Audio By Carbonatix
Advertising Can't Do It Alone
The challenges facing local news organizations are very real. That's why reader support matters more than ever. If you believe independent journalism matters, make a contribution today and help us reach our summer fundraising goal of $15,000 by August 9.
News broke Friday afternoon that Wayne Kramer, founding member of seminal Detroit band MC5, has died at the age of 75.
MC5 formed in the early 1960s and quickly became known for their driving sound, which included elements of hard rock, garage rock and proto-punk, as well as their leftist political affiliations.
For many years, Kramer had been the band’s only original member.
MC5’s last concert in Arizona was on Oct. 1, 2018, at Marquee Theatre in Tempe. Before the show, Kramer spoke with Phoenix New Times writer Glenn Burnsilver, during which he expressed a positive outlook despite the political climate:
“The MC5’s message of unlimited possibilities, of self-determination and self-nascency, that you can make a difference in the world, holds true. But you have to do it full measure. You have to go at it wholeheartedly. I think the message has substance and is not subject to decay,” Kramer said. “We’ll carry that message every night in our performance and how we play these songs, (and) hopefully inspire people to action.”
In honor of Kramer’s musical legacy, here’s a YouTube video of MC5 at that 2018 Marquee show, performing their most well-known song, “Kick Out the Jams.”
