at I NEED MORE on June 05, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Gonzalo Marroquin/Getty Images for Mae McKagan Fall/Winter 2019 Capsule Collection)
Downtown’s editor-in-chief Deb Martin said of the event, “Downtown Magazine is so proud to support young talent like Mae, who has designed a capsule collection that is cool, elegant, and edgy all at the same time.”
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JUNE 05: Deb Martin, Mae McKagan during the Mae McKagan Capsule Collection Launch at I NEED MORE on June 05, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Gonzalo Marroquin/Getty Images for Mae McKagan Fall/Winter 2019 Capsule Collection)Grace A. Capobianco, Susan Holmes-McKagan, Deb Martin
In attendance at the boutique party were many big names in music and fashion, including McKagan’s parents, Duff McKagan of Guns N’ Roses, and Susan Holmes-McKagan, the American model and now author, as well as her sister Grace McKagan, the frontwoman and lead singer of The Pink Slips. Debbie Harry and Ewan McGregor also attended, among many others who came to show their support of her collection.
The event was lively and packed with guests, with rosé provided by Bosman Family Vineyards and Wines for the World, and hors d’euvres provided by Emmy-winning chef Erwin Schröttner and his Lower East Side mainstay, Cafe Katja.
Duff McKagan expressed awe for his
daughter’s talent, and her passion for her creations, sharing that she’d had a
passion for fashion from a very young age.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JUNE 05: Susan Holmes – McKagan, Mae McKagan, Grace McKagan and Duff McKagan during the Mae McKagan Capsule Collection Launch At I NEED MORE the Mae McKagan Fall/Winter 2019 Capsule Collection Launch at I NEED MORE on June 05, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Gonzalo Marroquin/Getty Images for Mae McKagan Fall/Winter 2019 Capsule Collection)
Jimmy Webb, owner of I NEED MORE, also spent the evening gushing about McKagan’s talent. Webb helped to make McKagan’s dream of being a fashion designer into a reality by partnering with her for this collection. “I love the whole McKagan family, they are in my heart forever, and I’m so proud that Mae chose my baby, I NEED MORE, to launch her line,” Webb said.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JUNE 05: Mae McKagan and Jimmy Webb during the Mae McKagan Capsule Collection Launch at I NEED MORE on June 05, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Gonzalo Marroquin/Getty Images for Mae McKagan Fall/Winter 2019 Capsule Collection)
Despite the excitement of her debut in the fashion world, McKagan was the picture of focus and humility as she received a stream of well-deserved praise throughout the evening, on top of looking effortlessly elegant in a pale pink corset top of her own creation in collaboration with designer Veritée Hill.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JUNE 05: Susan Holmes – McKagan, Deborah Harry and Mae McKagan during the Mae McKagan Capsule Collection Launch At I NEED MORE the Mae McKagan Fall/Winter 2019 Capsule Collection Launch at I NEED MORE on June 05, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Gonzalo Marroquin/Getty Images for Mae McKagan Fall/Winter 2019 Capsule Collection)
“Pouring my heart and soul into this line has changed my mindset and life!” She wrote in an Instagram caption today, between sentiments of gratitude towards her family and supporters.
The line itself is sophisticated,
and perfect for ambitious young women of her generation, featuring pieces like
a powder blue power suit, a modern-punk plaid pencil skirt, and several other
items, including the corset she wore to the event.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JUNE 05: Atmosphere during the Mae McKagan Capsule Collection Launch At I NEED MORE the Mae McKagan Fall/Winter 2019 Capsule Collection Launch at I NEED MORE on June 05, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Gonzalo Marroquin/Getty Images for Mae McKagan Fall/Winter 2019 Capsule Collection)
The capsule collection is available exclusively in-store at I NEED MORE, 75A Orchard Street in the Lower East Side.
Formed in Manhattan Beach, California nearly 40 years ago, the Descendents have evolved into being one of punk’s most influential bands of all time. Blink-182, Sublime, FIDLAR, Mike Watt and YACHT are just a few of the artists that have recorded Descendents covers over the years. In spite of that widespread acclaim, the group has notably taken a number of hiatuses over the years, with the release years of its last three studio albums being 1996, 2004 and 2016.
