This is my final installment of “My Trip to DC to Stay at Dischord House”.  I saved the best for last!

My May 2022 trip to DC first brought me to John Davis at Special Collections in Performing Arts in the University of Maryland Libraries to drop off photographs and my book for the “Kevin Salk Collection of DC Punk Photography” collection.  If that was the only part of my trip I would leave thrilled and very satisfied.  It turns out that was just the appetizer!

The next day was the big day, the “top of the mountain day”, the “I hit the goldmine day”, the “I can’t believe this is happening” day and it turned out to be that kind of day.  I was heading to Dischord House to spend some time with the legend, Ian MacKaye, the king of DC punk!

Like the first time when I was there in September of 1982, this trip took a little planning.  It was decided that May 25th at 9am was open for Ian.  I woke up that morning excited and really nervous.  I had made sure I had my metro exit correct and my timing correct to get from The Hotel Lombardy in DC to Dischord House well before 9am. 10 minutes early is on time in my book.

When I excited the metro station near Dischord House, I didn’t recognize a thing.  It was when I got to 4th Street I actually recognized the 7-11 on the corner.  During my stay back then it was where I had breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Also many of cans of coke.  They should have renamed the 7-11 “The Dischord Cafe”.

Now I was at the front gate of 2704 N. 4th Street…Dischord House.  Time for a few deep breaths and a knock on the front door.  Ian answered the door and welcomed me in.  Did I already tell you I was really fucking nervous.  We chatted about life in-between those forty years: what my life was like since high school, our kids, coaching our kids in sports, little league parents, punk rock, etc.  Ian is such an interesting and articulate person. Then came tour of the house with Ian pointing out “that was where the couch was that you slept on when you stayed here”.  Then it was down the super steep stairs to the basement.  One of the few things I remember was watching Minor Threat practice when I was there.  What I didn’t remember was how low the ceiling was.  I must of been kinda short back then…I’m 6’1” now.

What came next was one of the most amazing experiences of my life.  Ian walked over to a steel door that looked it was made for the height of the lollipop kids in The Wizard of Oz.  He opened it and with a huge smile said “you are going to like this!”  Well he was right!  I guess it was my moment of following the white light into the next dimension.  The room was white with bright lights and was as clean as an operating room.  Ian said “this is the archive room”.  He was so proud and he had every reason to be.  The room was temperature controlled, fire proof, flood proof, and had a humidifier.  My guess is it could survive a nuclear blast too! What was in this room was priceless…everything that was DC punk rock and Dischord Records.  I have to commend Jeff Nelson for doing some fantastic carpentry work.

He showed me rows and rows of original demo recordings of The Bad Brains, SOA, Government Issue, The Teen Idles, Scream, Faith, Iron Cross, Fugazi, etc…and of course Minor Threat.  I think he had every flyer and zine that was ever created in the DC scene.  I asked Ian if I could take a couple of photos and he said bluntly “no fucking way”.  The next thing he brought out stopped me in my tracks.  He has the ORIGINAL letters that I had sent him in 1982 along with the envelopes that they came it.  I was speechless.  I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.  I think I blurted out “fuck me this is amazing”.  I was already on such a high a that my brain was not ready for this.

On the way out he reminded me to watch my head and be careful walking up the steep stairs.  I was so overwhelmed by the experience that smacking my head or tripping going up the stairs could have been a real possibility.

Next up was a quick walk across the street to Dischord Records.  I was able to meet his guys that ran the operations and see more cool stuff…records and records and more records.  After that it was back to the house to finish up my visit.  I made a point of bringing two prints of Ian and Minor Threat from the April 3rd, 1983 gig at The Cathey de Grande.  One signed by me for Ian and one for Ian’s signature for my personal collection.

The final part of this amazing journey was to get a picture with Ian on the famous steps of Dischord House.  His friend who lived there snapped some shots of me and Ian and I shot a few myself. After multiple thanks you so very much, I walked back to the metro station to head back to my hotel and make my way back home to LA.  I think I got lost going back to the metro station.  My brain was still in Dischord House heaven!

As I was sitting on the train, I was trying to process what just happened.  It was one of the most special moments of my punk rock life and entire life.  What struck me the most was just how principled Ian is.  He is all about the music and really doesn’t give a shit about the hype or the money.  He understands the past but has no interest in repeating it.  He is an awesome human being and I am so grateful for the incredible experience he gave me during my visit.

THANK YOU IAN!