Newly unearthed super-8 film footage by legendary SF band Jawbreaker shows us around the Mission in 1992, makes me emotional

Just got back from a fight with one of my best friends. We went to dinner at Chino and then had a drink at ABV and got into a long thing about political participation and net neutrality and revolution and convictions. He told me I don’t give enough of a shit, I made fun of his corporate job and BMW.

Then I got home and opened an email from Adam, of Jawbreaker (the most legendary Mission-based band of all time):

I just uploaded this to the Jawbreaker youtube page. It’s from a roll of super 8 film that i found over 20 years after I shot it — shots of Valencia and Mission between 16th and 24th. I set it to our song “Boxcar.” Check it and feel free to post if the spirit moves you

Man, it moves me like crazy. I love the Mission. I love how it changes. I love remembering how it was one decade ago, and I love watching videos about how it was two decades ago. I love reading articles about how it was in the ’80s, and I love my parents’ foggy remembrances about how it was in the ’70s. I love Burrito Justice’s futurist visions of how it will be in the ’20s and in the ’30s and ’40s and beyond. (I even love when I almost get run over by a Ferrari while it’s looking for parking outside Trick Dog.)

I love Obama and I love net neutrality and I love the Mission and I love my friends.

And I love a girl I know, a Mission girl, and how I got to see her sing “Boxcar” at karaoke in another state once upon a time, and how that was basically the best night of my life, so far away from home but feeling super-connected via this girl and this song… and thus feeling connected to everything and everyone, ever, and just loving life.

The thing is that I basically missed out on Jawbreaker, like most of us did probably, because we’re just a little too young or a just a little too from-somewhere-else or whatever. But Jawbreaker persisted, thanks to older pals talkin’ shit and making mixtapes and blog posts and playlists, and thanks to Thorns of Life shows at Thrillhouse Records and thanks to Forgetters shows at similar spots in Brooklyn or wherever — and thanks to lovable midwestern girls who dug Jawbreaker early and did whatever it took to make their way to California and San Francisco and into our hearts.

Why can’t we all just get along and save the world and abolish government and be in love forever?

Ugh. Let’s rock:

Thanks, Adam!

32 Responses to “Newly unearthed super-8 film footage by legendary SF band Jawbreaker shows us around the Mission in 1992, makes me emotional”

  1. Nick says:

    Great post.

  2. B0b says:

    made me reminisce about checking The List to see what shows were going down…thanks!

  3. delicate fleur says:

    Aw, Sketchy Donuts at the end!

  4. Job Raker says:

    Awesome!

  5. Patrick says:

    Awesome that this vid opens with a shot of the Albion. 90% chance I was in there when this was shot.

  6. Missionish says:

    Hunts Donuts! *sniff*

  7. Bob Dole says:

    1992. The hardcore gangster years.

  8. t says:

    I grew up as a punk rock kid in Chicago listening to jawbreaker. For some reason, at the time I thought Jawbreaker was a midwest band. Also listened to a lot of Fifteen and rancid/op ivy from Berkeley/Oakland. 10-15 years later I found myself living in Berkeley, Oakland and the Mission.

  9. Some Jerk says:

    I wasn’t in SF in 1992, but this made me nostalgic for when indie bands shot their videos on 8mm b+w.

  10. 24-24 says:

    adam is a transplant

  11. anadromy says:

    Good stuff, Allan.

  12. wurple says:

    Jawbreaker is/was great.

  13. ofcourse says:

    Great post. Makes me reminisce about the time I wrote a Forgetters show piece for Mission Mission way back when.

  14. SFrentier says:

    Q: “Brah, where’s Farina?”

    A: “exactly.”

  15. carnitasinmybelly says:

    Jawbreaker was the reason I moved to the Mission. Great to hear that song again.

  16. breenk80 says:

    That night in ’92 a girl I was crushing on said she liked me: Jawbreaker at Brave New World. sigh.

  17. 24-24 says:

    “I got home and opened an email from Adam, of Jawbreaker (the most legendary Mission-based band of all time):”

    quite proud of yourself it seems

  18. 24-24 says:

    can we talk about Locals Corner closing already?

  19. Aaron says:

    The way I remember it, Jawbreaker was an LA band!

  20. scum says:

    Chino and ABV?

  21. Alexis Smith says:

    I agree with you why can’t just save the world and be in love forever. Be positive in all aspects. Great post!

  22. Y tu mama me la mamó says:

    Slow mo it so we can check out all the middle class store fronts and such.

  23. Andy says:

    “Kiss the Bottle” was their ultimate paean to the Mission… from the 7″ boxset.

  24. Telstar401 says:

    Great post. I was here in 1992, so I love how the video reinforces something I often feel: Despite all the fuss about change and change and more change, the truth of the matter is that much of the Mission still looks a lot like it did 20 years ago.

  25. wurple says:

    The members of Jawbreaker lived in NY, LA and SF at different points. Most of their “career” (the last three albums), they lived in the Bay Area.

  26. Heidi-Jane says:

    Great stuff! Love that it ends on Hunts! And you caught footage of my favorite Indian restaurant on Valencia, Scenic India (RIP), next door to the laundry mat in the 500 block of Valencia. Does anyone have any more footage like this? I’d love, love, LOVE to see more of the good old days on Valencia.Thanks so much, Adam, for taking the trouble to share this with us.

  27. Stuart Hanson says:

    Love this!