Tree…Much mutual respect! I am blushing…You know how I feel about your music, and my eyes always light up when you wander into GC and say hello! Awwww….Thanks, duder(s).
I really have been a bad Leppotone-boarder! I will try to drop in once in a while…
Speaking of Scooter & The Worms, anybody know how to contact Klop?
Last I heard he was somewhere in California.
I know they are not punk, but I think a good choice for UFO Dictator 5 would be the Sinatras. Again, they are not punk, but a great band, and would bring people out.
We’re getting ready to fly to Memphis to see 35 bands over the next 3 days and I get to DJ on one of the nights, Friday, with the most solid lineup methinks. I can’t say that I dig all of those 35 bands and I haven’t heard the majority of them. I’m sure that I’ll be bored to tears by quite a few of the bands and Crappor and I will rest and play Hurts Donut and The Tapping game with novices to pass the time.
My show was cool because I picked all of the bands to play because I liked them and/or I put out records by the bands. Imagine putting out records by a band that you didn’t like? 1/4 Stick Records fo sho. Imagine if I was offered some booshit that would get an extra 200 people to come but I didn’t personally like the band. That wouldn’t be one of my shows, that would be just another show. It’s not like when you go to the Ren-Faire with the Verily Fatties and turkey legs there’s moms dressed up like Sailor Moon and a disheveled Spock walks by and somebody’s parrot is dressed up like a fucking Dalek and is screeching "EXTERMINATEEXTERMINATE!!!" There’s a time and place for all those things, but fuck it if I’m going to try to please everybody. But, if somebody could point me in the direction for a surf-dulcimer-Blues Hammer esque cover band for next year I might entertain the thought.
I’m glad people came out and had a little bit of fun or a lot of fun or no fun. Either way you came out instead of watching Red Roof Inn Shoe Diaries at home on a weekend with a bucket of popcorn. There were so many smiling faces around this past weekend. Some I didn’t even know! Beautiful.
Dream reunion bands on the short list so far for UFO Dictator V: #5 Is Alive!
Scooter And The Worms Latin Dogs / Brainpolice LAPD Riot Midgets Jim Jones And The Kool-Aide Kids
I’m going to need some help on those. See, with Snorkel it was all, Blaine, we’re having a few old styles at the Teen Grop, you wanna play this year? Done and done and lots of practices and done.
Submitted by Uncle Arthur on Wed, 09/24/2008 - 1:14pm.
I had worries when I saw it was only Jack and Spike with theses greasy Kalamazoo dudes. But the Kalamazoo dudes were solid.
I didn’t notice the set went long, but did notice Snorkel didn’t play long enough. And that’s too bad. But the situation made the anger needed to fuel the rage that powered the maniacal insanity that electrified Snorkel.
one thing i did point out to scott…..mentols are a poor mans van halen….third song in….one of the boring ones….i started singing "aint talking bout love" right along with em….although the menthols had dropped the tempo a bit….it fit perfect…..of course no guitar solos….scott thanked me for this observation…..i felt good about myself….i talked to miller about it…his head drooped a little…and i told him it was time to write some new fucking songs…..cause the four i like…i have on singles….come on boys….fashion over substance indeed….but sean is my absolute lead singer of any band anywhere at anytime….
The Snorkel set was the real deal. Exactly what you’d want to see, unless it was your band that played before them.
They’d have made minced meat out of pretty much anyone that night, I wouldn’t take anything they said too seriously.
Personally, I’ve never been happier at a show than I was during that set.
In fact, the last time I felt anything close to that, Blain was doing a monologue about Kraftbrau’s beer at last years LKO.
("The beer than makes you shit and screw around.")
The cringe factor reminded me of Boom & The Legion of Doom shows, especially when the deer head came out.
(Although Snorkel sounded a hell of a lot better than Boom, I was disappointed by the lack of actual gore.)
I saw only the first couple of Penetrators songs. I went to the van, planning to put my purchases in there and come right back, but I was suddenly SO tired. I laid in the back and listened to the rest of their set. Sounded pretty good from there. Not unlike many Detroit bands from that era. Fuck, whaddaya expect? They ARE older dudes. (Pot? Meet Kettle)
From the back of the van, it could just as easily have been ? And the Mysterians (without the cheesy organ.)
Nobody gave them any shit. Whatever, I was too out of it to have a real opinion.
On Friday, I left after Mesa. They were the band I came to see that night, and I was not disappointed.
Of all the UFO records, Mesa’s is my fave. Excellent cowbell work! (Mississippi Queen? I knew what you meant…)
Nobody’s Favorite, 74 Jailbreak or Mesa, I’m not just blowing smoke whan I say that Chad’s got the best guitar sound in town.
All points are taken…and taken well. I didn’t want my rant to come off as me being totally offended, but maybe it did. MarriedGuy, you’re right, my friend, myself and those who organized the show may be a little too close to everything to not be emotional. I’ll tell you, I really invested a lot of time and energy in that show, and so did everyone else who put it together. Part of that energy was put into making the Snorkel thing happen, too (although I wasn’t personally involved in this).
Mesa played right after Throbbin’ Urges on Friday, despite being told we were probably going on right before Black Orphan the week before. We were in a hurry to call everyone we knew to make sure they got out quick, but it shouldn’t have been that way. I liked all the bands on Friday night, so I just told my friends to come out early and hang out and enjoy the ride! But it ain’t for everyone. It really is hard to please everyone. But what a cool night Friday was because of the variety of bands, and they’re all under that UFO Dictator umbrella. I like how it all worked out.
Paddle…you’re right. Wick needs the glasses back, and the crew cut! Thanks…
I ain’t hatin’ my friends…We all have our perspectives, and I’m just glad everybody had fun. Thanks for the kind and/or not so kind words! It was a great time, and I really like a lot of the friends I have made from the Leppotone and UFO Dictator camps. Good people, good times!
Submitted by Herb Tarlick on Wed, 09/24/2008 - 9:59am.
