Don’t Break Down, A Film About Jawbreaker: Columbus Theatre, Dec 9

There’s a case to be made that ‘90s punk legends Jawbreaker have a big influence on underground music these days. So many bands now similarly walk the line between heart-on-the-sleeve emo and rambunctious punk, the way guitarist and vocalist Blake Schwarzenbach, bass guitarist Chris Bauermeister and drummer Adam Pfahler did in their heyday. The band’s reunion in 2017 was one of the most anticipated of the century and it looks like the reformation has a future. Don’t Break Down: A Film About Jawbreaker examines the effect the band had on their contemporaries and the musicians that came after them, along with the rise and fall of the band during their initial run. The film is currently being shown in theatres all over the country and there will be a viewing co-presented by Armageddon Shop at the Columbus Theatre in Providence on Dec 9.

“The film started in 2006 after co-directors Tim Irwin and Keith Schieron were finished with their first documentary feature, We Jam Econo: The Story of the Minutemen,” producer Dan Didier says about the making of the film. “They filmed on-and-off for the next few years, and then spent several years in the editing room. This was, and continues to be, a self-funded film. Through all the fits and starts and life getting in the way, Tim and Keith decided to reach out to me in 2015 to help finish the film. They already had a 90-minute edit that they weren’t happy with, so with the help of supervising editor Barry Poltermann and editor Erin Elders we started from scratch watching every frame of the footage to construct a brand new edit. Throughout the editing process Adam [Phaler] was instrumental in helping us with all of the archival footage, photography, artwork, etc. that helped us visually tell the story.”

The film features interviews with the likes of Billie Joe Armstrong from Green Day, acclaimed producer and Big Black and Shellac frontman Steve Albini, music critic Jessica Hopper, Chris Shiflett from the Foo Fighters and many others. Jawbreaker is a kind of band that has fans that personally identify with their music, and this should be a cool experience for anyone who feels that way. It promises to provide an in-depth look at one of the most important bands of the last 30 years. It’s also somewhat exciting providing the possibility of Schwarzenbach, Bauermeister and Pfahler playing more shows soon. Roll on through the hippest spot in Providence’s west end for a screening that shouldn’t be missed.

Tickets: ticketfly.com/purchase/event/1585498

Film web site: dontbreakdown.com