Punk Rock at the Pie Shop: Starcrawler Show Review - by JCE

Henri Cash on guitar, Arrow de Wilde on vocals, STARCRAWLER firing on all cylinders…..

I honestly can’t recall how I discovered this band - STARCRAWLER from L.A. - but I sure am glad that I did. They’re four kids, 19 or 20 year olds, that are making some killer rock n roll. (I’m gonna call ‘em kids because I’m 56 years old.) I had been enjoying some of their songs and videos for a while when my daughter found that they had a tour stop scheduled in Washington, D.C., so we bought three tickets about two months before the show. I had never been to the venue---Pie Shop DC, also known as Dangerously Delicious Pies, in Northeast DC on H Street. They would be touring in support of their second record, called Devour You. The record came out about a month after we bought the tickets and it is outstanding. I really started looking forward to the show even more after I heard it.

My wife & daughter and I headed out on a Sunday afternoon for our 2-hour drive to the city. We got to the venue early so we had to stay downstairs in the actual pie shop until doors. We went ahead and had—wait for it---pie. It was delicious. Once they let us upstairs we found a large bar area and a rooftop outdoor patio, but the area by the stage was literally 20 feet by 20 feet. The capacity of the sold-out show was 75. It was intimate to say the least. A band called Dan Luke and the Raid played a rather enjoyable opening set. My daughter and I visited the merch table and met Henri, STARCRAWLER’s guitar player, who was extra cool and friendly. We vowed to buy the new vinyl record and seek autographs after the show.

There was no backstage at all, so the band had to take the stage, and exit it, by going through the crowd. My daughter climbed up on a ledge for a great view and my wife and I had a good view from just below her. The bass player, the drummer and Henri the guitarist made their way to the stage and started making a bit of noise before vocalist Arrow charged through the crowd, shoving a few people out of the way just for effect, and then they kicked things into high gear. STARCRAWLER has an early single called “Ants”; a cover of “Pet Sematary” that is amazing; and two full length records of 10 songs each. If they didn’t play all 22 of the songs, they came awfully close. Arrow did not provide any banter between songs. Instead it was one full steam ahead rocker after another with virtually no breaks. They blew the roof off of that Pie Shop.

I see live music all the time and I rave about lots of the shows I see, but this one was kind of special. Maybe it was just that these were actual kids I was seeing and they were sounding super-fresh. It was just a little more exciting than usual and made me think of times when I was in high school, around 1980, and I was seeing all these seminal punk bands that seemed so new and important. STARCRAWLER was punk, raw, dangerous, loud & fun as hell. Arrow de Wilde is unlike any front woman I have seen. She is well over six feet tall and skinnier than heck. And she is mesmerizing to watch. Its hard to take your eyes off of her even though I like to watch guitarists and drummers a lot when I see bands live. Henri was excellent and instantly became one of my favorite guitar players. He was smiling and moving the whole time. No shoe-gazing for this band. When the onslaught was complete, Arrow collapsed onto the floor in the crowd and was picked up and carried out by a roadie. It was a nice theatrical touch, or maybe she was truly that spent from the performance, but either way is fine with me.

We proceeded back to the merch table, met all the members of the band (plus opener Dan Luke, who was cool) and got our STARCRAWLER autographs. It took awhile for Arrow to emerge, but she did and she was very engaging, just as Henri was. GREAT band, GREAT kids, GREAT night. Go see STARCRAWLER and do it soon, before they get too popular. You won’t regret it.

I took some good photos at this show…….

Arrow de Wilde

STARCRAWLER:  Henri, Arrow, Austin Smith and Tim Franco

JCE & daughter w/ Arrow (she’s tall)

BUY THIS RECORD.

In case you still have no idea what this band must sound like based on my description, consider this snippet from an interview with Arrow that I read in the Chicago Tribune:

With a penchant for blood spewing, visceral, physical performance, riffs on riffs and a whole lotta neo-demonic growling — the young act, formed in 2015, has been hailed as the latest to “save” rock 'n' roll from extinction. But if you ask Starcrawler, the band members argue they’re proof rock hasn’t been on any sort of life support. “We’re gonna 'save rock 'n' roll,' whatever that means,” she continues, speaking of her band being given the banner she doesn’t believe needs to be carried. “I think people referring to us as a ‘throwback’ band has influenced others in thinking that rock is a singular sound and singular aesthetic. People don’t really understand.”

If you like rock n roll, you will probably like this band. - by JCE

a couple of illustrative videos…….