There WAS something for everyone including myself. Snorkel blew my mind. I figured since I paid my 13 bucks I could say whatever I wanted about the rest. I can see how my comments might have been interpreted as a ‘lack of appreciation’ but that was not my intent at all. Also Houts and his boys did a fine job backing the Penetrators, that was definitely not the issue. If people want to have a discussion about it, I am willing to do that. If not, I really don’t care that much either. Certainly no offense was intended to Useless, Crappor, Houts, Louie’s, WIDR, or anyone else involved in the promotion of the show.
Thanks for eloquence in the fog of bull, bigpolish. I think that’s it exactly. Armchair quarterbackin’ Yep.
I thoroughly understand how totally frustrating it is when you’ve spent a bunch of time and energy organizing and promoting a show and then, afterward, get to enjoy being told what was wrong with it by people who did neither jack nor shit to help put it together. It’s hard not to get infuriated about it, especially when you’re still in recovery mode. I have been the jerk and the jerkee in such situations. What I’ve learned is that if you have criticisms, a little grace and sense of timing in framing them is appreciated, as is a willingness to take what one gives. Ahem.
First before all else "THANKYOU!" THESHOWWASAWESOME. I think perhaps you’re too close to the event and you’re taking too much stock in small talk. This talk is nothing more than armchair quarterback bullshit, it means nothing, and I think I’m one of the bullshitters. YOURSHOWROCKED! there was something for everyone and everyone had a good time. There were parts of the show I didn’t care for, I spent those parts catching up with old friends, but holy shit don’t think for a minute that your hard work isn’t appreciated.
I have one request: Do it again!
Here, I’ll be like my children: Do it again! Do it again! Do it again! Do it again! Do it again! Do it again! Do it again! Do it again! Do it again! Do it again! Do it again! Do it again! Do it again! Do it again! Do it again! Do it again! Do it again! Do it again! Do it again! Do it again! Do it again! Do it again! Do it again! Do it again! Do it again! Do it again! Do it again! Do it again!Do it again! Do it again! Do it again! Do it again! Do it again! Do it again! Do it again! Do it again! Do it again! Do it again! Do it again! Do it again! Do it again! Do it again! Do it again!
Seriously I haven’t had that good of a time in a long time.
i got the penetrators thing….but man…it was refreshing to know that elderly crowd still had venom….and fangs….and the snorkel shit talking was essential….
y’all are lucky to have sammy b moving back to kazoo…jealous….i talked to olson today…..no more snorkel shows ever….fuck.
and mesa rocks….just get wick back into glasses….the more sally jessee rapheal the better….
by the way….a stoner metal band that doesnt smoke weed is tantamount to slayer making a christian rock record….im just saying…..three cheers for rock and roll!!!
I figure I must make post number 2 or 3 (really, I’m just not good at keeping up with these boards!)….But it seemed appropriate at this time.
First off, it was really great to see so many of you (many of whom are chums) at both UFO shows this weekend. This was a truly great 2-day occasion that really made me feel warm and fuzzy inside, and absolutely penetrated my earballs into submission!
I play guitar in Mesa (the wanking leads) and I also played guitar (the yellow-ed Tele) in the Penetrators for those who don’t know. There seems to be some controversey over the Penetrators playing way too long that just won’t go away. First off, I would like to say that I completely agree - we did play too long. Blackjack Matt came to me before the set and told me to keep the set as close to 45 minutes as possible. I told Jack and Spike (the original Penetrators) that we must try to obey this request. Unfortunately, they didn’t.
However, I look at it both ways. I remember there being some people in the crowd shit-talking (I don’t even care), and I remember Snorkel shit-talking, and that’s all fine and good. Perhaps this is justified. But you must also realize that Useless and Crappor put up some serious money to fly the Penetrators in for the show, and (I’m going to be selfish here…yes, I am!), that I (as well as my bandmates Matt and Scott) put in an incredible amount of work trying to make the Penetrators set work. Could the set have been shorter? Yes. But it wasn’t, so fuck it. I had fun watching Snorkel, too. It reminded me of being a kid and sneaking into Club Soda to see one of their smacked-out shows and Blaine playing half the set unplugged without even realizing it.
I was proud to have been a part of both nights festivities whether my own or my bands’ efforts were appreciated by the whole or not. Most people would say I’m a pretty nice guy…hell, probably too nice. So say what you will about everything. It’s over, it’s done, and I think the majority of the people in attendance both nights had an incredible time. There was a great vibe all around for both shows in what I think the Kapn referred to as "being surrounded by rock’n’roll fans who are having good times."
To those who had fun, thanks for the good times. To those who didn’t, sorry, but your paid admission is non-refundable. You are more than welcome to come see me some other time and tell me that I wasted your time in person. My last name is Houts, first name Chad. Just refer to yourself by your board name please, so I know whom I’m speaking to.
The bottom line is that the people behind this show - Useless and Crappor, Blackjack, Louie’s, WIDR, etc. - really did a hell of a job, and we wouldn’t be praising or dissing without them. So kudos to them!
Of course the UFO shows are where I’d rather be! Because I like to rock, and you like to rock, too.
That said, I think the Tuna Fest is going to be well attended and well received. I think the WIDR crew deliberately went anti-rock because rock’n’roll is of limited interest to their student audience, and last year’s Tuna attendance kinda proved that. Not only that, but most upstart musicians these days would rather be folkies, jam-grass, neu-Order, Flamin’-freak-psych, not-yer-dad’s-jazz, the next Leonard Cohen, anything but straight ahead rock’n’roll. That’s fine. Everything goes in waves. I mean, it’s beyond me why more current bands don’t want to rock out like the Menthols, but, whatever. I like what I like, and as long as I’m lucky enough to have the rare occasion to attend an all-out rock’n’roll bash - locally - like UFO Dictator, and be surrounded by rock’n’roll fans who are having good times, then I’m OK with whatever else is going on.
who cares if some of the bands sucked…indeed they did….i hope the live penetrators recording isnt/is spoiled by the vile things coming out of a portion of the crowd….heheheheh
shopping bag….climb your ass in a shopping bag and play for 15 minutes and be done…fuck….i/we were waiting on snorkel
….who did not disappoint on any level…well other then the sloppy drunken……wait…nope that was sweet as well…..those boys should play all the time…sammy b?…on fire!…..blaine….awesome…kirk….amazing…i dont know if anyone actually noticed how fucking thick they sounded….cripes man…..olson….amazing…..yeeeehaw…..best reunion show ever?….love was the best reunion show ever…..i got to touch arthur lee…ahhhh….
