{"id":42434,"date":"2025-05-18T17:15:00","date_gmt":"2025-05-18T21:15:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?p=42434"},"modified":"2025-05-11T20:27:00","modified_gmt":"2025-05-12T00:27:00","slug":"something-better-change-new-doc-chronicles-punk-legend-joe-keithleys-leap-from-stage-to-city-hall","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?p=42434","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Something Better Change\u2019\u00a0\u2014 New doc chronicles punk legend Joe Keithley\u2019s leap from stage to city hall"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Ever wonder what happens when a punk icon trades mosh pits for municipal politics? Enter \u2018Something Better Change,\u2019 a new documentary that tells the wild, inspiring, and all-too-real story of Joe Keithley\u2014frontman of hardcore legends D.O.A.\u2014who went from shouting at the system to working inside it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Directed by&nbsp;\u2018Salad Days\u2019 filmmaker Scott Crawford, this film isn\u2019t your average political doc. It\u2019s punk to the core, with a DIY spirit and a killer soundtrack of resistance. We&#8217;re talking about a guy who once sang <em>Fucked Up Ronnie<\/em> and later won a seat in local government\u2014<em>with a $7000 budget<\/em>. Try telling him change isn\u2019t possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Premieres This Spring \u2014 Don\u2019t Miss:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Vancouver<\/strong>: May 24 @ The Rio Theatre<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Montreal<\/strong>: May 29 @ BBAM! Gallery<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Check out the trailer below. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/NVYhPX_2Vh0?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-CA&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><br>From Hardcore \u201981 to City Council<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>D.O.A. helped build the foundation of North American punk in the late \u201970s and early \u201980s, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with bands like Dead Kennedys, Black Flag, and Minor Threat. But Keithley wasn\u2019t just in it for the volume\u2014he was always shouting about something real: injustice, greed, homelessness, you name it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Fast forward to 2018. After decades of activism through music, Keithley figured, why not try politics the punk way? He ran for Burnaby City Council (yep, that\u2019s in Metro Vancouver), took down a five-term mayor with a notorious disdain for the homeless, and brought his message of&nbsp;<em>\u201cTalk minus action equals zero\u201d<\/em>&nbsp;into chambers usually filled with career suits. It\u2019s a true underdog story\u2014and this film takes you inside every chaotic, hopeful moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cJoe Keithley\u2019s journey from cultural politician to&nbsp;<em>actual<\/em>&nbsp;politician is a lesson in applied punk&#8230; It couldn&#8217;t be more timely.\u201d<br>\u2014&nbsp;<em>Michael Azerrad<\/em>, author of&nbsp;<em>Our Band Could Be Your Life<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Full Access, Full Volume<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Filmmakers followed Keithley during his 2022 re-election campaign, and what they captured is raw, real, and ridiculously motivating. No sanitized soundbites here. Just a punk lifer, knocking on doors, fighting for housing, and trying to prove that grassroots activism still matters\u2014even inside city hall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Featuring cameos from Duff McKagan, Ian MacKaye, Henry Rollins, Penelope Houston, East Bay Ray, Jello Biafra, Beto O\u2019Rourke (yes,&nbsp;<em>that<\/em>&nbsp;Beto), and more, this film shows that the punk spirit is alive and well\u2014and more relevant than ever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why It Hits Hard Right Now<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Politics are messy. People are tired. But\u00a0\u2018Something Better Change\u2019\u00a0offers a glimmer of something we don\u2019t see much of:\u00a0<em>hope<\/em>. It\u2019s not just about winning an election\u2014it\u2019s about proving that the system\u00a0<em>can<\/em>\u00a0work for people, not just donors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s never too late to try to change the world\u2014or at least your little part of it.\u201d<br>\u2014&nbsp;<em>Doug Brod<\/em>, former SPIN editor-in-chief<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Keep Tabs on the Revolution<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Follow\u00a0\u2018Something Better Change\u2019\u00a0on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/somethingbetterchange_doc\/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Instagram<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/somethingbetterchange\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Facebook<\/a> for screening updates and behind-the-scenes punk goodness. For more from the director, hit up\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/saladdaysdc.com\/\">saladdaysdc.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Because honestly, in a world full of noise, this is a story that deserves to be heard loud.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div class=\"mh-excerpt\"><p>Ever wonder what happens when a punk icon trades mosh pits for municipal politics? Enter \u2018Something Better Change,\u2019 a new documentary that tells the wild, <a class=\"mh-excerpt-more\" href=\"http:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?p=42434\" title=\"\u2018Something Better Change\u2019\u00a0\u2014 New doc chronicles punk legend Joe Keithley\u2019s leap from stage to city hall\">[&#8230;]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":42437,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[11,15,22,28,30,1907,4165],"tags":[7395,12591,12590],"class_list":["post-42434","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-documentary","category-film","category-guitar-rock","category-music","category-new-release","category-news","category-punk","tag-d-o-a","tag-joe-keithley","tag-something-better-change"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/IMG_4517.jpeg?fit=640%2C600","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p2B2TV-b2q","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":45364,"url":"http:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?p=45364","url_meta":{"origin":42434,"position":0},"title":"Vancouver punk legends D.O.A. drop career-spanning compilation \u2018Take on the Tyrants\u2019","author":"cultureaddicts","date":"April 27, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Forty-eight years. Eighteen-plus studio albums. Around 4,500 live shows. Vancouver punk architects D.O.A. have lived several lifetimes worth of rock & roll, and now they're packaging the best of it into one gloriously loud slab of history. 