People come in & out of our lives, & we do not always know who they are and what part they are going to play in the bigger scheme of things. In 1988, I entered Antioch university in Yellow Springs with a chip on my shoulder, because I had just stepped into the Twilight Zone…really, Rod Sterling was one of the school’s star graduates. Honestly, the realest human that stood out was a young women named Mia Zapata; she was epic on so many levels. We were not the best of friends, but we did bond over our love of the CRAMPS. This young woman just radiated positive energy, but at the same time had this vibe that you better not fuck with her because she did not take shit from anyone. Mia was the singer for the leading punk band on campus called The GITS, & they would perform anytime, anywhere. Even then you knew you were watching something special – the band played a killer brand of blues-infused punk rock that was totally infectious. As a singer, Mia had the voice of Mahalia Jackson mixed with the attitude of Exene Cervenka. She wrote lyrics that would would make you think, but they had this awesome everyday quality about them. The GITS were a true band; they really loved each other, you could see it in their everyday lives, & once they hit the stage, the rest was history because they could rock & shock the nation for sure. In 1989, they moved to Seattle, where they became a part of the local music scene before the grunge explosion. By 1993, The GITS were on the verge of taking off, but then a scum bag took Mia Zapata away from us. She lives on through her music, that’s for sure. I know for a fact this was one of the greatest bands to ever do this thing that we call punk rock. Today, CVLT Nation wants to share with a rad documentary about one of America’s raddest bands, the GITS. So after the jump, check out this thought provoking film about friendship, music & love!
The GITS : Second Skin
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