If You Don't Like This Band, You Don't Like Rock N Roll: Two Nights With The Hangmen - by JCE

editor’s note: Occasionally, at the end of summer vacations, copy gets “mislaid” here at the Pencil Storm offices, especially in election years when we add a political desk (actually a card table in the corner by the water cooler) to the mix. This JCE piece about The Hangmen actually somehow wound up in Sports editor Jeff Hassler’s in-box, and it took him OVER A MONTH to figure out that The Hangmen were not a team in either the NFL or Major League Baseball and forward it to the music department. (Personally, I have never been certain that that “medical marijuana” card Hassler is always flashing around the office is legit, since it seems to be printed on the back of an old Van Halen press release, from when Sammy Hagar was still in the band.)

Our apologies to JCE and to The Hangmen for the delay.

I was sitting at the bar in a club called The Broadberry in Richmond, VA all the way back in May.  I was with two friends waiting for a band called The Dirty Nil, who would be followed by the excellent Glorious Sons.  Behind the bar, there they have a big video screen showing food items and upcoming shows.  I glanced up and saw an announcement for a double bill of the Supersuckers with The Hangmen.  I almost jumped out of my skin.  I bought the self-titled debut record by The Hangmen (Capitol Records) in 1989.  I thought then, and still believe, it is one of the best records on the planet.  I have religiously followed the band’s career ever since, which is no small feat given their ups and downs.  They are pure rock n roll through and through.

The Hangmen were dropped by Capitol and picked up by Geffen, but their second record, which would have been called Suicide Doors, was never released.  Finally, a good ten years later we got the sophomore release called Metallic IOU.  Good God it was worth the wait.  The line-up went through changes but has been pretty stable since that 10-year layoff.  The constant is Bryan Small, one of my all-time rock n roll heroes.  Loteria followed in 2004, In The City was 2007, East of Western was 2012 and finally, the brand-new 2019 release called Cactusville.  Every one of them is absolutely stellar.  I had never seen The Hangmen play live.  I had never seen them come to a city anywhere near me.  I was like a kid waiting for Christmas from that night in May right up until the show on September 10th.

So I bought tickets and waited with anticipation.  In the week leading up to the show I told my amazing wife over and over that I wanted to meet Bryan Small and get a picture with him.  I am not normally such a super-fan, but I had been waiting 30 years to see this band.  I should digress for a minute and say that I also love The Supersuckers.  I had never seen them before either, but they were second fiddle on this bill for me, even though they were the headliners.

September 10th was a Tuesday. The show was going to be at a tiny club called The Camel (sister club to the larger Broadberry). I left work early and my wife and I headed for Richmond, which is a two hour trip. There were not many people in attendance, so I immediately met Eddie Spaghetti, main Supersucker.

JCE & Eddie

It wasn’t long after that I got to meet Bryan Small and talk with him for awhile. During our conversation I learned that Suicide Doors was not really the lost treasure I always figured it would be. It was a bad time for Bryan and he said the best songs on it made it onto Metallic IOU anyway. He was disappointed that the vinyl version of Cactusville had been delayed so they didn’t have any to sell. We talked about the set-list that was coming and the hairs stood up on my neck: it was perfect. I told him I had no idea how they had eluded me for 30 years, and if I understood him correctly, he said they had never played the East coast. He was extremely nice. They hit the stage soon after we talked, and I was in rock n roll heaven for 45 minutes. The set-list covered all of the records and every song was so f**k’n great that I won’t bother picking highlights.

JCE & Bryan

The Hangmen rocking The Camel Club in Richmond, VA.

signed set-list

We watched The Supersuckers of course, but after The Hangmen, well….  I had grabbed a set-list so I got Bryan to sign it for me and we headed for home.  A two-hour drive after a show like that one is no problem at all.  Shows like that can keep me energized and happy for days. 

The next night, still sizzling from an amazing show and so happy to have met one of my heroes, my beautiful & amazing wife and I hatched a plan to go see the same bill a few days later, Saturday, September 14th in Harrisonburg, VA at the Golden Pony. Our friend Kim came along to be indoctrinated into the rock n roll nirvana that is The Hangmen. We arrived to a similar, very small club with a small crowd. As I had hoped, the Cactusville vinyl had finally caught up with the band, so I bought one right away, ripped it open and got it signed by everyone. Bryan remembered us and was super gracious again. We also met the rest of the band: Angelique on bass, Jimmy James playing some smoking guitar and Jorge Disguster pounding the drums. The setlist was the same, which was fine with me. The Hangmen blew the roof off again and - for me at least - should have been the headliners.