A quartet comprised of four songwriters, things never slowed down for the members of the Descendents, as shown in its recent documentary, Filmage. Drummer Bill Stevenson has produced albums by NOFX, Rise Against, MxPx and The Lemonheads. Guitarist Stephen Egerton has collaborated with Bill on production projects beyond playing in bands like Auto Da Fe, 40Engine and The Seven Degrees Of Stephen Egerton; he also runs Armstrong Studios in Tulsa. Bassist Karl Alvarez has been part of Gogol Bordello, The Last, The Real McKenzies and Underminer at various points. The drummer, guitarist and bassist were also three-fourths of the band All, which released nine albums between 1988 and 2000, as frontman Milo Aukerman had left the Descendents in the mid-1980s to earn a doctorate in biology from University of California, San Diego.
In support of this year’s Hypercaffium Spazzinate — as recorded for long-time label Epitaph Records — the Descendents have returned to the road with a headlining tour. The New York City stop on the tour will take place on Oct. 8 at the PlayStation Theater. In support of that show, Milo spoke to Downtown. Milo and band can be followed via Tumblr, Twitter and Facebook.
Descendents / Kevin Scanlon
Where was the first gig you ever played in New York? What do you remember about it?
Milo Aukerman: We played CBGB in 1985. Of course, we were in awe of the place, with all the punk history associated with it. I vividly remember the bathroom, which was a complete dump. You wanted to get in and out of there as fast as you can, except the graffiti in the bathroom was top-notch and deserved to be read, so I held my nose and stayed in there a while.
Do you remember the first time you heard your band being covered?
MA: I remember someone telling me Sublime had covered our song “Hope.” I hadn’t heard of Sublime, and in fact it took me a while to get into them. The self titled album is brilliant, and it got me to listen back to 40 Oz. Of Freedom, where I finally heard the cover. I guess it’s OK, although they do so many other covers better.
When The Descendents regrouped for some shows in 2010, you had been careful not to call it a reunion. Having put out a new album this year, is it still not a reunion?
MA: No, because we never split up in the first place. Sure, we took extremely long breaks, but because we are all lifelong friends it never felt like we’d “moved on.” And every time we have reconnected to do music, it has felt so natural and “preordained,” in a sense. So we don’t feel reunited, just tighter friends with each other!
Speaking of reunions, The Misfits — a band which formed around the time that The Descendents did — reunited with Glenn Danzig for a series of festivals. Is that a group that you ever shared a bill with?
MA: No. We didn’t have much contact with them back in the early 80’s because we hadn’t toured outside of California. Then they were already broken up by the time we were touring for real, in 1985 to 1987. I did get a chance to see them in 1982, with the Necros opening up, in San Diego. Very cool show.
Are there any bands that you are still hoping would reunite?
MA: First on the list would have to be the Cheifs, an L.A. band that existed in the late 70’s/early 80’s. They put out a single and contributed to a few compilation albums, and it’s all great punk rock. Check out Hollywest Crisis, it’s their entire collection of songs. Bill, our drummer, actually contacted the Cheifs about playing a reunion show. It was gonna be a surprise birthday for me a few years ago…but they couldn’t do it.
For someone thinking of coming to see your band at the PlayStation Theater, what’s to be expected? Will you be playing a lot from Hypercaffium Spazzinate?
MA: Yeah, we will do a handful of songs from the new record. It’s one of the reasons we made a record; we wanted to play some new stuff! Obviously, we still enjoy all the old classics, and we always will play those. Our set is usually pretty balanced between extremely-old, relatively-old, relatively-new, and brand new stuff.
MA: I’m very proud of this record; there are so many good songs. It makes it hard to pick a favorite! And of course your favorite can change over time. “Victim Of Me,” “Without Love,” “Smile”…Those are some of my current favorites.
When people think of The Descendents’ music, they most likely think of fast, melodic songs with memorable choruses. Is it ever challenging to come up with music like that?
MA: I can only speak for myself. We have four songwriters in the band, of course. It’s not hard to write a song, but to write a GOOD song, I do find that difficult. I know a lot of songwriters work on their “craft,” but I’ve never figured out how to do that. Most of the time, a melody or a lyric has to just come to me “out of the blue,” so to speak. That haphazard approach to songwriting has meant I’ve never been very prolific as a songwriter. Good thing there’s three other dudes to share the burden!
