Don Zientara on Cerphe's Audio Vault
One man’s name is on almost every landmark punk and hardcore D.C. album: Don Zientara. Don’s stellar career as recording studio guru and owner of legendary Inner Ear Studios in Arlington, VA, was featured in Dave Grohl’s HBO documentary miniseries ‘Sonic Highways.’ Virginia-raised Grohl described the project as “a love letter to the history of American music.” Dave Grohl recorded at Inner Ear before becoming a member of Nirvana. Inner Ear Studios is a big part of rock n roll history.
Cerphe chats with Don Zientara about the late 70s D.C. music scene including how the Capitol got punked, The Slickee Boys, beloved record store owner-the late Skip Groff, harDCore band Bad Brains, Ian MacKaye of Teen Idles, Minor Threat and Fugazi and others who recorded at Inner Ear over the decades. They also talk about Don’s band Underheaven…the name inspired by the Pete Seeger/Byrds classic “Turn Turn Turn.”
Underheaven, a collective of Washington D.C. Punk Rock insiders, veterans even when they began in 1982, will play their first live show in 35 years at the Black Cat on November 7 featuring three of the four original members: Don Zientara (Inner Ear Studios), Mark Jickling (Half Japanese), Howard Wuelfing (Nurses) and Gary Smith (Martin Welling Band).
