1981-1985
TIME WARP IN THE
ANNE FRANK MUSEUM
by Joe Coughlin

   Jesus, has it really been 25 years? Actually, longer. The drinking age was 18 when I started clubbing, four years before T Max hatched this thing. The number of bands back then who had the stuff to endure (and sadly, didn’t) is staggering. But the number of people still at it is equally so. This is a VERY short list of players who made these pages back then, and who continue today. Apologies to the many I’ve missed, this is off the top of my head, from a partial list of issues and who was in them. (I urge all those still out there to post their current events on the Noise Board.) The peripheral characters alone here could fill ten more articles, but I held it to names definitely published. Some of you will even have favorite bands now whose members were playing before you were born. So, by year and issue number in which these pieces ran, here’s a short glimpse at how some of this has come together over time.

    1981 (#1) The club Streets opened in Allston, and Human Sexual Response (whose song titles this article, more on them later) were an early draw. Later clips from these shows can be seen in the archives at www.kinodv.net. (#2) The Phantoms’ Angelo “Piggy” Aversinow drums for Girl On Top. Matt Burns of V; now drums for Classic Ruins (who started in the ’70s and never left), Awakening Stick, and sometimes The Coffin Lids. In between, he’s played with Inside Outburst, The Peecocks, Spike, Alice Highland, a one-shot live incarnation of GG Allin and the AIDS Brigade, and many others. (#4) Lizzie Borden(& The Axes) opened for The Ramones, and she now fronts The Liz Borden Band.

    1982 (#5) Young Snakes spawned Aimee Mann’s career. (#6) Gang Greenappeared on the famous This Is Boston, Not L.A. EP, and have been back playing awhile now. (#7) Propeller Records founded a cassette-only label whose roster largely fueled a tiny club called The Underground near B.U. (which hosted early appearances of Pylon, The Cure, and Glen Matlock’s post-Sex Pistols band The Spectres, to name a few). An early compilation featured Dangerous Birds (with Thalia Zedek, later of Uzi), Art Yard (including, for a time,T Max on guitar and vocals, and ex-Maps bassist Dan Salzmann, who would later join Christmas), and The Neats (featuring Eric Martin, still out fronting his Illyrians), who would be the last band to play there, literally bringing down the house (the ceiling tiles, anyway) during a cover of Roky Erickson’s “You’re Gonna Miss Me.” Arcade Ambo (a more upbeat variance of New York’s The Dance) played a show at the now-defunct Inn Square Men’s Bar which I’ll never forget. Vivacious singer Denise DiZio later performed with Snack World, Crown Electric Company, Boston Rock Opera, and was recently spotted singing backup in Allan Sheinfeld’s notorious “Alvis” revue as one of “The Nutra-Sweet Sensations.” (#9) Carmelita (then host of WERS’ local show Metrowave) now hosts Bay State Rock on WAAF, Sunday nights. (#10) Carter Alan became a honcho at ’BCN, befriended U2 and wrote a well-received book about them. Primary Colors’ (and then-former Atlantics’) drummer Ray Fernandez runs Boston Butta Beats studio and plays out with The Illegals.

    1983 (#16): Aimee Mann’s next band ’Til Tuesday won the Rumble and quickly broke wide. She continues to record, and recently performed with The Boston Pops. (#18) Much-loved Del Fuegos would get national attention from their beer commercial. Frontguy Dan Zanes now makes music for the children’s market. (#18) Three Hands’ bassist Chas McCann plays in jazz duo Tenor Madness, and can often be seen in street performance. (#19) Psychowould hook up and record with GG Allin, and have played out recently. (#20) Men & Volts (originally a Captain Beefheart cover band) would release several wildly acclaimed records. Members would start (or join) the Duplex Planet mini-industry, Fort Apache Studios, Agbekor Drum Troupe, Ramcat, Joey DuPont Reaction, The Burning Sensations, Condo Pygmies, The Roys, and countless others. Guitarist Phil Kaplan now helms both Bangalore and Funeral Barkers (the latter with Billy Loosigian of Willie Alexander’s original Boom Boom Band), while drummer John Proudman plays out with Cul De Sac (featuring Robin Amos, ex-Girls synth-ist from back around the same time). Men & Volts and The Incredible Casuals would cover each other on record. The Casuals are 20-plus years into their summer Sunday residency at the Wellfleet Beachcomber, and some members also still play with The Chandler Travis Philharmonic. (#22) Christmas would go on to open for Husker Du at the Orpheum. Some members would form Combustible Edison, move to Vegas, do soundtracks and work with space-age loungemeister Esquivel. Myspace.com shows the band as currently based in New York.

