NOMEANSNO

The only thing better than doing a t-shirt with NoMeansNo? Doing two shirts! Since the time I first heard them in 1986, they’ve been a constant, a soundtrack to my life, a score for my (few) triumphs, my (many) failures, and the mundanity that’s filled in around it all. What else can I say about this band’s musical prowess, their devastating live show? I waxed euphoric about them in the blurb for the first shirt, spilled superlatives everywhere, like beer sloshing over the lip of a stein, splashing on the floor. What more could I possibly say? (See below.)

For this design, I took a shot at Mr. Happy (aka Wrong), as imagined by John Yates. Originally I was thinking I’d reproduce the album cover, but then Charles got his hands on it, and now we have Mr. Madness and Death himself, floating in a sea of black (fitting), on a scaffold of hand-drawn logos. Creepy? Absolutely. I remember when Why Do They Call Me Mr. Happy? came out—I’d heard Andy wasn’t in the band anymore, and I was worried about it. The chemistry of the three of them was perfect. How could they do this to us? As it turns out, my fears were misplaced. It wasn’t the same, exactly—and I would miss Andy’s jagged and innovative guitar playing and his scathing vocals—but it was just as good. John and Rob, who cut their teeth as a two piece, delivered a dark, propulsive, captivating record that served as a bridge between the two main eras of the band. Then Tom joined, and the transition was complete. The mastery continued. Until it stopped. I miss seeing them live. I miss playing shows with them. But what I don’t miss is their music. It’s in my ears all the time. Still. To this day. —Abe Brennan

LIMITED TO 300. Printed on BellaCanvas soft spun cotton tees. Ladies’ sizes run small.