Signed cover of green vinyl Cactusville record, Bryan’s guitar pick from the Harrisonburg show.

JCE w/ Angelique and Jimmy

I was so happy to get to see The Hangmen twice while I had the chance, so happy to get to meet some heroes, so happy to get the vinyl record, so happy----you get the picture.  These two nights were bucket list material for me.  Thanks for reading and letting me share my joy, and if you don’t know The Hangmen, check them out!

Bryan Small at The Golden Pony Club: JCE, JCE’s beer, and JCE’s wife stand front and center.

HELL YEAH.

Concert Review: Alice Cooper w/ Halestorm and Motionless In White - by JCE

For anyone who has read any of my writings here on Pencilstorm, you might wonder why JCE would go to this concert at all. First off, I hate large venues, and second, I lean a little more punk rock and power pop than this triple bill would imply (but I do like my glam metal). Well here’s the story. I saw this show coming to Jiffy Lube Live, one of your typical outdoor “sheds,” which is located in Bristow, VA only about 50 minutes from where I live. My daughter and I had seen Motionless In White a couple of times, and we have grown to love them. Halestorm is a band that my wife and my daughter and I have enjoyed over the last few years, and Alice Cooper…..well Alice is someone I casually enjoy. My wife had no interest and my daughter really didn’t even know who he was. Still, it seemed like a good outing for our whole family while my daughter was home for the summer. (She’s a college student and away from home 9 months out of the year.) Plus, I have never seen Alice Cooper and I thought I should before he dies: he’s 71 years old. I consider him to have been very influential to a great deal of music that I love. So I bought three tickets for the Tuesday, August 13th show.

We easily parked and found our seats. As it turns out, Alice Cooper on a Tuesday night does not apparently make for a sellout crowd. They didn’t even have the lawn area open, which is a good thing because there was thunder and lightning and it rained its ass off. Motionless In White hit the stage and my family - along with a totally punked-out Motionless fan sitting next to us - were practically the only people who immediately jumped to our feet. An usher took notice and gave us four tickets to move two sections forward, instantly transforming my overpriced seats in Section 301 in the back to great seats in Section 101 in the front. Nice. Motionless In White played eight very good, crisp, hard-rocking songs, including several of our favorites. This is a band I once dismissed as “scream-o” noise that has progressed and matured into a really polished act, in my opinion. My daughter and I could have left then and been happy.

Motionless In White

Next up: Halestorm. This is a metal outfit from Philadelphia featuring a female vocalist named Lizzy Hale. They have some great records and some great songs. Unfortunately, this was not their night. Their most current record, called “Vicious,” is a total clunker in my opinion. The one song I like on it is called “Skulls” and they did not play it. They have a brand new single called “Chemicals” which is good and was the highlight of the night for me. The older songs that they did play were marred by too much guitar noodling and drum soloing and I thought the whole set was a mess.

Lizzy Hale

Alice Cooper was next up. The night was getting long and we all had previously agreed to watch some Alice Cooper, but maybe not the whole set. After setting up his haunted castle stage, Alice came on and started strong. Here is a 71 year old man wearing leather pants, prowling the stage and not looking too silly at all. He opened with a good tune called “Feed My Frankenstein” and then really got my attention with “No More Mr. Nice Guy.” I love that one. “Bed of Nails” was great and Ashley and I got a kick out of “Fallen in Love” which featured the chorus “I’ve fallen in love and I can’t get up.” That one is on his latest record which isn’t half bad. I had insisted we stay to hear “I’m Eighteen” unless it was all the way at the end, but it was the seventh song, so we easily made it to that one. We walked out to the car at some point mid-set while listening to “Billion Dollar Babies.” Of all the songs on the setlist, the only ones I missed that he eventually played and I wish I had heard were “Under My Wheels” and “School’s Out.” Nevertheless, I can now say I saw Alice Cooper, and if I’m being honest, I enjoyed him as much as Motionless and far more than Halestorm. Way to go Alice! Here’s the most important thing I can say about this concert: the reason the guy was awesome at age 71 is that he picked the most spectacular, melt your face off touring band imaginable. He had two lead guitar players that I had heard of and have even listened to in the past. I didn’t recognize who they were until I had to look them up the morning after the show. The first was Ryan Roxie, who has some great songs of his own and looks a little like Johnny Thunders reincarnated. The second was Nita Strauss; who is a renowned guitar slinger, had so much energy and looked so cool. The two of them were great, but Nita was spinning, racing from one side of the stage to the other and just killing it. Alice had some very good hired guns to make this a really decent rock n roll show. The proof is in the pictures (which by the way are pictures of a big video screen, I wasn’t that close to the stage):

Alice Cooper, same as ever…

Ryan Roxie and Nita Strauss

Nita Strauss

Nita Strauss

Ryan and Nita, who stole the show as far as I’m concerned…..

