Something Better Change: A Brief Review Of The New Documentary About Joe Keithley (D.O.A.) From Scott Crawford (Salad Days)

In 2014's Salad Days: A Decade of Punk in Washington, DC (1980-1990), director Scott Crawford captured an era where a morality of sorts formed around hardcore in the nation's capital, and how that ethos shaped an entire approach to music-making and community-building here and elsewhere after that. And while D.C. has been blessed with a real sense of belonging in the music community ever since Dischord started putting out records, that vibe hasn't always translated well to other cities and scenes.

D.O.A., the punk band from Canada, were ones who inspired Minor Threat and Black Flag in terms of approach, and touring methodology, and leader "Joey Shithead", AKA Joe Keithley, a frontman whose all-in attitude predated that of the emo and straight edge movements here. And while "Joey Shithead" may not have been a guy who cared too much about vital issues early on, he gradually grew into the rare kind of guy who decides to put his ideals where his mouth is and run for office. That metamorphosis from rock hellion to activist and politician is what's chronicled in the fascinating new documentary from Scott Crawford, Something Better Change.

Out now and making the rounds of festivals and screenings, the film tells a concise story centered on Joe Keithley's career, how the leap from punk to politics happened, and all that. But it's also an interesting examination of just how to put talk into action. Background from harDCore legends Ian Mackaye (Minor Threat, Fugazi), Alec MacKaye (The Faith, The Warmers, Hammered Hulls), and Dave Grohl (Scream, Foo Fighters) adds context linking up the mindset of this city with that of Keithley's path up in British Columbia. It makes perfect sense that someone so closely allied with the D.C. scene such as Scott Crawford would make a documentary like this, as Joe Keithley's attitude is aligned in a positive way with the heroes of this town's musical past and present. And with additional D.C.-scene help behind the scenes -- music by Michael Hampton (The Faith, Snakes) and sound mix by Archie Moore (Black Tambourine, Velocity Girl, The Saturday People), among others -- this film seems of the same mindset as the examination of outlook and ethos that fueled the best parts of Crawford's own Salad Days: A Decade of Punk in Washington, DC (1980-1990). Like the sections of that flick which focused on Mark Anderson and Positive Force, and Revolution Summer, Something Better Change reveals the backstory of how a personal morality can inform and draw strength from a musical movement's similar POV, and how that morality can chart a path where practical change is pursued for the betterment of one's neighbors and community. In the case of Joe Keithley, those neighbors are also his constituents.

As Joe Keithley runs for a city council seat in Burnaby, British Columbia, Scott Crawford and his crew follow him on the campaign trail, and peek in on Joe and his family. For those who really gravitated to punk because it seemed more real than New Wave, these sequences are invaluable. You may not be a D.O.A. fan going into this documentary, but you will be on the opposite end, thanks to the larger-than-life Joe Keithley. He's a guy who, clearly, wears his heart on his sleeve, and he seems the real deal, with a slew of talking heads, including Duff McKagan (Guns N' Roses), bearing witness to the same fact. Where Something Better Change works best is in the moments where Joe's talk becomes action, and where he gravitates to issues and causes he wants to address should he get elected. In these scenes, a viewer feels like something rare is being seen, as no matter how great the politics are of your favorite rocker, Joe Keithley is actually putting himself out there and running for office and hoping to make a change. That in itself is enormously inspiring, and those sequences should warm the heart of anyone, punk fan or not.

That really is the question that Something Better Change wants to answer: can punk deliver on its promise of change? Can the ideals of the form be translated into action that actually makes a difference? Ian MacKaye and Dischord have run an admirable operation, conducting business on decent terms with artists and fans alike, with label bands playing charity gigs and offering support to worthy causes, but those musicians have stayed out of office. Keithley seems to be risking something more personal here in Something Better Change; he's risking his own livelihood by running for office, facing the chance he fails, for instance. But what if he wins? What difference can he make? Something Better Change attempts to answer that question, and shine a spotlight on a guy who talks the talk, but also walks the walk. That's an extraordinarily rare thing, and thankfully Scott Crawford and crew have gained access to reveal the literal connection between the ethos of punk and the practicality of serving in office.

More details on Something Better Change via the film's official Facebook page, or the film's Instagram page.

Check out the trailer here.