Submitted by Herb Tarlick on Tue, 09/23/2008 - 9:50am.
I can’t say I’m real thrilled about this….I gave the powers that be my thoughts on the subject and they weren’t acted upon.
HEREITIS…
Thursday, October 16th: Tuna Get-Down Kickoff @ Warehouse 7DaestroWIDR Djs (J Unit 1, JB Love, & Felonious Punk) Friday, October 17th:Party @ Papa Pete’sDevil In A WoodpileWho Hit John?The Total Blam BlamsHarvyst Saturday, October 18th:Main Event @ The State TheatreMates of StateBlack Moth Super RainbowSchool of Seven BellsWinner (TBA) of Fight For The Tuna Saturday, October 18th:Tuna Afterparty @ Papa Pete’s, following the final festival show! Get pumped, it’s gonna be an amazing festival!
Herb’s mom is definitely not mid-tempo….just ask Kennny Knottts. I’m bummed I missed Saturday but i had a blast friday. the menthols really are on to something. It was my first time seeing mesa who I really enjoyed. I still can’t get over Ulysses slaying me with All You Can Eat when we did our tag team set. I even tested out my new UFO shirt when i got home and it glows in the dark.
Herb… book your own fucking shows. No really… all music sucks when you’re a complainer…. except schizophrenic jazz and conch shells. Just callin’ it like it is.
You want to hear a specific band/genre, then start calling ‘em up and asking them to play. Or how about this; fucking enjoy yourself and appreciate what you got.
For everyone else… for reals, thanks for coming out! I had a great time and also had way too much beer on Friday! Luckily someone was nice and drove me home. And apparantly to Steaks’n’Shakes but I don’t really remember that part. Saturday was super duper fun and even though it was a bit stressful (lesson learned: pay someone to do the door and merch) it was still awesome to see good buddys there enjoying themselves. Lots of smiles really made my night. Penetrators were awesome. And for Jack being "old" he still busted some shit out. For not being the actual band, the chummers backing that shit up were great. Had to learn the songs by ear and it sounded damn good to me. Snorkel was just silly and fun. I actually dug Tony Sagger OMB. Plexi 3 were great but I didn’t get to see much of them, and the Spits were super tight for not knowing they were going to play. Gotta love that! So yup, thanks for everyone making it a great time! I did appreciate Herbs yelling "uncle sausage", and I did notice Herb with a smile a few times. Hopefully it wasn’t as horrible as you make it out. The idea is good times. PS. Your mom’s mid-tempo.
Submitted by Uncle Arthur on Mon, 09/22/2008 - 8:09pm.
1: If you’re 40 or above, you gotta lift at a slow to mid-tempo.
2: I haven’t seen a band being angry and psychotic in such a long time. There was a flash of it when Glen Campbell played a metal version of "McArthur Park" at Miller a few years ago. But otherwise, nada. Maybe it was because I asked the lead singer of The Snorkels if he felt he was ready after The Penetrators. He just vibrated and stared funny at my Obama t-shirt.
3: Moshers slammed into my wife, and I didn’t even get angry. Good times!
don’t get herniated! lordy! lift with your knees and maintain a slow to mid-tempo while doing so!
You gotta save yo ass!
The newer music fan generations are so well-behaved—i tend to forget until I watch them freak out and flee from the geriatric mosh pit/microphone rape scene and think “oh, yeah…this kinda shit used to just be kinda typical!” I got old and forgot. Is it good or bad that the kids don’t act out anymore? I’m not equip[ped to say, because honestly always ran from the mosh pit even back in the day cause it pissed me off to get my beer spilled and it’s hard to recover from a boob punch. It;s hard to deny the entertainment value of manic energy, though.
The best part about Sam yelling "mid tempo!" in reference to The Penetrators was that Snorkel was playing "Ron Jeremy" which is 90’s mid tempo.
Was funny during and after the show hearing, "those Penetrators are playing too long and they suck and they’re in their 50’s." from one group of peoples and then "those Snorkel dudes are dicks and they suck and they’re in their 40’s." from others. Didn’t stop me and most from having fun. Slimmons shennanigans on stage during Snorkel and heckling had me stone dead.
The Spits rule for agreeing to fill a potential 2 hour void in our show’s programming because the 2nd band cancelled the night before the show and the 3rd band were driving in from Milwaukee and would be there around 10:30 ish. We were stressed by all that but the Woods +1 were awesome and handshakes and backslaps later they’re ready to play for 30 minutes.
Herb’s silly. The bands on my label he digs have family members or friends in them and the other ones he doesn’t like. Except for kinda liking The Throbbin Urges now because they play "Rich Daddy" so he likes them for 3 minutes and 20 seconds.
"Little Girl" as covered by The Dead Boys on their first lp, maybe that’s why the punkles and garage rock turkeys found out it was OK to cover.
Next year if we decide to have another show it’ll just be 1 show, at the one place that I hope is open by summer 2009. Fuck it! Tons of fun though. Except for the time problems and getting a hernia.
Submitted by Herb Tarlick on Mon, 09/22/2008 - 4:28pm.
The current Mike Hard project which features 3 God Bullies (Mike, David, and Adam) along with Karen is called They Never Sleep. Dorbo or someone should bring them to town soon.
Did you know that 3 of the 4 GodBullies are currently playing in Detroit Area… I believe Mike, Adam, Dave are working with Karen(Thrall, etc.) in a band called Angels of the Apocalypse, Mike C. as I last heard was in Texas to be with family(sad times). It’d be cool if they make their way over to this side of the state sometime.
Oh, and I really dug the 1-man band thing.. i though it was better than what I was expecting.
All in all it was a good show. Sager seems like a nice guy, but I didnt care for his one man band thing. Plexi 3 were hot and so was that cutie in the mini skirt. I liked the Penetrators and Snorkel. A big shout out to the Spits for playing very last minute. Thanks to all who made it a rocking weekend.