Pencil Storm & Proust, Remembrance of Bands Past, part the second: Mother May I - by JCE

MOTHER MAY I: Great Band, Great People - by JCE

Mother May I was a band from Washington, D.C. that had one major label release on Columbia Records and a handful of other releases in the 1990’s. I first discovered Mother May I when I attended a “3 bands for 3 bucks” show at the old 9:30 Club in D.C. one night. I forget who the first band was. The second band was called Adam West and they were pretty good. Then came Mother May I. I was extremely impressed with their set and I became an instant fan. That night, they were selling a vinyl 45 that I bought, for only a dollar, I think. (Three bands and a vinyl 45 rpm for a total of 4 bucks, dang that’s good!). It is clear vinyl and it is one of my most prized records. One thing I loved about the record was that they self-released it on their own label which they dubbed “Dat-Kord Records.” This name is extremely clever, because D.C. was pretty famous for its hardcore punk label, Dischord Records. Get it, Dischord, Dat-Kord? I love bands that don’t take things too seriously.

My copy of the first Mother May I single on Dat-Kord Records

After that show, I kept an eye out for the band, and in 1994 they released a great EP called “Use Your Appetite For Spaghetti.” Again, an amusing and clever title poking some fun at all of Guns n Roses’ record titles (Use Your Illusion, Appetite for Destruction, The Spaghetti Incident).

Use Your Appetite for Spaghetti

Soon after that release, they were signed by Columbia Records and put out their major label debut, “Splitsville.” I thought it was an excellent record. I guess Columbia didn’t think so, because they were dropped the same year, 1995.

Splitsville

Around the time Splitsville came out, I was in a record store with a friend who came across a Mother May I CD single called “Breaking Up at X-mas.” It was a promo they had out just before Splitsville. He bought it, much to my dismay, because it was great, I had never seen it before, and I wanted it for myself. I decided to write a letter to the band. In it, I asked how I could get a copy of that promo Christmas song CD, and I tucked an old gig flyer into my letter and asked if they would sign it. I told them about the “3 bands for 3 bucks show” and how I’d been a fan from the start. I was shocked a couple of weeks later when Damon Hennessey, the vocalist, guitar player & songwriting force (with drummer Rob), sent me a package. In it was a short letter thanking me for the support, a signed poster to me and my wife Janet (rather than the crinkled flyer I sent), a bunch of stickers and a promise that the Breaking Up at X-mas CD was on its way from California. The CD showed up a few days later. How cool is that?

Signed poster to my wife Janet and I

letter and sticker

Breaking Up At X-mas promo cd

After hearing that Mother May I had been dropped by Columbia, I waited and hoped for another release on a new label. In 1999 my wish was granted with the release of “33 1/3.” This second full-length recording was loaded with more great songs.

33 1/3

I saw Mother May I play several times over the years, most notably opening a show in D.C. at a club called 15 Minutes with the headliner being The Neighborhoods. (side note about this show worth mentioning was that the ‘Hoods were calling this their final show ever. I’m not sure if they meant final show in D.C. or just final show, but either way it was a bummer. I got the Neighborhoods to sign a CD after the show, and they swore they were done. It was heartbreaking.) But getting back to Mother May I: after 33 1/3, I heard nothing from the band for a while. Somehow, I connected via email and heard back from the drummer, Rob LeBourdais. Rob told me Damon had moved to Chicago and was involved in film-making. Rob was still drumming, at that time for a D.C. band called the Timothy Bracken Complex, and he sent me a demo CD of that band, which is also really good. The “Use Your Appetite for Spaghetti” record had included an acoustic version of a song I had heard Mother May I play live many times, called “Sitting Pretty.” It’s my favorite song by Mother May I, so I asked Rob if they ever recorded an electric version. His reply was yes, they had a bunch of great demos they planned to release, but why wait? He sent me a demo CD that is just fantastic.

Advance copy demo CD from Rob

About six months later, when they released the demo CD more formally, Rob sent me a copy of that, just so I would have the proper artwork.

Demo CD, formal release

Unbelievable. At this point, Damon and Rob from Mother May I have sent me a signed poster, a promo Xmas CD, a demo CD from another project, a never-released demo CD and a copy of the now released demo CD. These are very nice guys, obviously.

