While New York, Los Angeles, and Boston were all points on the map moving fast in the New Wave, Spokane had been an isolated community, and for its coming-of-age youth, there was nothing. Spokanarchy! looks deeper into the town's own rock lifestyle after the urban sprawl, centering in on bands struggling for survival, if not acceptance, by a small town and its conservative public. It wasn't the place to be, unless you were stuck there; and for a place out of touch with the rock world, it's disaffected youth weren't disconnected. The documentary shows how Spokane's small punk scene made the best of it before it's drug demise. And, if it wasn't exactly the precursor to Seattle's early 90's grunge, it was pretty much the first. You will probably be reminded of (or introduced to) a lot of short-lived bands that did not make it. Only the bands in this DVD made it locally on the scene and never received national acclaim, but were still beneficial to Spokane's rock evolution.
Spokanarchy! special features include additional interview outtakes, Go F*** Yourself: a short film by Adam Petke showcasing Sweet Madness' Mikal Vollmer's talent in artistry. Also included is Spokane's Punk Rawk Retrospective Art Show, a short film by Beverly Yuen Thompson.
I think that Spokanarchy! would be an educational DVD to anyone interested in the history of any genre of rock music. Spokane would never be mentioned in the same rock limelight as Los Angeles, but because of its mediocre effort in rock history and DIY attitude, it is noteworthy to bring to the forefront. This rock documentary serves an enlightening purpose to rock devotees everywhere.
