Panther, Panther Burning Bright

Nowadays Kramer is as reflective as ever. And busy as a whirling dervish. Having launched his own Internet label, www.musicblitz.com, he's producing a compilation set to include John Doe, Stan Ridgway, Dee Dee Ramone, David Thomas from Pere Ubu, and Jimmy Zero's new outfit, Lesbian Maker. Kramer also sits on the judge's panel for the South by Southwest Conference in Austin, Texas. Finally, there's his dream project: a comprehensive, feature-length documentary in the works titled MC5: A True Testimonial. Produced by the Chicago-based Future Now Films, the effort is slated for release sometime in 2001 -- that is, if the funds are there. "The wheels turn slow in the documentary-film business. Money's always a problem -- well, lack of money is the problem. Money is the solution in this case," he says.

Ironically, Kramer's extensive search for actual MC5 footage ("Remember, the band existed in a time well before videotape, before minicams, before digital," he points out) was greatly assisted by the unlikeliest of sources: those same, great skull-crackin' folks from the Chicago riots. "We got it through the Freedom of Information Act, and it'll be included in the documentary," Kramer says. "We had great United States Army intelligence surveillance film."

The Kings of Detroit, Rock City: (from left) Michael Davis, Wayne Kramer, Fred Smith and (front row) Dennis Thompson and Rob Tyner of the MC5.

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More About

• Wayne Kramer
• J.C. Crawford
• Rob Tyner
• John Sinclair
• Jac Holzman

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