Mother May I played a reunion gig in 2010 in Arlington, VA at Club Iota, but sadly I didn’t hear about it until it was past. I really hope they do another one someday. Other than that, the band remains inactive, but they have provided me with some great memories. If you never heard Mother May I, you may want to check them out. They do have a Facebook page and they did release an updated version of Splitsville. They recently posted a bunch of photos on their page from the 9:30 Club, The 15 Minutes Club, and the WHFS Festival – all shows I attended.

Mother May I is another in a long list of great bands that should have achieved much more. Clearly, their lack of big time success never stopped them from being great people though.

Sitting Pretty

Breaking Up At Xmas

Ricki C. and JCE (John, to his friends & family) first bonded over their shared mutual love of Boston's Finest Sons - The Neighborhoods - and everything extended out from that rock & roll ripple.  JCE lives in Culpeper, Virginia with his wife & daughter, and he & Ricki are STILL waiting for the long-rumored NEW Neighborhoods record to be released. Maybe in 2019.

Pencil Storm & Proust, Remembrance of Bands Past, part one: 98 Colours - by JCE (intro by Ricki C.)

When I first received this piece from the best friend I have whom I have never actually met in person - JCE - his main question was, “Is a blog about a band from the 1980’s nobody has ever heard of outside of Virginia a proper topic for a Pencil Storm article?” My reply – of course – was, “That’s EXACTLY what a Pencil Storm article should be.”

My thought is: probably every 10th or 20th Pencil Storm reader has a band in their past that nobody outside their circle of friends has ever heard of. (For example: My lovely wife Debbie’s version would be The Lindley Boys, a kind-of new wave power-pop cover band that employed her childhood boy-next-door friend Jay as soundman.) (For that matter, mine might have been Willie Phoenix’s 1978 band, Romantic Noise.) Does that make that band any less important or – more particularly – any less LOVED than Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, Motley Crue, Mumford & Sons, (or, in Colin’s case, KISS), etc.? My main problem with the The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is that it’s core CONCEPT is far too ELITIST. Rock & roll is an art form that ANYBODY can – and has – mastered. And the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame caters only to The Stars of the form. History is written by the winners: The Eagles, Queen, Journey, Bon Jovi and Radiohead are in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame; The MC5 and Mott The Hoople are not.

Myself, I subscribe more to Ian Hunter’s point of view in The Ballad of Mott The Hoople, March 26, 1972 – “Rock & roll’s a loser’s game / It mesmerizes and I can’t explain / The reasons for the sights and for the sounds.” Here’s a blog about a band you never heard, or heard OF. (From what I’m reading here, by JCE, I bet you would’ve liked ‘em.) – Ricki C. / June 3rd, 2019.

REMEMBERING THE GOOD TIMES I HAD HANGING OUT WITH A BAND CALLED 98 COLOURS

by JCE

For a few golden years around 1985-1988 or so, I spent a lot of time with a band called 98 Colours, making new friends and even being a roadie for a few days. I was living in Charlottesville, VA, where I attended the University of Virginia from 1981-1986. I was always on the hunt for good bands. Charlottesville had a pretty decent music scene, with clubs like the Mineshaft, Trax and the C&O. Bands like the The Deal and the Michael Guthrie Band, which were great power pop bands, were percolating around the area providing a good local scene along with touring acts that came through my college town. My favorite band, although far from the biggest, was 98 Colours. I became good friends with them: Randy, David & John. I want to share a few stories about the good times I had with this band called 98 Colours.

A Slow Start…

I had a college buddy that always went to rock n roll shows with me. After about a year of finding nothing but boring rhythm ‘n blues bands like The Skip Castro Band and Johnny Sportcoat & the Casuals, we started to discover some of the aforementioned bands that were more up our alley, so to speak. After seeing 98 Colours open for someone and liking their sound quite a bit, we started to look out for them. One night we saw that they were on a bill with a psychedelic garage rock band on tour called Plan 9. We headed to the C&O for the show. 98 Colours never played and we left after a couple of electric organ-drenched tunes from Plan 9. Years later, Randy still swears that 98 Colours never had that gig. I contend that they probably got to drinking that afternoon and blew it off. I guess we’ll never know for sure. So I guess you could say that my love of the band got off to a slow start.