Submitted by Herb Tarlick on Mon, 09/22/2008 - 3:28pm.
Oh and definitely it should be Scooter and the Worms next year. The health issues are significant (guitarist Mike Gunderson lost both his feet due to diabetes last year) but three of them are in the Kzoo area I believe and I think they could be motivated. Another personal choice would be The Fix. They too have had some ‘what if’ discussions during the past year. A third choice would be a classic lineup God Bullies. Any BC bands of the era (e.g. Latin Dogs) would also be appropriate.
I think it was all perfect: The Penetrators playing long and the noise complaint(s). It all felt very much like an authentic show from the early 90’s, your band/show was in danger of being shut down, someone was getting dicked over in the lineup, it all added to the energy of that reunion. I don’t know if we would have had the expecteration and the geriatric mosh pit had everything been pleasant and nicey-nice. (It’s all fun and games until someone breaks a hip) I dearly loved the end of the show with an exasperated Sam chastising the audiance for thier misbehavior "This is very expensive equipment". My belly still hurts from laughing, my god that was great.
Today it sort of beggs the question to me at least… who is next? I would love to see King Tammy kick it old school again.
Sinatras were in our infancy when we played a show in ‘86 (first of several) at the Battle Creek Junior Achievement building with a few BC bands and a few K’zoo bands (including, I’m fairly certain, one of Blaine’s first bands, Total Control). One of the BC bands was the Kona Buds, made up of the remnants of late ‘70’s BC punk legends The Lips Are Back. One of the songs they performed was Syndicate of Sound’s “Little Girl”, and as I recall, they played it in much the same “trying to hold it together” manner as the Penetrators. I think that’s authentic - the original SOS performance just barely hangs on. The big question I have now is - was there an obsession with this song among late ‘70’s punk rockers and New Wavers? If so, why? Personally, I’ve never liked the song too much, its misogyny makes ‘66 Jagger sound like Alan Alda.
Submitted by Herb Tarlick on Mon, 09/22/2008 - 10:06am.
Sorry if I came off a little harsh on that but those Penetrators were boring. I think my point was that they had NO energy. If the bar to reach for a headline act is to do a cover of ‘Hey Little Girl’ without falling apart I guess they succeeded. A modern day equivalent of Mom Hasndy perhaps? The costumes have changed but the lack of inspiration remains. Other than the Penetrators it was a great show. The Spits have energy and inspiration and are great songwriters to boot. The Menthols have energy and inspiration as well along with great musicianship and an obvious deep sincerity and belief in what they do. The Throbbing Urges seem to be moving in a positive direction, I really liked some of the darker, twangier, kind of surfy stuff I heard in a couple of songs. I’m not sure what I think about Mesa, they really don’t hit me too hard one way or the other. I’m kind of biased on the Metal Teeth, they rock no matter what to me for personal reasons I guess. And as for Snorkel, it is sad that I really don’t remember them much from back in the day (their heyday corresponds with a time in my life when I wasn’t real active on the scene) but this event more than made up for what I may have missed. I did have a great time at this event but there were weird aspects as well. This one kind of had elements of both high school reunion and high school dance. Good to see a lot of old timers out but also there are reminders of why you didn’t like some of those old timers that much in the first place. Uncomfortable awkwardness. Sorry if I get over analytical but that is part of my nature. It was really a great time and it couldn’t have been a more perfect weekend weather wise. Great to see all the Leppo folks, the Green Top crew, Ponk, Timmy, and everyone else. Even Uncle Sausage. Mega thanks to Useless and Crappor for bringing it all together!
You’re right! That was no fun at all! I didn’t have any fun either night, and I hated everything, except Snorkel! Fuck all those youngsters and their stupid energy and time and money that they put into providing two nights worth of non-irish fest music in this town! Nothing beats those great nights that I remember from the 90’s, like Eel P*e Island followed by great stuff like J*nny With an EYE and Water for the Poodle!!!!!!!!!! Kne* De*p Shag made funkadelic irrelevant! Whoo! The 90’s!!!!!!!!! Nothing was boring then!
Submitted by Herb Tarlick on Mon, 09/22/2008 - 8:36am.
Thank you Sam Bailey for calling it like it is. The Snorkel set took me back to a time when things didn’t suck so much. God those Penetrators were awful. When and why DID fifth rate mid-tempo crap become so fashionable?
Submitted by wizzybit on Mon, 09/22/2008 - 7:57am.
That was super ultra mega fun. I can’t believe I have to go back to work today, in fact, because I don’t feel recovered. It did kind of smell like 1993 for a minute there.
Just perfect weather Saturday night, so great to have it outside!
Junky shots immortalize the lunatic abandon of the Snorkel stage show… the sound POUNDED. I owe the band, or maybe DJ Kiry, money for the 7” I ended up dancing on… thanks for spotting the colored vinyl, Paddle! Kap’n Jr will look sweet in the band T.
Pick-up locals really made the Penetrators’ set shine, I thought Plexi 3 were groovy, Spits, Sagger, and the DJs kept the mood upbeat and beat… and you know I loves seeing everybody. (CG also has some great pix coming.)
UE and UFO crew, thanks for a perfect rock’n’roll farewell to the summer.
I agree with Nate. Best. Reunion. Show. Ever. I laughed, I cried, i dodged spit and ran away from overly-aggressive, over-happy moshdudes, it was everything I remembered and more. Also, i haven’t laughed that hard in a loooong, looong, time.
And, Kap’n? We love you too.
62 comments
Awww...
Tree…Much mutual respect! I am blushing…You know how I feel about your music, and my eyes always light up when you wander into GC and say hello! Awwww….Thanks, duder(s).
I really have been a bad Leppotone-boarder! I will try to drop in once in a while…
-Houts
buh gaw
You really want Dusty’s
You really want Dusty’s hand to fall off don’t you. Rimshot.
Speaking of Scooter & The
Speaking of Scooter & The Worms, anybody know how to contact Klop?
Last I heard he was somewhere in California.
I know they are not punk, but I think a good choice for UFO Dictator 5 would be the Sinatras. Again, they are not punk, but a great band, and would bring people out.