'Take on the Tyrants' drops May 21 via Sudden Death Records in two\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;guitar rock&quot;","block_context":{"text":"guitar rock","link":"http:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?cat=22"},"img":{"alt_text":"D.O.A.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_0659-e1776905604534.jpeg?fit=640%2C429&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_0659-e1776905604534.jpeg?fit=640%2C429&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_0659-e1776905604534.jpeg?fit=640%2C429&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":39578,"url":"http:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?p=39578","url_meta":{"origin":42434,"position":1},"title":"D.O.A. announce \u2018War On 45\u2019 40th anniversary re-issue","author":"cultureaddicts","date":"July 16, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"In 1982,\u00a0D.O.A.\u00a0was ready to record a new album on the heels of their first two albums:\u00a0\u2018Something Better Change\u2019\u00a0and\u00a0\u2018Hardcore 81,\u2019 which are still both musical landmarks to this day. But their legendary line up had changed, as Randy Rampage was ousted from the band. The older brother of Chuck Biscuits, Dimwit,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;guitar rock&quot;","block_context":{"text":"guitar rock","link":"http:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?cat=22"},"img":{"alt_text":"D.O.A. Live photo","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/1E6F311B-6CBD-419D-AA60-8371EE55945D.jpeg?fit=1200%2C857&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/1E6F311B-6CBD-419D-AA60-8371EE55945D.jpeg?fit=1200%2C857&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/1E6F311B-6CBD-419D-AA60-8371EE55945D.jpeg?fit=1200%2C857&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/1E6F311B-6CBD-419D-AA60-8371EE55945D.jpeg?fit=1200%2C857&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/1E6F311B-6CBD-419D-AA60-8371EE55945D.jpeg?fit=1200%2C857&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":28806,"url":"http:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?p=28806","url_meta":{"origin":42434,"position":2},"title":"D.O.A.  new album &#8216;Fight Back&#8217; coming May 1st","author":"cultureaddicts","date":"April 9, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"D.O.A., Canada's legendary pioneering punks who set the bar high for punk and basically invented hardcore, are ready to rip it up on the occasion of their 40th anniversary. They have a brand new album called 'Fight Back' and they are embarking on a worldwide tour to support this impressive\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;live&quot;","block_context":{"text":"live","link":"http:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?cat=25"},"img":{"alt_text":"D.O.A.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/DOA-promo-photo-2018-_-Charts-Colour.jpg?fit=800%2C533&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/DOA-promo-photo-2018-_-Charts-Colour.jpg?fit=800%2C533&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/DOA-promo-photo-2018-_-Charts-Colour.jpg?fit=800%2C533&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/DOA-promo-photo-2018-_-Charts-Colour.jpg?fit=800%2C533&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":27320,"url":"http:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?p=27320","url_meta":{"origin":42434,"position":3},"title":"&#8216;D.O.A.: A Right Of Passage&#8217; coming to theatres and Blu-ray + DVD","author":"cultureaddicts","date":"November 13, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"'D.O.A.: A Right Of Passage'\u00a0is the ground-breaking classic rockumentary about the origin of punk rock. The film will be coming to select theatres in mid-November (dates are listed below), and will also be available in a collector's edition Blu-ray + DVD package. \"High Times is pleased to finally uncover and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;documentary&quot;","block_context":{"text":"documentary","link":"http:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?cat=11"},"img":{"alt_text":"DOA - Right Of Passage cover","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/MVD0237BR.jpg?fit=1032%2C1200&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/MVD0237BR.jpg?fit=1032%2C1200&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/MVD0237BR.jpg?fit=1032%2C1200&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/MVD0237BR.jpg?fit=1032%2C1200&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":17602,"url":"http:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?p=17602","url_meta":{"origin":42434,"position":4},"title":"Metal Icon THOR unleashes new album","author":"cultureaddicts","date":"October 29, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"After a year that saw a deluxe reissue of his career-launching 1983 album 'Unchained' as well as seeing his life\u2019s story retold in the documentary film 'I AM THOR,' metal legend Jon Mikl THOR is capping off one of the biggest years of his career with the release of his\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;documentary&quot;","block_context":{"text":"documentary","link":"http:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?cat=11"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/THOR-METAL-AVENGER-med-res.jpg?fit=413%2C413&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":45566,"url":"http:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?p=45566","url_meta":{"origin":42434,"position":5},"title":"Glen Matlock\u2019s punk origin story gets the documentary treatment it deserves","author":"cultureaddicts","date":"May 9, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Glen Matlock finally tells his side of the Sex Pistols story Here's a name that doesn't always get top billing in the punk rock mythology: Glen Matlock. The man co-wrote ten of the twelve tracks on Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols \u2014 arguably the most influential punk\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;documentary&quot;","block_context":{"text":"documentary","link":"http:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?cat=11"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/IMG_0813.png?fit=355%2C215&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42434","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=42434"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"http:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42434\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":42441,"href":"http:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42434\/revisions\/42441"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/42437"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=42434"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=42434"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=42434"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}