    1984 (#23) Jerry’s Kids scored opening slots for major hardcore acts at The Channel’s legendary matinee series. When they dissolved, Bob Cenciformed the sci-fi-billy Hellcats From Outer Space, played solo and other stuff. In 2006, Jerry’s Kids are back.  Prime Movers would essentially become The Slaves, both of whom are also playing again. Some members also appeared in costumed surf act The Strangemen along the way, and were somehow picked to open for Jimmy Buffet. (#36) Volcano Suns were started by drummer Peter Prescott after Mission Of Burma disbanded, but Dredd Foole & the Din(basically Burma fronted by the manic Dan Ireton) were recording. Burma members went into other disparate projects, until they miraculously reunited in 2002, and are still at is as we speak, while Foole was back out this year with a solo fingerpicking act. (#28) Kenne Highlandwould go on to release more records with more bands than anyone (including himself) has apparently been able to keep track of. Latest word has him singing with a gospel choir. (#29) The Turbines (sprung from Noise Pencil and The 2x4’s), would release the beloved single “Wah Hey!” and more, and open for X at The Orpheum. Singer John Hovorka moved to New York, but still plays out (including here) under his last name only. Salem 66 was fronted by ex-Maps singer Judy Grunwald(song subject of locals The Dark), who’d eventually marry David Minehan, now of Woolly Mammoth studios, and then-leader of 1979 Rumble winners The Neighborhoods who, you guessed it, are playing again. DJ Shred founded Frontal Assualt fanzine, Espo Records, hosted “Boston Emissions” on ’BCN, was heavily involved with the Rumble, and has booked various clubs for years. (#30) The Blackjacks featured Johnny Angel, ex-Thrills/ City Thrills (which included bassist Merle Allin, who would join Cheater Slicks before they left town, then find worldwide infamy with brother GG). Angel also founded parody act The Swinging Erudites (with former Rat/ Hoodoo BBQ chef James Ryan), as well as Punk Saliva, a cover band with Springa of SSD singing. Mostly writing and doing radio in L.A. these days, Angel still found time to whip up a recent Blackjacks reunion at The Abbey. The Outlets would release some classic vinyl. The lineup and sound would fluctuate, but they were still out there as of fairly recently. (#31) The Dogmatics, notorious from their Thayer Street loft scene days, would tragically lose a founding member in a motorcycle accident, but are also back doing shows now. (#33) Then-’BCN jock Mark Parenteau currently resides at a New York correctional facility.

    1985 (#34): Uziwas formed by Thalia Zedek(who was yet to join Live Skull, and later the band Come with Chris Brokaw, ex-Codeine, and yet another local who would record with GG Allin). The flyer for their farewell show at the old Johnny D’s (now the Common Ground in Allston, unrelated to the Somerville club) implored, “Come Die With Us.” Last checked, Zedek was still at it.O Positivefrontguy Dave Herlihy would form Toyboat. He’s now an entertainment lawyer and professor, teaching a record industry class at Northeastern. Mr. Curt, who played with Third Rail, and won the 1980 Rumble with Pastiche, now fronts The Mr. Curt Ensemble, and just released a new 10-song CD. (#35) Willie Alexander still plays occasionally, and released an all-new record with his original Boom Boom Band about a year ago. (#37) Barrence Whitfieldstill plays locally and has a huge European following. Not only did Lyresnever quit, but there have been recent reunions of forerunners DMZ, featuringJ. J. Rassler, who still plays with The Downbeat 5. (#41)Johnny & the Jumper Cables have played out in the last few years, and ringleader Johnny Black is in the process of resurrecting his trio. (#42) A revised Throwing Muses played a show in August ’06 without Tanya Donnelly, who had a nice run with Belly in the interim. Kristin Hersh, meanwhile, has released six solo albums and now plays with 50 Foot Wave. (#43) The Flies went on to share members with The Titanics, Satanics and, later, Upper Crust (still playing). (#44) Band 19 featured Richie Parsons of Unnatural Axe, who still do shows. (#46) The Five’s arresting vocalist Reid Paley moved to Brooklyn, but still plays solo and with his trio. And coming full circle for these years, members of Human Sexual Response had become The Zulus, whose bassist Rich Cortesehas lately played with Wendi Faren and Shaun Wolf Wortis, while guitarist Rich Gilbert was playing out with Frank Black before the recent Pixies reunion. I’m out of room, but obviously this doesn’t even begin to cover it.