We’re getting ready to fly
We’re getting ready to fly to Memphis to see 35 bands over the next 3 days and I get to DJ on one of the nights, Friday, with the most solid lineup methinks. I can’t say that I dig all of those 35 bands and I haven’t heard the majority of them. I’m sure that I’ll be bored to tears by quite a few of the bands and Crappor and I will rest and play Hurts Donut and The Tapping game with novices to pass the time.
My show was cool because I picked all of the bands to play because I liked them and/or I put out records by the bands. Imagine putting out records by a band that you didn’t like? 1/4 Stick Records fo sho. Imagine if I was offered some booshit that would get an extra 200 people to come but I didn’t personally like the band. That wouldn’t be one of my shows, that would be just another show. It’s not like when you go to the Ren-Faire with the Verily Fatties and turkey legs there’s moms dressed up like Sailor Moon and a disheveled Spock walks by and somebody’s parrot is dressed up like a fucking Dalek and is screeching "EXTERMINATE EXTERMINATE!!!" There’s a time and place for all those things, but fuck it if I’m going to try to please everybody. But, if somebody could point me in the direction for a surf-dulcimer-Blues Hammer esque cover band for next year I might entertain the thought.
I’m glad people came out and had a little bit of fun or a lot of fun or no fun. Either way you came out instead of watching Red Roof Inn Shoe Diaries at home on a weekend with a bucket of popcorn. There were so many smiling faces around this past weekend. Some I didn’t even know! Beautiful.
Dream reunion bands on the short list so far for UFO Dictator V: #5 Is Alive!
Scooter And The Worms
Latin Dogs / Brainpolice
LAPD Riot Midgets
Jim Jones And The Kool-Aide Kids
I’m going to need some help on those. See, with Snorkel it was all, Blaine, we’re having a few old styles at the Teen Grop, you wanna play this year? Done and done and lots of practices and done.
Again, I liked the Penetrators
I had worries when I saw it was only Jack and Spike with theses greasy Kalamazoo dudes. But the Kalamazoo dudes were solid.
I didn’t notice the set went long, but did notice Snorkel didn’t play long enough. And that’s too bad. But the situation made the anger needed to fuel the rage that powered the maniacal insanity that electrified Snorkel.
one thing i did point out to
one thing i did point out to scott…..mentols are a poor mans van halen….third song in….one of the boring ones….i started singing "aint talking bout love" right along with em….although the menthols had dropped the tempo a bit….it fit perfect…..of course no guitar solos….scott thanked me for this observation…..i felt good about myself….i talked to miller about it…his head drooped a little…and i told him it was time to write some new fucking songs…..cause the four i like…i have on singles….come on boys….fashion over substance indeed….but sean is my absolute lead singer of any band anywhere at anytime….
coming from
coming from tree….sheeeyit….thats a compliment of the highest order….
You Eff Oh For
The Snorkel set was the real deal. Exactly what you’d want to see, unless it was your band that played before them.
They’d have made minced meat out of pretty much anyone that night, I wouldn’t take anything they said too seriously.
Personally, I’ve never been happier at a show than I was during that set.
In fact, the last time I felt anything close to that, Blain was doing a monologue about Kraftbrau’s beer at last years LKO.
("The beer than makes you shit and screw around.")
The cringe factor reminded me of Boom & The Legion of Doom shows, especially when the deer head came out.
(Although Snorkel sounded a hell of a lot better than Boom, I was disappointed by the lack of actual gore.)
I saw only the first couple of Penetrators songs. I went to the van, planning to put my purchases in there and come right back, but I was suddenly SO tired. I laid in the back and listened to the rest of their set. Sounded pretty good from there. Not unlike many Detroit bands from that era. Fuck, whaddaya expect? They ARE older dudes. (Pot? Meet Kettle)
From the back of the van, it could just as easily have been ? And the Mysterians (without the cheesy organ.)
Nobody gave them any shit. Whatever, I was too out of it to have a real opinion.
On Friday, I left after Mesa. They were the band I came to see that night, and I was not disappointed.
Of all the UFO records, Mesa’s is my fave. Excellent cowbell work! (Mississippi Queen? I knew what you meant…)
Nobody’s Favorite, 74 Jailbreak or Mesa, I’m not just blowing smoke whan I say that Chad’s got the best guitar sound in town.
Absolutely...
All points are taken…and taken well. I didn’t want my rant to come off as me being totally offended, but maybe it did. MarriedGuy, you’re right, my friend, myself and those who organized the show may be a little too close to everything to not be emotional. I’ll tell you, I really invested a lot of time and energy in that show, and so did everyone else who put it together. Part of that energy was put into making the Snorkel thing happen, too (although I wasn’t personally involved in this).
Mesa played right after Throbbin’ Urges on Friday, despite being told we were probably going on right before Black Orphan the week before. We were in a hurry to call everyone we knew to make sure they got out quick, but it shouldn’t have been that way. I liked all the bands on Friday night, so I just told my friends to come out early and hang out and enjoy the ride! But it ain’t for everyone. It really is hard to please everyone. But what a cool night Friday was because of the variety of bands, and they’re all under that UFO Dictator umbrella. I like how it all worked out.
Paddle…you’re right. Wick needs the glasses back, and the crew cut! Thanks…
I ain’t hatin’ my friends…We all have our perspectives, and I’m just glad everybody had fun. Thanks for the kind and/or not so kind words! It was a great time, and I really like a lot of the friends I have made from the Leppotone and UFO Dictator camps. Good people, good times!
-Houts
There WAS something for
There WAS something for everyone including myself. Snorkel blew my mind. I figured since I paid my 13 bucks I could say whatever I wanted about the rest. I can see how my comments might have been interpreted as a ‘lack of appreciation’ but that was not my intent at all. Also Houts and his boys did a fine job backing the Penetrators, that was definitely not the issue. If people want to have a discussion about it, I am willing to do that. If not, I really don’t care that much either. Certainly no offense was intended to Useless, Crappor, Houts, Louie’s, WIDR, or anyone else involved in the promotion of the show.
