Ian MacKaye Met Belushi Backstage at SNL: Fact or Fiction?
When NadaMucho.com Contributor Justin Vela scheduled his second interview with Ian MacKaye, this time for some background on his band The Even’s new album, we asked Justin to check out the long-standing rumors that MacKaye was part of a group of East Coast punk rockers invited to the taping of Saturday Night Live when Fear performed in 1981.
As legend goes, MacKaye also got back stage to meet John Belushi, who had been instrumental in getting the band booked.
As it turns out, the rumors are true. In MacKaye’s own words:
“We were invited up to dance for the FEAR performance on SNL at the behest of Belushi. ‘Ian MacKaye” was the password to get into Rockefeller Center and up to the show that night. I believe we briefly met Belushi when we first arrived, but later in the show I was desperate to make a phone call and he let me use the phone in his dressing room. I didn’t really hang with him too long, but he seemed like a nice fella.”
Read Justin’s 2003 interview with Ian MacKaye.
Awesome video!