Posts about Beastie Boys (RSS, JSON)

12PM — This is the story of three friends from New York City, the story of the Beastie Boys—told by the Beastie Boys. Micheal Diamond and Adam Horowitz, live on stage at the Kings Theatre in Brooklyn, New York, are recalling significant events from their 30-year career. How they started as a punk rock band (everyone was in a punk rock band), how they got into rap (everyone got into rap in New York in the 1980s), how they met Rick Rubin and Russel Simmons (Rick Rubin had the equipment they needed for a gig). Moving to California, trying to leave behind “Fight For Your Right,” and finally becoming proper musicians.

As you’d expect, their story is hilarious and a little crazy. But Diamond and Horowitz are well into their fifties now; they have grown up. Between the stories of juvenile silliness and lousy decision-making, there’s also much introspection. Both take significant time to reflect on how they treated former band members before the Beastie Boys broke out and the sexist lyrics they wrote; that it was the late Adam Yauch who shaped the Beastie Boys into grown-up artists and humans.