Oh yeah… and I did not see
Oh yeah… and I did not see Snorkel Vinyl at the show, is this still available?
EXACTAMUNDO
Thanks for eloquence in the fog of bull, bigpolish. I think that’s it exactly. Armchair quarterbackin’ Yep.
I thoroughly understand how totally frustrating it is when you’ve spent a bunch of time and energy organizing and promoting a show and then, afterward, get to enjoy being told what was wrong with it by people who did neither jack nor shit to help put it together. It’s hard not to get infuriated about it, especially when you’re still in recovery mode. I have been the jerk and the jerkee in such situations. What I’ve learned is that if you have criticisms, a little grace and sense of timing in framing them is appreciated, as is a willingness to take what one gives. Ahem.
I had a good time. Fuggit!
Talk is Cheap
Houts, & Crappor,
First before all else "THANK YOU!" THE SHOW WAS AWESOME. I think perhaps you’re too close to the event and you’re taking too much stock in small talk. This talk is nothing more than armchair quarterback bullshit, it means nothing, and I think I’m one of the bullshitters. YOUR SHOW ROCKED! there was something for everyone and everyone had a good time. There were parts of the show I didn’t care for, I spent those parts catching up with old friends, but holy shit don’t think for a minute that your hard work isn’t appreciated.
I have one request: Do it again!
Here, I’ll be like my children: Do it again! Do it again! Do it again! Do it again! Do it again! Do it again! Do it again! Do it again! Do it again! Do it again! Do it again! Do it again! Do it again! Do it again! Do it again! Do it again! Do it again! Do it again! Do it again! Do it again! Do it again! Do it again! Do it again! Do it again! Do it again! Do it again! Do it again! Do it again!Do it again! Do it again! Do it again! Do it again! Do it again! Do it again! Do it again! Do it again! Do it again! Do it again! Do it again! Do it again! Do it again! Do it again! Do it again!
Seriously I haven’t had that good of a time in a long time.
i got the penetrators
i got the penetrators thing….but man…it was refreshing to know that elderly crowd still had venom….and fangs….and the snorkel shit talking was essential….
y’all are lucky to have sammy b moving back to kazoo…jealous….i talked to olson today…..no more snorkel shows ever….fuck.
and mesa rocks….just get wick back into glasses….the more sally jessee rapheal the better….
by the way….a stoner metal band that doesnt smoke weed is tantamount to slayer making a christian rock record….im just saying…..three cheers for rock and roll!!!
hip hip hooray!x3…
Pardon the interruption, but...
I figure I must make post number 2 or 3 (really, I’m just not good at keeping up with these boards!)….But it seemed appropriate at this time.
First off, it was really great to see so many of you (many of whom are chums) at both UFO shows this weekend. This was a truly great 2-day occasion that really made me feel warm and fuzzy inside, and absolutely penetrated my earballs into submission!
I play guitar in Mesa (the wanking leads) and I also played guitar (the yellow-ed Tele) in the Penetrators for those who don’t know. There seems to be some controversey over the Penetrators playing way too long that just won’t go away. First off, I would like to say that I completely agree - we did play too long. Blackjack Matt came to me before the set and told me to keep the set as close to 45 minutes as possible. I told Jack and Spike (the original Penetrators) that we must try to obey this request. Unfortunately, they didn’t.
However, I look at it both ways. I remember there being some people in the crowd shit-talking (I don’t even care), and I remember Snorkel shit-talking, and that’s all fine and good. Perhaps this is justified. But you must also realize that Useless and Crappor put up some serious money to fly the Penetrators in for the show, and (I’m going to be selfish here…yes, I am!), that I (as well as my bandmates Matt and Scott) put in an incredible amount of work trying to make the Penetrators set work. Could the set have been shorter? Yes. But it wasn’t, so fuck it. I had fun watching Snorkel, too. It reminded me of being a kid and sneaking into Club Soda to see one of their smacked-out shows and Blaine playing half the set unplugged without even realizing it.
I was proud to have been a part of both nights festivities whether my own or my bands’ efforts were appreciated by the whole or not. Most people would say I’m a pretty nice guy…hell, probably too nice. So say what you will about everything. It’s over, it’s done, and I think the majority of the people in attendance both nights had an incredible time. There was a great vibe all around for both shows in what I think the Kapn referred to as "being surrounded by rock’n’roll fans who are having good times."
To those who had fun, thanks for the good times. To those who didn’t, sorry, but your paid admission is non-refundable. You are more than welcome to come see me some other time and tell me that I wasted your time in person. My last name is Houts, first name Chad. Just refer to yourself by your board name please, so I know whom I’m speaking to.
The bottom line is that the people behind this show - Useless and Crappor, Blackjack, Louie’s, WIDR, etc. - really did a hell of a job, and we wouldn’t be praising or dissing without them. So kudos to them!
Signed,
Chad Houts
rockin' an anti-rock age
Of course the UFO shows are where I’d rather be! Because I like to rock, and you like to rock, too.
That said, I think the Tuna Fest is going to be well attended and well received. I think the WIDR crew deliberately went anti-rock because rock’n’roll is of limited interest to their student audience, and last year’s Tuna attendance kinda proved that. Not only that, but most upstart musicians these days would rather be folkies, jam-grass, neu-Order, Flamin’-freak-psych, not-yer-dad’s-jazz, the next Leonard Cohen, anything but straight ahead rock’n’roll. That’s fine. Everything goes in waves. I mean, it’s beyond me why more current bands don’t want to rock out like the Menthols, but, whatever. I like what I like, and as long as I’m lucky enough to have the rare occasion to attend an all-out rock’n’roll bash - locally - like UFO Dictator, and be surrounded by rock’n’roll fans who are having good times, then I’m OK with whatever else is going on.
Paddle I know you are
Paddle I know you are dissapointed, but you played a lot of tunes I liked.
