Punk Visionary Justin Pearson Subject of New Film
A closer look at Don’t Fall In Love With Yourself
While the origins of punk and hardcore in the 70s and 80s have been well-documented in both film and books, the continued evolution of the genres into the 90s has not been as well examined.
The new documentary Don’t Fall In Love With Yourself, which examines the life and career of punk polymath Justin Pearson, certainly is a good start.
Director Jon Nix employs several of Pearson’s closest friends and bandmates past and present along with tons of archival footage to tell Pearson’s story. He weaves together a narrative that proceeds chronologically while also hitting some of the most important elements of his career.
VIDEO: Swing Kids “Fake Teeth”
Pearson’s childhood and discovery of punk provide a great jumping-off point. Like so many from the punk scene, his childhood was rife with dysfunction and tragedy, perhaps even more so than usual. But he also experienced more freedom, especially compared to the youth of today.
There are stories of crossing the border into Mexico to see punk shows which, as is so often the case, inspired Pearson and close friend drummer Jose Palafox to form their first band. They first formed Struggle which quickly gave way to the Swing Kids. The Swing Kids, alongside Antioch Arrow, Heroin and Angel Hair, formed the crux of the San Diego emotional hardcore scene known as screamo, or skramz as the kids call it nowadays. Able to tour at a very young age, the Swing Kids became a band beloved to this day and forms an important segment of the documentary.
While Gravity Records might be the first label associated with that burgeoning scene, Pearson formed his own Three One G label which not only put out many vital records from that scene but continues to thrive to this day.
With the dissolution of the Swing Kids, Pearson soon found himself a founding member of The Locust, probably his best known project. Combining brutal, punk-fueled powerviolence with spaced-out synthesizers and Devo levels of quirkiness, The Locust both enraptured and alienated the scene in equal measure. The documentary delves deep into the often confrontational relationship the group had with its audience while being afforded the opportunity to tour the world with punk bands and more popular acts like the Yeah Yeah Yeahs alike. Like all good things, The Locust, too, came to an end. While rumours of reformation were occasionally floated around, it seems unlikely now with the tragic passing of drummer Gabe Serbian.
Don’t Fall In Love With Yourself also sketches Pearson’s subversive nature via the story of he and his friends appearing on The Jerry Springer Show. This incident ties together with The Locust’s opportunity to be signed with a large pop punk label later in their career, and reveals Pearson’s and the band’s reservations. Both the Springer incident and the careful maneuvering between labels pulls back the curtain on a punk who is still driven by his principles.
While much ground is covered here, including other forays into acting and voiceover work, it is impossible to touch on every aspect Pearson’s career. Groups such as Holy Molar and Dead Cross are not really mentioned, nor are the books he’s written. Recently the group he’s a member of, Satanic Planet, has even been touring State Houses nationwide in the wake of Christian conservative musicians playing the same venues. All that is to say, Justin Pearson’s work seems far from over and it is nearly impossible for any single journalist or documentarian to keep up with.
And while Pearson is certainly worthy of being the subject of a documentary, Don’t Fall In Love With Yourself also gives excellent insight into the punk scene of the nineties, and particularly the screamo scene which goes highly underappreciated, particularly in contrast to the metalcore scene of the same time period. Much of this will feel familiar to those that lived through that time and were involved with the music, regardless of whether or not they were at ground zero in San Diego. And for those who weren’t there, bring a notebook and relish the plethora of bands and sounds this will introduce you to. Start with Pearson’s own excellent discography and expand from there.
VIDEO: Don’t Fall In Love With Yourself film trailer
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