Randy (bass and vocals)…

In my grad school year of college (1985-86) I had a friend who began dating Randy and she knew that I liked 98 Colours. She also thought Randy and I would get along. So one night, Randy put me on the guest list for a show they had at the Mineshaft. 98 Colours was the only band on the bill, so they played a couple of sets that night. Between the first and second sets, Randy came and sat at the bar with me. We had a great conversation and I found him to be a really genuine person right away. If I remember correctly I was watching my favorite baseball team, the Boston Red Sox, on the bar TV that night. I mention this because a year later I was temporarily living on Randy’s couch and surviving on cheese sandwiches, and one night we were watching the 1986 World Series, the one the Sox lost when Bill Buckner (R.I.P.) let a routine grounder go between his legs. Anyway, LeRoi Moore was there hanging out, and he bet me five bucks the Mets would win. They did, and I paid up. LeRoi (R.I.P.) was a sax player that would occasionally play a few songs with 98 Colours. Of course he became rich and famous years later playing in the Dave Matthews Band before his untimely death in 2008. I often think about the fact that I lost a five dollar bet to a guy who, according to the internet, eventually had a net worth north of $40 million. Anyway, at this point, Randy and I had become close friends.

Little Sister… and the 98 Colours Crew…

Soon after meeting Randy and becoming friends with him, as well as Dave, his brother, I started dating a girl who I took out to Trax one night when 98 Colours was playing. I remember saying to her, “Hey those guys up there are friends of mine, they’re super nice.” She then says to me, “I know they’re nice, they’re my brothers.” That was a shock. Of course I thought right away that it was probably not too cool to be dating my good friends’ little sister. But no one seemed to have any problem with it, and we flamed out pretty quickly anyway. I went to see 98 Colours at every opportunity. There was a group of people that I got very close to. All of them grew up around Charlottesville and none attended UVA. I had gotten my undergraduate degree in the spring of 1985 and most of my college friends had graduated and left. I stayed at school to pursue a Masters degree, and I liked some of my fellow students, but I LOVED the people I met through 98 Colours. There was a crew of people around that band that I will never, ever forget.

Being the Opening Band…

98 Colours played a lot at the Mineshaft and Trax, often headlining, but sometimes opening for bigger bands. I remember talking to Randy, David & John years later and asking them about some of the bands they got to open for. The Neighborhoods were always cool, and they slept on the couches of my closest friends on several occasions. But 98 Colours agreed that one of the nicest, and best bands they ever got to play with was Jason and the Scorchers. That particular show was also one of the best sets I ever saw 98 Colours play. There was general agreement that the biggest jerks they ever had to deal with were The Replacements. That does nothing to dampen my enthusiasm for one of the greatest bands ever, but true to their reputation, The Replacements were apparently drunk, ornery, and not much fun to be around.

Clipping from a Charlottesville newspaper – I have every demo they ever made, but

unfortunately 98 Colours never made a proper record.

Flyer for the Scorchers show with “special guests” 98 Colours

The “Tour”… and my big chance to live the rock n roll life of a roadie…

I got out of grad school at UVA in the spring of 1986 with a Master’s degree. (editor’s note; Holy shit, Colin, were we aware Pencil Storm is employing bloggers with Master’s degrees? Are we BUDGETED for this? I think Anne Marie is our only other shot at this higher education bracket.) Time for the real world, but I decided to delay it a bit longer, as I had no desire to immediately get serious about a career. I took a job doing outdoor maintenance and stayed in Charlottesville to keep partying with 98 Colours and the crew. I got my friend, who was still Randy’s girlfriend, a job at the same company. That summer, 98 Colours manager/friend Maynard organized a mini ‘tour’ down through North Carolina. The band would play the Fallout Shelter in Raleigh, Ziggy’s in Winston-Salem and the New Deli in Greenville. The band asked me to join them for the trip. I was thrilled. On a Thursday morning (I think), Maynard and Dave took a car and John and Randy took a car and they headed to Raleigh. Randy’s girlfriend and I had to work, so the two of us left that evening. We arrived at the Fallout Shelter just in time to see the opening band pack up. 98 Colours followed with a great headlining set. After the show, we all set about the task of finding someone willing to put us up. I hit it off with a young lady attending N.C. State who had a house nearby which she assured me had a couple of couches, but by the time I informed the rest of the crew they already had been promised accommodations on the floor of a nearby apartment. Their loss, my gain.

