A Texting Tour Of Punk's Old Places

Fugazi frontman Ian MacKaye tells the story of his first show with the band Teen Idles. He hit the E chord on his guitar, a string broke and then somebody threw a beer can that hit him in the face.

MacKaye says he doesn't have a "text-messaging thing" and won't be taking the tour, but he has watched some of the videos online.

"It's real Washington history. It's real culture," he says. "Those of us who are from Washington, we don't live in the marble buildings."

Other sites on the "Capitol of Punk" tour include Fort Reno, an outdoor music venue in Northwest; the South African Embassy, where bands met and drummed against apartheid; and the old site of Madam's Organ at 2318 18th St. NW, now home to Crooked Beat Records (Madam's Organ is across the street).

Crooked Beat employee Andy Gale says he didn't know about the record store's history: "I know they used to have shows upstairs, but that's about it."

Alec MacKaye, who fronted a spate of punk bands (and is Ian's brother), reminisces about a show near Madam's Organ during the text-message tour. While Bad Brains was playing the song "Riot Squad," MacKaye heard dogs barking and thought the noise was part of the song, to create a more riotlike effect. It took a while for the crowd to realize that the city's riot squad had just burst into the venue to clear people out of the club.

The group also interviewed former D.C. mayor Marion Barry, since so many people they spoke to praised his policies during that era. Barry created a summer jobs program in which the city guaranteed everyone ages 14 to 21 a job or work experience, which included playing music.

"The project isn't just about music," Shapins says. "It's about the city as seen through music."

Capitol of Punk films screen Saturday at 10 p.m. at the Warehouse Theater, 1017-21 Seventh St. NW. $6. 202-783-3933. Text-message tours are free.