Die Dokumentation, deren Titel der letzten MINOR THREAT Single entliehen ist, untersucht eben diese „unschuldigen Jugendjahre“ der frühen Punk-Bewegung in der Hauptstadt der USA. Ein Jahrzehnt in dem bahnbrechende Bands wie BAD BRAINS, GOVERMENT ISSUE, SCREAM, VOID, FAITH, RITES OF SPRING, FUGAZI und viele andere mehr dort ihre Platten selbst veröffentlichten und Konzerte organisierten ohne von Major-Labeln beschränkt und von Mainstream-Medien kontrolliert zu werden. 30 Jahre später dient DC’s „Do-it-yourself“-Credo noch immer als ein Zeugnis für die Kraft der Gemeinschaft und alternative Lebensstile.

Regisseur Scott Crawford:
“SALAD DAYS is a documentary that examines the fertile Washington, DC punk scene of the 1980s. This was a particularly important time in the evolution of punk and independent music, with DC based bands like Minor Threat, Bad Brains, Black Market Baby, the Faith, the Slickee Boys, Void, Government Issue, Marginal Man, Dag Nasty, 9353, Gray Matter, Beefeater, Scream, Rites of Spring, Fugazi, Shudder to Think, Nation of Ulysses, Jawbox and others defining the DC aesthetic. Local record labels like Dischord, Fountain of Youth, Teen Beat, and Simple Machines would become standard-bearers for the DIY revolution.

A lot has been written about the pre-Nirvana period of American punk rock, but there’s never been an examination of DC’s contribution. We’ve spent the last year interviewing dozens of the participants who helped create the local music scene in the 1980s— musicians, photographers, DJs, activists, and writers—to tell the story of one of the most inspiring (and misunderstood) decades in independent music. We’ve also sorted through hundreds of photos, live videos, flyers and zines for inclusion in the film.“