Primus - DMV

What this video is

Released in 1993 as the second single from Pork Soda, 'DMV' arrives at the apex of alternative rock's commercial breakthrough. Primus occupied a singular niche: too weird for mainstream radio, too popular to remain underground, following a Billboard 200 No. 7 debut. The video's collage of concert footage, bathroom grotesquerie, and recycled animation embodies the band's sardonic rejection of rock spectacle,…

Why it matters

A defining artifact of early-1990s funk-metal and avant-garde rock crossover, 'DMV' synthesizes art rock, noise rock, funk bass virtuosity, and progressive metal into a deliberately anti-commercial package. The video's collage approach mirrors the genre's refusal of traditional pop-video tropes,…

The director

American music video director and cinematographer based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Studied fine art photography and business at San Francisco State University. Worked as a lighting camera assistant on The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993). Founded San…