If there was a mecca of indie rock, it wasn’t Manhattan’s CBGB or Minneapolis First Avenue or Chapel Hill’s Catle or Al’s Bar in LA, it was Maxwell’s in Hoboken, New Jersey, just across the river from New York City – and you can almost guarantee that a band like a band like NirvanaThe substituteREM, Soundgarden, Sonic Youth, Hüsker Dü or Hoboken locals Yo La Tengo played show both in the city and Maxwells, the latter would be better.
Why? Since it was smaller and more welcoming than the usual dirty rock bar, industry types rarely made the hike so that the audience was mostly real fans, and an important reason why the bands loved it was because it was also a restaurant, so they would have a good meal. You would go or find a place to park somewhere near the nearby Maxwell House Coffee Plant (thus the name), with the smell of coffee beans heavy in the air, went down on Washington Street, entered through the restaurant and from 1978 to 2013 went to the 200 capacity, low in the roof and could often find stone history.
The story of this legendary place is told in a new functional documentary called “No Backstage at Maxwell’s”, with interviews with Hüsker Düs Bob Mold, Yo La Tengos Ira Kaplan and Georgia Hubley, Jack Antonoff (who played there with his early band Steel Steel), Founder Steve Fallon (Pictte Fallon (Pictte Fallon (Pictte Fallon (Pictte Fallon (Picture. Abrameds, and Häva of the Much, of the Much, and Much, and Manice, who played there. (See the trailer below.)
According to the announcement, the production is “actively looking for fan photos and video films from fans, former protectors and bands that played Maxwells over their storied driving. Everyone and all posts are welcome – nothing is considered too raw or unprofessional – that’s all part of the story.” (To contribute material, contact the producers at info@maxwellsmovie.com.)
Doc is directed by Paul Rachman (“American Hardcore”) and is produced by former music director Claudia Sullivan, a long fan and protector.
“Maxwell’s was not just a club – it was a community. It was a proven land,” said Rachman. “That’s where music scenes collided, friendships were forged and bands found both their audience and their soul.”
Sullivan added, “Your memories can help preserve the legacy of this legendary space in the future generations. We ask for help from those who lived it.”