Ok Herb, I saw you posted the info about Barking Tuna. I agree with your comments about that. That said the UFO Show was way better.
oh yeah….and i enjoyed
oh yeah….and i enjoyed dropping some records and watching the crowd get the fuck down…..
fun.fun.fun who cares if
fun.
fun.
fun
who cares if some of the bands sucked…indeed they did….i hope the live penetrators recording isnt/is spoiled by the vile things coming out of a portion of the crowd….heheheheh
shopping bag….climb your ass in a shopping bag and play for 15 minutes and be done…fuck….i/we were waiting on snorkel
….who did not disappoint on any level…well other then the sloppy drunken……wait…nope that was sweet as well…..those boys should play all the time…sammy b?…on fire!…..blaine….awesome…kirk….amazing…i dont know if anyone actually noticed how fucking thick they sounded….cripes man…..olson….amazing…..yeeeehaw…..best reunion show ever?….love was the best reunion show ever…..i got to touch arthur lee…ahhhh….
dang
way to dig that hole a little deeper.
Ouch!
Ouch!
Yeah well if this one tanks
Yeah well if this one tanks we can’t blame it on ‘washed up ’80s bands’ which is what we heard the problem with last year’s show was……
where da mummies at?!
MUMMIES! MUMMIES! MUMMIES!
Equal opportunity criticizer
I can’t say I’m real thrilled about this….I gave the powers that be my thoughts on the subject and they weren’t acted upon.
HERE IT IS…
Thursday, October 16th: Tuna Get-Down Kickoff @ Warehouse 7DaestroWIDR Djs (J Unit 1, JB Love, & Felonious Punk) Friday, October 17th:Party @ Papa Pete’sDevil In A WoodpileWho Hit John?The Total Blam BlamsHarvyst Saturday, October 18th:Main Event @ The State TheatreMates of StateBlack Moth Super RainbowSchool of Seven BellsWinner (TBA) of Fight For The Tuna Saturday, October 18th:Tuna Afterparty @ Papa Pete’s, following the final festival show! Get pumped, it’s gonna be an amazing festival!
Herb’s mom is definitely
Herb’s mom is definitely not mid-tempo….just ask Kennny Knottts. I’m bummed I missed Saturday but i had a blast friday. the menthols really are on to something. It was my first time seeing mesa who I really enjoyed. I still can’t get over Ulysses slaying me with All You Can Eat when we did our tag team set. I even tested out my new UFO shirt when i got home and it glows in the dark.
I certainly wouldn’t want
I certainly wouldn’t want my dislike of one particular group to signify that I didn’t appreciate the event or that I didn’t have fun.
Ahh Herb....
Herb… book your own fucking shows. No really… all music sucks when you’re a complainer…. except schizophrenic jazz and conch shells. Just callin’ it like it is.
You want to hear a specific band/genre, then start calling ‘em up and asking them to play. Or how about this; fucking enjoy yourself and appreciate what you got.
For everyone else… for reals, thanks for coming out! I had a great time and also had way too much beer on Friday! Luckily someone was nice and drove me home. And apparantly to Steaks’n’Shakes but I don’t really
remember that part. Saturday was super duper fun and even though it was a bit stressful (lesson learned: pay someone to do the door and merch) it was still awesome to see good buddys there enjoying themselves. Lots of smiles really made my night. Penetrators were awesome. And for Jack being "old" he still busted some shit out. For not being the actual band, the chummers backing that shit up were great. Had to learn the songs by ear and it sounded damn good to me. Snorkel was just silly and fun. I actually dug Tony Sagger OMB. Plexi 3 were great but I didn’t get to see much of them, and the Spits were super tight for not knowing they were going to play. Gotta love that! So yup, thanks for everyone making it a great time! I did appreciate Herbs yelling "uncle sausage", and I did notice Herb with a smile a few times. Hopefully it wasn’t as horrible as you make it out. The idea is good times. PS. Your mom’s mid-tempo.
Angry and Psychotic
1: If you’re 40 or above, you gotta lift at a slow to mid-tempo.
2: I haven’t seen a band being angry and psychotic in such a long time. There was a flash of it when Glen Campbell played a metal version of "McArthur Park" at Miller a few years ago. But otherwise, nada. Maybe it was because I asked the lead singer of The Snorkels if he felt he was ready after The Penetrators. He just vibrated and stared funny at my Obama t-shirt.
3: Moshers slammed into my wife, and I didn’t even get angry. Good times!
herniated eater
The best part about Sam
The best part about Sam yelling "mid tempo!" in reference to The Penetrators was that Snorkel was playing "Ron Jeremy" which is 90’s mid tempo.
Was funny during and after the show hearing, "those Penetrators are playing too long and they suck and they’re in their 50’s." from one group of peoples and then "those Snorkel dudes are dicks and they suck and they’re in their 40’s." from others. Didn’t stop me and most from having fun. Slimmons shennanigans on stage during Snorkel and heckling had me stone dead.
The Spits rule for agreeing to fill a potential 2 hour void in our show’s programming because the 2nd band cancelled the night before the show and the 3rd band were driving in from Milwaukee and would be there around 10:30 ish. We were stressed by all that but the Woods +1 were awesome and handshakes and backslaps later they’re ready to play for 30 minutes.
Herb’s silly. The bands on my label he digs have family members or friends in them and the other ones he doesn’t like. Except for kinda liking The Throbbin Urges now because they play "Rich Daddy" so he likes them for 3 minutes and 20 seconds.
"Little Girl" as covered by The Dead Boys on their first lp, maybe that’s why the punkles and garage rock turkeys found out it was OK to cover.
Next year if we decide to have another show it’ll just be 1 show, at the one place that I hope is open by summer 2009. Fuck it! Tons of fun though. Except for the time problems and getting a hernia.
Thanks for the correction…
Thanks for the correction… I think I got my wires crossed somewhere. I know they are on myspace and they need to come here.
The current Mike Hard
The current Mike Hard project which features 3 God Bullies (Mike, David, and Adam) along with Karen is called They Never Sleep. Dorbo or someone should bring them to town soon.
3 of 4 GodBullies
Did you know that 3 of the 4 GodBullies are currently playing in Detroit Area… I believe Mike, Adam, Dave are working with Karen(Thrall, etc.) in a band called Angels of the Apocalypse, Mike C. as I last heard was in Texas to be with family(sad times). It’d be cool if they make their way over to this side of the state sometime.