Do you feel that the documentary Filmage portrayed the band accurately?
MA: Yeah, it’s mostly based on interviews with us, so of course we get to set the record straight. In terms of the portrayal, I think Deedle and the boys really nailed the personality of the band, by injecting a ton of humor into the proceedings. And then that humor is balanced by the real-life drama of Bill and his health — and father issues. Bill and Tony are the stars of Filmage; they had me cracking up while I was watching it.
Descendents / Kevin Scanlon
Is there anything you still hope to accomplish within music? For example, do you hope to get on The Tonight Show or a mainstream show like that at some point?
MA: That’s not so important to us right now. We’re OK skipping out on those more mainstream avenues; I think it would just make us uncomfortable. Personally, I’ve treated music as my hobby for most of my life, but right now I’m considering it my career, and that helps inform what I hope to accomplish over the next few years. For example, can I develop as a songwriter?
Also, can I learn to sing better so that my voice isn’t always blowing out on me? It seems rather mundane, but I take these as a big challenge, if only because of the old saying, “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” This old dog wants to prove them wrong.
Aside from your work in music, you are a biochemist. Do you often encounter people with punk rock backgrounds in your profession?
MA: Actually I left science in January of this year. Maybe I’ll go back to it later, maybe not…but as to your question, I had science colleagues who were fans of punk. We always had cool music playing in the lab. However, if by punk rock “backgrounds,” you mean someone in a band, I only know Greg Graffin and Dexter Holland. Greg does evolutionary biology, and Dexter does molecular biology. I’ve talked science with both of them, and it’s cool to know other science nerds that also play punk rock.
When not busy with work, how do you like to spend your free time?
MA: With my wife and two kids, taking trips or just going to the beach. I’ll occasionally make it out to a show — but usually not with the family.
As authors of Please Kill Me: The Uncensored Oral History Of Punk, Gillian McCain and Legs McNeil influenced a lot of people on several levels. Now regarded as the best-selling book on punk rock of all time, Please Kill Me first and foremost described what the heyday of the New York City punk scene was like as according to people that were around it. It cleared up myths about key players in the scene, and also helped readers pick up on some of the era’s underappreciated characters. On a commercial level, the book went on to be published in 12 languages and undoubtedly popularized the oral history format. Time Out and the Daily News were among the book’s early champions.
Now 20 years since Please Kill Me first hit shelves, a 20th anniversary edition of the book was recently released by Grove Press. The new edition of the book has more photos, interviews and a new afterword. In turn, a fan of the original oral history would be justified in checking out this re-issue.
Prior to their press tour — which included stops at six Ace Hotel locations — both Gillian and Legs spoke to Downtown about Please Kill Me, New York City, and punk in general. The two are currently at work on a new book about the California music and counterculture scenes of the 1960’s. Legs is on Twitter as @Legs__McNeil, while the Punk Magazine co-founder still contributes regularly to Vice. More about Gillian, who started the still-existing Friday Night Series of the Poetry Project at St. Marks Church, can be found on the book’s official website: www.pleasekillme.com.
For someone who owned the original version of the book, how is this new edition different?
Legs McNeil: It’s got more voices that we did not have before.
Did you have to read back your original book when working on the additional content? How much of it was fresh in your mind?
LM: Of course. Well, since we did countless number of edits, I think it’s permanently-embedded in our brains. And in case we forget, someone is always quoting from the book in some article.
GM: It’s never not been fresh in my mind. I’ve got it pretty much memorized.
Given the time that’s passed since the original release of Please Kill Me, do any parts of the original book make cringe? Or make you proud?
LM: Nothing in the book makes me cringe, except for the parts that are supposed to make one cringe.
GM: All of it makes me proud.
Your book is generally thought of as the end-all, be-all of New York-related punk rock’s early days. Do you feel that there are any misconceptions about Please Kill Me?
LM: Of course.
GM: No.
Has your definition of “punk” changed since writing the first edition of the book?
LM: No.
GM: No.
The book is very New York-centric, yet most of that New York featured seems to be gone. To you, is that entirely a bad thing?
LM: Things change, I’m glad we captured a piece of that old New York before it disappeared.
GM: No. I remember where I was when I watched O.J.’s Bronco chase — at Legs’ apartment — but no, I don’t remember where I was when I heard about the store.
