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Beefeater

A central part of the D.C. scene’s Revolution Summer era, Beefeater was formed in 1984 by bassist Dug E. Bird, vocalist Onam Emmet (then known as Tomas Squip), guitarist Fred “Freak” Smith, and drummer Bruce Atchley Taylor. The band’s eclectic blend of styles—ranging from funk to thrash to reggae, all underpinned by Smith’s furious guitar work—carved out a singular space for the group and helped establish the post-hardcore sound in D.C..

Drawn from the punk collections in Special Collection in Perfoming Arts at the University of Maryland.

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