Oh, and I really dug the 1-man band thing.. i though it was better than what I was expecting.
All in all it was a good
All in all it was a good show. Sager seems like a nice guy, but I didnt care for his one man band thing. Plexi 3 were hot and so was that cutie in the mini skirt. I liked the Penetrators and Snorkel. A big shout out to the Spits for playing very last minute. Thanks to all who made it a rocking weekend.
Oh and definitely it should
Oh and definitely it should be Scooter and the Worms next year. The health issues are significant (guitarist Mike Gunderson lost both his feet due to diabetes last year) but three of them are in the Kzoo area I believe and I think they could be motivated. Another personal choice would be The Fix. They too have had some ‘what if’ discussions during the past year. A third choice would be a classic lineup God Bullies. Any BC bands of the era (e.g. Latin Dogs) would also be appropriate.
I agree that the tensions of
I agree that the tensions of the evening were a lot of the fun. Including the movement of taxidermy.
Authentic time displacement
I think it was all perfect: The Penetrators playing long and the noise complaint(s). It all felt very much like an authentic show from the early 90’s, your band/show was in danger of being shut down, someone was getting dicked over in the lineup, it all added to the energy of that reunion. I don’t know if we would have had the expecteration and the geriatric mosh pit had everything been pleasant and nicey-nice. (It’s all fun and games until someone breaks a hip) I dearly loved the end of the show with an exasperated Sam chastising the audiance for thier misbehavior "This is very expensive equipment". My belly still hurts from laughing, my god that was great.
Today it sort of beggs the question to me at least… who is next? I would love to see King Tammy kick it old school again.
Hey Little Girl tangent
Sinatras were in our infancy when we played a show in ‘86 (first of several) at the Battle Creek Junior Achievement building with a few BC bands and a few K’zoo bands (including, I’m fairly certain, one of Blaine’s first bands, Total Control). One of the BC bands was the Kona Buds, made up of the remnants of late ‘70’s BC punk legends The Lips Are Back. One of the songs they performed was Syndicate of Sound’s “Little Girl”, and as I recall, they played it in much the same “trying to hold it together” manner as the Penetrators. I think that’s authentic - the original SOS performance just barely hangs on. The big question I have now is - was there an obsession with this song among late ‘70’s punk rockers and New Wavers? If so, why? Personally, I’ve never liked the song too much, its misogyny makes ‘66 Jagger sound like Alan Alda.
Dumb Rock
As dumb rock by old guys, the Penetrators set was sweet.
Sorry if I came off a little
Sorry if I came off a little harsh on that but those Penetrators were boring. I think my point was that they had NO energy. If the bar to reach for a headline act is to do a cover of ‘Hey Little Girl’ without falling apart I guess they succeeded. A modern day equivalent of Mom Hasndy perhaps? The costumes have changed but the lack of inspiration remains. Other than the Penetrators it was a great show. The Spits have energy and inspiration and are great songwriters to boot. The Menthols have energy and inspiration as well along with great musicianship and an obvious deep sincerity and belief in what they do. The Throbbing Urges seem to be moving in a positive direction, I really liked some of the darker, twangier, kind of surfy stuff I heard in a couple of songs. I’m not sure what I think about Mesa, they really don’t hit me too hard one way or the other. I’m kind of biased on the Metal Teeth, they rock no matter what to me for personal reasons I guess. And as for Snorkel, it is sad that I really don’t remember them much from back in the day (their heyday corresponds with a time in my life when I wasn’t real active on the scene) but this event more than made up for what I may have missed. I did have a great time at this event but there were weird aspects as well. This one kind of had elements of both high school reunion and high school dance. Good to see a lot of old timers out but also there are reminders of why you didn’t like some of those old timers that much in the first place. Uncomfortable awkwardness. Sorry if I get over analytical but that is part of my nature. It was really a great time and it couldn’t have been a more perfect weekend weather wise. Great to see all the Leppo folks, the Green Top crew, Ponk, Timmy, and everyone else. Even Uncle Sausage. Mega thanks to Useless and Crappor for bringing it all together!
Accentuate the negative!
You’re right! That was no fun at all! I didn’t have any fun either night, and I hated everything, except Snorkel! Fuck all those youngsters and their stupid energy and time and money that they put into providing two nights worth of non-irish fest music in this town! Nothing beats those great nights that I remember from the 90’s, like Eel P*e Island followed by great stuff like J*nny With an EYE and Water for the Poodle!!!!!!!!!! Kne* De*p Shag made funkadelic irrelevant! Whoo! The 90’s!!!!!!!!! Nothing was boring then!
Thank you Sam Bailey for
Thank you Sam Bailey for calling it like it is. The Snorkel set took me back to a time when things didn’t suck so much. God those Penetrators were awful. When and why DID fifth rate mid-tempo crap become so fashionable?
yay yay yay yay!
That was super ultra mega fun. I can’t believe I have to go back to work today, in fact, because I don’t feel recovered. It did kind of smell like 1993 for a minute there.
crazy good times!
Just perfect weather Saturday night, so great to have it outside!
Junky shots immortalize the lunatic abandon of the Snorkel stage show… the sound POUNDED. I owe the band, or maybe DJ Kiry, money for the 7” I ended up dancing on… thanks for spotting the colored vinyl, Paddle! Kap’n Jr will look sweet in the band T.
Pick-up locals really made the Penetrators’ set shine, I thought Plexi 3 were groovy, Spits, Sagger, and the DJs kept the mood upbeat and beat… and you know I loves seeing everybody. (CG also has some great pix coming.)
UE and UFO crew, thanks for a perfect rock’n’roll farewell to the summer.
Photos
Did it smell like 1993 again last night, or was I just standing too close to the band?
http://www.tomdeater.com/photos/snorkel/
Mid. Temp. Bros.To quote
Mid. Temp. Bros.
To quote the Hot n Now sign in Plainwells: Closed. Awesome. Go Home.
Thanks!
Mid-Tempo
I really enjoyed the mid-tempo offerings last night. Very nice, Very Fun!
As it always did.
The set ended with instrument failure and nudity.
SNORKEL ROOOOOOOOOOOLZ!