When we met up again the next morning, John (drummer) switched to my car for the remainder of the trip so Randy could ride with his girl. John is an awesome guy to be around. I treasure the couple of days I had travelling with him, my Ford Escort loaded with drums and Milwaukee’s Best beer. Our next stop was Winston-Salem. We washed up after the drive in a Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant bathroom and then went to Ziggy’s to set up and drink some (more) beers. It was a beautiful day, which was fortunate since the bands play outside at Ziggy’s. I danced some at this show and it was really fun with all of us hanging out really late afterwards. John had a hilarious drunken “dance-off” with a guy who was a Marine that was there. The Marine finally admitted defeat when John did an amazing super-speed version of a dance called the Potato Digger that just couldn’t be matched. We slept on the floor at someone’s house and got up the next morning for the final leg of the “tour.” My car had received a parking ticket which I threw away.

The final gig in Greenville was an opening slot for Southern Culture on the Skids. The venue, The New Deli, offered all of us free food and it was the best meal we had gotten since we left Charlottesville. 98 Colours played to an enthusiastic crowd of East Carolina University students. After the set, Randy, John and I went out back to the parking lot while the others stayed inside to watch Southern Culture’s set. After a few minutes hanging out by our cars drinking more cheap beer, three police cars screamed into the parking lot and gave us all drinking in public tickets. That one I paid. That was the entirety of my career as a roadie, except for one other show in Richmond, VA when I lugged equipment for 98 Colours opening for the Neighborhoods at a club called New Horizons.

Grateful for the Impact on My Life…

Randy, Dave & John all turned me on to new music, and that is something for which I am truly grateful. All of them had great taste in music. I used to feed Randy’s bird when he was out of town and he encouraged me to hang out in his apartment for as long as I wanted and sample his record collection. I recall discovering the Screaming Tribesmen (from Australia) and also the Outlets. I still love those bands. I have many, many stories related to 98 Colours and my friends that were part of the Charlottesville music scene. My wife, Janet, was away at Old Dominion University during most of these adventures, but she grew up with these guys and she knew them long before I did. We’ve been married 28 years now and I probably would never have even met her if it weren’t for the 98 Colours crew. Randy and Dave were in our wedding party. My life would be much different without them.

Thank you guys, truly.

I skated relentlessly back then and Randy knew he had a fan when I painted their logo onto my favorite ride.

(editor’s note: If any of our other Pencil Storm writers or - even better - any of our Pencil Storm READERS would like to contribute to the Pencil Storm & Proust series, please feel free to send a submission to Pencilstormstory@gmail.com.)

Ricki C. and JCE (John, to his friends & family) first bonded over their shared mutual love of Boston's Finest Sons - The Neighborhoods - and everything extended out from that rock & roll ripple.  JCE lives in Culpeper, Virginia with his wife & daughter, and he & Ricki are STILL waiting for the long-rumored NEW Neighborhoods record to be released. Maybe in 2019.

Damn, That Was Stupid / Nine Amazing Shows I Missed - by JCE

I recently had plans to go see Watershed play the Slim’s 30th Anniversary show in Raleigh, NC. The show was a little over four hours from my home in Virginia, so my wife booked us a hotel just three blocks from Slim’s and we had a plan. I have been contributing here on Pencilstorm for over two years now, so I was looking forward to meeting the guys behind it, and finally seeing a band I have followed since 1994. Unfortunately, a family emergency arose and I had to cancel. Nothing I can do about that. But here are nine shows I could (and should) have gone to that I still kick myself about. In chronological order:

U2 – The Bayou, Georgetown, Washington, D.C.

U2 released the album “Boy” in 1980. I was still in high school but I was regularly seeing shows at Georgetown clubs. All ages shows weren’t really a thing back then, but it was easy getting into places. U2 came to the very small Bayou. It was their second show ever in the United States! I could have gone, but I had not heard the record and I wasn’t sure if I would like them. Only a few weeks later I had “I Will Follow” blasting several times a day. Damn, that was stupid.

The Clash – William & Mary Hall, Williamsburg, VA.

In late 1982, The Clash played at the College of William and Mary. I was a couple of hours away at the University of Virginia. Somehow, I didn’t know about the show until the last minute, so me and three friends decided to jump in a car and drive down there. We had no tickets but we were pretty sure we could get some. We headed down Route 29 South. The driver (not me) missed the exit onto Route 64 without realizing it and we just kept driving, almost to Lynchburg. At that point, we were way out of the way, time was running out and we had no tickets, so we just decided to drive back to school and drink a bunch of beer. It was the “Combat Rock” tour, but still… I never saw The Clash. It was my future wife’s very first concert (we had not yet met). She was 16 years old. Damn, that was stupid. Extra stupid.

The Lords of the New Church - The Bayou, Georgetown, Washington, D.C.

