Forty Years Ago
Today is July 4th 2023 which for many means BBQ’s, parties, the beach, and of course, fireworks. For us punker back in the day in LA, July 4th means something completely different. This 4th of July 1983 will be the 40th anniversary of the incredible event that, still to this day, boggles my mind on how it came together. This day was “The California Marijuana Initiative presents The Independence Day Legalization Rally and Free Concert" at the Los Angeles Federal Building in Westwood. The headliner was Black Flag. Yes…BLACK FLAG! Black Flag was “my band” from the South Bay. They were my north, my south, my east and my west of punk rock. They were the center of my punk rock universe and they were playing in Westwood outdoors on a beautiful sunny 4th of July day. How could it not be a better way to spend the day on our nations birthday! To me it was perfect.
Now if you do not know about the LA Federal Building in Westwood, well, it is just a building that is home to the Veterans Affairs’ regional benefits office, the Los Angeles Passport Agency, and of course the FBI Regional Office…Yes the F-B-I! Who knows what other clandestine operations were also in there? One thing for sure is this FBI office was full of big weapons and guys who know how to use them.
It is also on Wilshire Blvd across the street from the Veterans Cemetery and is located on a very busy six lane road, usually very busy with traffic. This was a “perfect venue” to have Black Flag play at? This wasn’t a Vex or The Fleetwood or The Starwood. This was not some random club in a shitty part of LA. No, this was outside on the grass of a building that housed the FBI!! I would never ever think that one would see a punk rock gig happening here and Black Flag headlining! Are you fucking kidding me!
In the early 1980’s LAPD’s Chief, Darryl Gates had a thing about punks and especially Black Flag. He hated both! He would rather beat the shit out of you first and ask questions later. For those from back in the day knows that Black Flag + The LAPD = RIOTS! Infamous riots like Baces Hall, The Whiskey, and the Church “mini riot” in Hermosa Beach all had a massive police presence, asshole cops with those fucking billy clubs. I do not remember this gig getting out of hand. I guess I was focused on getting cool shots of the band. Were there cops there ready to crack some skulls?
The line up for the “Legalize Weed” gig was Black Flag, Chuck Dukowski’s side band WURM, Peace Corpse (cool name), Bad Actor and 100th Monkey. I never heard of the other bands but Black Flag and WURM..YES!! I was eighteen at the time and had recently graduated from Mira Costa High School. I drove my shitty white Honda Civic with my punk rock buddies from Manhattan Beach to the Federal Building in Westwood…take Manhattan Beach Blvd to Inglewood Ave, take a left then a right to the 405 North, take the Wilshire exit, turn right on Wilshire Blvd then a right on Veteran Ave. I “think” I saw the first three bands but I know that I saw WURM and Black Flag because I took photographs that day. I believe it was just me and Glen Friedman shooting photos from the pit and on stage. I haven’t seen other photographs of that day. He has some amazing shots from that day in his latest book “What I See: The Black Flag Photographs of Glen E. Friedman”. I have a photograph of me taking a photo of him taking a photo of Bill Stevenson. His shot of Billy is killer!
I wish I had memories of that epic day in punk rock history. I am thrilled that they chronicled through my photographs. They are some of my favorite shots I have ever taken. There is one in particular of Henry Rollins with the American flag on his left and the Marlboro Man billboard with the tag line “Come to where the flavor is” to his right. There is also some dude who looked like he was a gondolier in Venice, Italy. Who knows maybe he ran a gondola business along the canals of the LA’s Venice. Back then anything was possible…like HAVING BLACK FLAG PLAY ON THE 4TH OF JULY AT THE LA FEDERAL BUILDING!
From Chuck Duskowski: “When I was a teen the “smoke in” protests to legalize marijuana were a big thing. I heard about them on KNAC which was a more underground fm station at the time. WÜRM founders Ed and I both remembered the Smoke Ins and met some people associated with organizing them earlier that year. I thought how cool it’d be to play that and that we should bring Black Flag as well as WÜRM if the rest o the band was down to play. Yes all were in.
We took care of business with a PA and it happened. My future wife was there. Crazy.”
