Wayne Kramer

Together with Fred “Sonic” Smith, guitarist Wayne Kramer created the, er, sonic architecture for the MC5’s game-changing brand of hard rock. The band sought a Motor City equivalent to Sun Ra’s intergalactic jazz, but accidentally planted the seeds of punk, metal, and all other things hard, fast, and loud. Post-MC5, Kramer hasn’t rested on the laurels of his freewheeling fretwork, releasing a steady stream of solo records, playing with and producing music by some of the countless musicians working under his influence (everyone from Rage Against The Machine to Mudhoney to Coheed And Cambria), and continuing the 5’s revolutionary spirit through activist work. In 2010, Kramer helped Billy Bragg bring Jail Guitar Doors to the United States.

Updated 07/04/2011