Curran, Jack
924 Gilman St.
Director Jack Currans debut feature, 924 Gilman Street, is an ambitious documentary that chronicles the 21-year history of the volunteer-run, all-ages venue in Berkeley, California and captures a music scene still thriving today on creativity and a sense of camaraderie. In 924 Gilman Street, Curran crafts an intimate portrait of a small punk venue that continues to foster a vital music scene, and most importantly, a sense of hope that punk principles and practices can build a successful, long-running community. Founded in late 1986, 924 Gilman Street is a DIY punk venue operated solely by volunteers. While many music venues, DIY or not, have succumbed to urban gentrification, and while punk culture became co-opted by the mainstream, 924 Gilman has survived and is still going strong. Punk notables Jello Biafra, Ian MacKaye, Lars Frederickson, and Matt Freeman (Rancid) among others lend their perspective to 924 Gilman Street, while live footage of bands as diverse as Operation Ivy, Screeching Weasel, Pinhead Gunpowder, Pansy Division, Fleshies, Against Me!, Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, etc. show the synergy of band, audience, and venue that makes this a special place. The feature film is 86 minutes long, and the DVD includes a short film as well as surround sound and classroom versions of the audio.