FAVORITE RUMBLE STORY

Lolita: Yeah, I’ll ask them to tell me their favorite story about the Rumble. I knew I could come up with a good question. Go… LEAH CALLAHAN (The Glass Set): The whole Rumble curse is fascinating. For those who don’t know, the story goes that if you win the Rumble you’re doomed to obscurity, break up, etc. And I think it’s both cool and scary that The Dresden Dolls enacted a big on-stage ritual to reverse that curse when they did their final set of the 2003 Rumble. Obviously it worked—now if I could only see Amanda Palmer’s collection of voodoo dolls! *** LENNY LASHLEY (Darkbuster/ Pisspoor Boys): Favorite Rumble story? We won—end of story. *** PETE SUTTON (Temper): I only remember a couple of things about winning the Rumble with Trona back in ’95 (or was it ’96, see?).  We were up against Quintaine Americana and the voting was close. We edged them out, and someone said one of the judges, Karen Glauber from Hits magazine (is that still in publication?) cast the deciding vote in our favor.  I’ll always remember her name because I never got to thank her. Also, we partied like kings that night and played a previously booked gig the following night in Portsmouth, New Hampshire... to three people.  It was as if the Rumble win had never happened. *** CHRIS BRAT (The Acrobrats): When I was 18, Yukki Gipe told everyone at the Middle East that he knew who would win the Rumble.  “Do you want to know?” he asked. “Braindance!”  Pretty sure they didn’t win.  I’ve never heard of Braindance.  Notice how I sort of managed to reference Bullet LaVolta, though?  I’m good like that.  Next time I get a QotM I’ll sneak in a Joan Jett reference.  She didn’t win the Rumble either. *** RODRIGO VAN STOLI (Bang Camaro/ Noble Rot): My first time seeing Waltham was at the Rumble finals in 2000. I had just moved to Boston at the end of 1998, and had been a little disappointed at the crowd reaction at local shows—until I saw them. They blew the roof off the place: girls were screaming, dudes were screaming, panties were being flung on stage. The musicians were actually really good at their instruments, and Frank Pino ruled the crowd. They ended up with second place, but it didn’t matter—my faith in the local scene had been restored. *** TONY SAVARINO (World Greatest Sinners/ et al): When I realized that a certain singer, from a certain band, won a certain Rumble I was present for, he was a downstairs neighbor who lived with a bunch of hippies that had fracking drum circles at 3:00 in the morning. The poor lead singer had to deal with an annoyed Tony when he was woken up.... We both had a good laugh over it. *** KAY HANLEY (Suit):I got into a fight backstage (that almost came to blows) with Jordan from Big Catholic Guilt in between our sets when Cleo was in the 1992 (!) Rumble.  I was still in my bar fight phase back then (I’m from Dorchester after all) and I think he antagonized me by belittling the twee sound of my band.  We became friends later but he got on my shit list again after he flushed a package of cocaine down the toilet ON PURPOSE at our rehearsal space after my bandmate (in a side project) left it behind in the unisex bathroom.  Ask him, he’ll confirm that.  What a dick. *** JIM CURRAN (photographer/ film maker): My favorite story about WBCN’s Rumble is a tie between the time Gang Green won and took a sledge hammer to a synthesizer that a record company wanted them to use. I was in the front row at the Orpheum with my brother, the totally trashed synthesizer landed in our laps. The other moment was last year when Scamper’s guitar player broke his guitar about two songs in and someone from Taxpayer lent him his. Class act. *** WARD HAYDEN (Girls Guns & Glory): I met up with Kier Byrnes (3DT) at last years Rumble and then decided to go round for round with him as we held our own independent contest; the WARD RUM-ble. The night started great and the bands were incredible (from what I remember), but as the night progressed and the RUM-ble kept pace, the night worked its way into a dangerous black. All I recall is the rumble of stomach thunder as I ralphed from Cambridge to Brookline. All the while, dizzying images zipped past my bobbling head as I littered the streets with the spoils of rock ’n’ roll. *** PAUL WISNER (Miskatonic): It has always been very exciting to see bands I follow play in the Rumble.   I remember feeling that something great had happened to ME because Tugboat Annie won their night.   AM Stereo’s set in the preliminary round ended with a song whose chorus went “We’re gonna win the wild card!” ...and then they did!   My eyes went wide when The Pods played “Separate Ways” without any hint of irony.   It was noted here in The Noise as the funniest Rumble suicide. *** MIKE PIEHL (Reverse/ Tim Gearan): My favorite story about the Rumble is when Ajax and Cowboy are running from the Baseball Furies. Cowboy says he “can’t make it” and Ajax says: “Good! I’m sicka runnin’ from these wimps!” and he turns around and starts kickin’ some serious ass! AWESOME! *** DARRON BURKE (Makeshift Studio): That UV Protection is in it this year, woohooo! As far as the Rumble goes, I don’t believe in the Curse. I just think everyone has high expectations after a big win. Like the next step is going to be international stardom. But, bands are bands and they will eventually break up sooner or later. Nobody has had seven years of bad luck or got killed or anything… wait, have they? Lolita: As far as we’re concerned, The Dresden Dolls killed the Curse in 2003, so we need a new silly story to spread. Let’s hear from our sexy correspondent with the latest in rock news to see if she has any silly stories we could possibly use to replace the Rumble curse.