I loved the Dead Boys, so when Stiv Bator teamed up with Brian James from The Damned to form the Lords of the New Church, I was all in. I bought the record and loved it. I was away at college in Charlottesville when I saw an ad for upcoming shows at the Bayou (clipping attached to ticket below). I bought a ticket ($5, wow that’s cheap!) and was so psyched for this show. About two days before the show I found myself faced with a massive architecture project due and I had done next to nothing. The project was due the morning after the show. All-nighters followed and I bailed. Damn, that was stupid. I did eventually get to see both the Dead Boys and the Lords of the New Church, so this one is a little less painful. By the way, I never became an architect.

Oasis – WUST Music Hall, Washington, D.C.

My wife and I got three tickets to see an Oasis show at WUST Music Hall. WUST was a radio station before it became a music venue, and then later it became the new 9:30 Club that is still there today. The radio broadcast tower still stands on the roof of the club. Anyway, our friend who had dibs on the third ticket got held up at work. We waited for him. And waited. Finally, we hit the road for the hour and a half drive and got to the club around 9:40. We prayed that they would start late, but as we pulled up, the club was emptying out. Show over. Damn, that was stupid.

Marvelous 3 / Eve 6 – Trax Nightclub, Charlottesville, VA

In the late 90’s, there was a slew of “alternative rock” coming from everywhere. My wife and I went to three of the huge WHFS music festivals at RFK stadium in D.C. DC101 was the radio station of choice. Two of my favorite bands from that particular era were the Marvelous 3 - which was led by musical genius Butch Walker - and Eve 6. They played together one night at Trax in Charlottesville, a mere 45 minutes from my house. I still don’t remember why I didn’t get off my ass and go. Damn, that was stupid.

Watershed – The Pit, Kill Devil Hills, NC

My wife and I used to go to the beach on the Outer Banks of North Carolina two or even three times a year. On one particular trip, we had reached the end of our week-long stay. We packed the car and headed out for the five hour trip home. On the radio comes “Small Doses” by Watershed. The DJ says, “Great band, go see them tonight at The Pit,” (in Kill Devil Hills, NC---the Outer Banks!). I wasn’t even out to the highway yet. I was in town for God sakes. We had dogs to pick up from the kennel, and other stuff to get back to, but we could have made it work. I kept driving. Damn, that was stupid. (editor’s note: Not to make John feel worse, but I roadied that gig, and it was a GREAT show. That WAS stupid. - Ricki C.)

The Damned / The Briefs – Black Cat, Washington, D.C.

I saw The Damned back around the era of The Black Album, but I love The Damned, and I haven’t seen them for a long time. So when Dave Vanian and Captain Sensible got together recently and went on tour, I should have made an effort. I saw they were coming to the Black Cat, and the openers were The Briefs, who make great punk songs, short and fast like the Ramones. After being lazy, whining that it was a Sunday night and not going, I looked up the set list. It was amazing. I should have gone. Damn, that was stupid.

The Biters / Wyldlife / Frankie and the Studs – Voltage Lounge, Philadelphia, PA

The Biters have been pretty much my favorite overall band for about four years. My favorite band changes almost daily, but The Biters keep coming to the forefront. After The Biters, next might be Wyldlife. So when they play together, well you can’t miss that. I mentioned the show to my wife and daughter. It was three and half hours away, and the Philly hotels are damn expensive, but look at this double bill in a small club. YOU. HAVE. TO. PULL. THE. TRIGGER. YOU HAVE TO. I did not. Now The Biters have called it quits. I did see them once. I still haven’t seen Wyldlife. Damn, that was stupid. Really F*cking stupid.

Supersuckers / Upper Crust – The Broadberry, Richmond, VA

I love both of these bands. The Supersuckers are just great ragged punk ‘n’ roll with a little country thrown in. The Upper Crust are from Boston. They play hilarious but excellent rock with a theme and great costumes. I’ve heard it called costume rock, but it’s not goofy at all, it just rocks. One of the members of Upper Crust recently hurt himself and they are on indefinite hiatus. I suspect I may never get to see them play live. This show was in Richmond, an hour and a half away. I was getting up early the next morning to leave for a family vacation. I didn’t want to be tired for the long drive the next day. I did not go. Damn, that was stupid.

Maybe you also have made some bad decisions that haunt you.….feel free to share in the comment section below.

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Ricki C. and JCE (John, to his friends & family) first bonded over their shared mutual love of Boston's Finest Sons - The Neighborhoods - and everything extended out from that rock & roll ripple.  JCE lives in Culpeper, Virginia with his wife & daughter, and he & Ricki are STILL waiting for the long-rumored NEW Neighborhoods record to be released. Maybe in 2019.