Marginal Man was founded by three members of the recently defunct Artificial Peace. It was one of the first DC hardcore bands to feature two guitars and was first introduced to the DC crowds at the "555" concert at the 9:30 club on Jan. 2, 1983. The show was billed as "555" because not only was Marginal Man a five-piece, but both Minor Threat and Faith had recently added second guitars to their line-ups, and this was a coming out party of sorts for all three. There was a massive turnout and tickets sold out almost immediately, so a second show was added to accommodate the crowds. This surprised almost everyone and made it clear for the first time that local bands were beginning to draw a lot more attention than many touring acts coming to Washington. 

Other than Minor Threat, Government Issue, and Scream, Marginal Man was one of the few early DC punk bands to get out and tour the country. They released their first LP, "Identity" on Dischord in March 1984 and later released albums on Enigma and Giant Records before breaking up in 1988.

Photo: Jenn Thomas