Eastside Punks, Episode 1: Thee Undertakers

Thee Undertakers
In this first installment of the Eastside Punks series, we speak with first-gen East L.A. punks Thee Undertakers. Beginning at local parties in 1977, they became regulars in the scene centered around the legendary early-’80s eastside punk club The Vex. Their 1981 debut album, Crucify Me, successfully melded second-wave hardcore bite with first-wave art sensibilities, but remained unreleased until 2001. Though various members are still very active musicians, and Thee Undertakers still reunite for the occasional performance, they remain largely unsung heroes both locally and within the greater Los Angeles underground music scene.
Eastside Punks is a film series about Los Angeles’s other punk scene, one whose existence has developed parallel to, and occasionally intersected with, but remains largely marginalized from L.A.’s greater musical underground. Blending live footage and interviews with multiple generations of musicians, artists, writers and scenesters, Eastside Punks taps into stories from the scene’s history: from its beginnings in East L.A.’s art and music underground of the 1970s to the rise and fall of its premier club, The Vex, and the bands that called it home; how its 1980s rebirth as a wholly underground scene based in backyards and advertised on flyers and traded cassette tapes led to the celebrated Chicano Groove music scene of the late 1990s; and how it remains a vibrant subculture where Chicano rasquachismo meets punk DIY to create one of the few remaining corners of punk’s true underground.
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[@brucam13]

wow this was one of my favorite bands when i was in high school! they were the best of ELA! saw them many times from The Vex to backyard parties. Influenced by them to start my band... Brujeria! Viva la Raza!!

[@EatShee-I-it]

You started Brujeria?

[@brucam13]

@@EatShee-I-it Si

[@queti1862]

And i found myself a GEM!!!! To be from the barrio where being a cholo, paisano and say chales!!!! 🙌🏼 takes a lot to go and be whats against our norm thank you guys for making the punk seen happen for us. Much love and respect from a now a days east los pachuco, why pachuco cause its my form of being punk rock today just as it was then hahaa.. Qvo!! ✊🏼💕 Ps i rock my zoot suits to back yard punk shows cause we're rebel East sider like that!! 😎

[@jakobcaiden7206]

Pro tip: watch series on flixzone. Been using them for watching all kinds of movies these days.

[@kryptichands968]

FLIXZONE IS A SCAM ! DONT FALL FOR IT

[@EatShee-I-it]

Fuck flixzone

[@Tucko1]

Saw them at The Vex. Great stuff!

[@jmicreyes]

Art reyes my pops!

[@Crasslipsrecords]

Wow excellent job!!!!

[@wtfisjuice]

Solid watch!

[@Tunnelmental]

daring to be different, you are awesome...

[@talktokale]

So sick! This band deserves way more recognition!

[@Dalibaba138]

Made my night, thanks Todd for the heads up

[@RubberFactory]

Amazing story! excellent work Jimmy & crew

[@CrashingIntoThings]

This is super cool you guys, nice work.

[@nekroscot]

Love them!!

[@chrisgreenspon5610]

Great lp. Release show in City of Industry!

[@julieyakemonis7656]

🎸 Tony Fingers!!

[@jamesgretsch4894]

The American version of The Damned.

[@ezekielmeza3292]

More episodes !

[@DeathTrap-tc6uv]

Great band!!

[@DR-rn6zg]

WE NEED MORE REPRESENTATION

[@connorbutler3934]

This is dopeee

[@blackhistoryofrocknroll]

I dig your channel

[@coldfito]

sounds like they were post punk, tapping into deathrock...very cool series though

[@martinocelotl8326]

Caballo!

[@Asphaltsquadron]

When was this filmed? I'm friends with Tracy, but have been out of touch with him for several years. Tracy, if you read this is Johnny Wolf. Miss you man!

[@andremedina2628]

How does one listen to Crucify Me? I need me some Undertakers!

[@jimmyalvarado6752]

Puke n Vomit has released their album on vinyl. You can pick it up here: pukenvomitrecords.com/products/thee-undertakers-s-t-unreleased-1981-album-new-lp-black-vinyl-1

[@MaharlikaAWA]

Punk: The only genre that tries hard not to be itself and tries not to be punk while being considered punk.

[@EatShee-I-it]

4:34 Social Distortortion

[@JimVermin]

So rad! Where can I get this record?

[@jimmyalvarado6752]

Hey Jim! Hope you are well and safe. Word is the album should be out on vinyl in the near future.

[@JimVermin]

@@jimmyalvarado6752 Thank you, Jimmy!

[@petermclaughlin3292]

Now they got computers n drum machines n no cool partys n kegs fuck that .