Punk Turns 30

There will be some fine house-rockin' in Memphis, TN this weekend and two garage-rock-legends-in-their-own-time bands perform on the same bill in one of their hometowns.  This garage rock n roll extravaganza takes place at the Hi Tone (which did you know is at the location of Elvis's former Dojo.  True.) The distinguished man pictured above is Mick Collins, a legend in his own time within garage rock circles. He is one-third of the Gories, a trio from Detroit that was instrumental in kick starting the garage rock renaissance of the 1990s.   Dan Kroha , whose Demolition Doll Rods made a name for themselves in the later years of the garage rock renaissance, with their outrageous stage clothes (or lack thereof) and gospel-driven thrash, was the other guitarist in the Gories, and Peggy O'Neill their drummer. Also in the 1990s in Memphis, the Southern alter-ego of the kind of music town Detroit is, the The Oblivians were garage rockin', and doing that Memphis thing of ...

Jack Oblivian About a year ago, Jack Oblivian and his Tennessee Tearjerkers did a few dates with the Hives, the young Swedish rockers whose biggest influence was Memphis' Oblivians, hence the invitation to share a few stages. Howlin' Pelle Almqvist and Jack O Around the same time, Jack was going in and out of Memphis recording studios putting together a new record. That record is now available for your listening and purchasing pleasure! Just click the title of this blog post and you'll be transported to the Goner Records online store. Goner is also the label that is releasing Jack's latest... Disco Outlaw. Back in the 70s, "death to disco" was one of the many rallying cries of people who played or preferred punk rock to the other music that was born in that decade. I think it only fitting that the 90's best punk influenced rocker (just listen to any of the Jack O songs from the Oblivians repertoire....) takes the opportunity to poke some titular po...

Harlan T Bobo, King Louie and Jack Yarber - Loose Diamonds I took that photo in "Goner Alley" - the alley next door to the Goner Records store in Memphis in 2005, as Hurricane Rita was making her mark. It was the final day of Goner Fest 2... power was cutting in and out, lights going with it... Harlan T Bobo, just back from a European tour, was about to play a short set before joining The Limes who were closing the Goner Festivities. Limes - Jack Yarber, Harlan T Bobo, Shawn Cripps (Shawn is the only constant Lime, it being his project and all...) Without power to amplify, Harlan jumped up on the counter and played unplugged for all to see. He was joined for a song or two by Compulsive Gambler/Oblivian/Reigning Sound man, Greg Cartwright. Greg Cartwright - it seemed that every time he walked into the store, the lights would come back on As you know, Hurricane Rita came through a little less than a month after Katrina. Several New Orleans people I know evacuated to Memp...

Sun Studio, Memphis, TN On this date in 1977, Elvis Presley died. Do you remember where you were when you heard? I do. I was in my car, driving home from work across Sunset Blvd. and was making the left turn on La Brea up to my apartment at the corner of La Brea and Franklin - the Famous Lobotomy Apartment. I was listening to the AM radio station KRLA, as I often did. They played more than the usual number of Elvis songs in a row, and as one does, I asked myself, "what, did he die or something?" Well, yeah... he did. What, you may be asking, does Elvis Presley have to do with punk rock? Well - if you have to ask.... Elvis has everything to do with popular music - for every generation, but mostly, in the big picture, at the time he broke out, Elvis represented something unique in American popular culture for American youth. Yes, I could take you down one the road of those post-modern, socialist, Marxist type analyses of post-war youth culture and popular culture product...

Camero Werewolf of Live Fast Die, Williamsburg, Brooklyn - NY - 2007 You absolutely have to click the link that is the title of this post! New York Magazine's Summer Guide 2008 - The Summer Issue... "Punk Like Them" is the name of the article. Thirty plus years after NYC homeboys The Ramones revitalized a bloated music scene with their short, fast, furious and fun songs, kids are still seeking the Holy Grail of Punk Rock - NYC's St Marks Place. Man oh man, do I feel old. Not aged, mind you... but old like "old fogey." After reading about the protagonist of the "Punk Like Them" piece, I just had to roll my eyes (you might too). Punk rock may be a statement or response against the mainstream... but back in the day (and here's where I sound like an old fogey)... we earned everything we achieved (and in so doing, made the world safe for future punk rockers and punk rocker wannabe's). Dee Dee Ramone on stage with Stiv Bators & Jimmy Ze...

Andria Lisle, the outrageously talented writer and Memphis native reports on Goner Fest 4 and local punk rock action in her Mojo blog that's available on Yahoo and the verdict is: YEAH... Memphis has a place at the punk rock table. Ever since Goner Fest became a regular event, the profile of the whole Goner culture has been lifted so mainstream eyes can see just how enduring this punk rock thing is. I'll say this every day - THANK YOU SEX PISTOLS for always mouthing off about everything you do! That they are celebrating the 30th anniversary of the release of their only studio album, Never Mind the Bollocks really elevates the game and brings new eyes to old skool punk rock. Shunning most recently the celebration of their induction into the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame, in 1978, the Pistols also shunned one of the largest and most populous cities in the USA - Los Angeles, playing their last US show in San Francisco instead. Of course, all the LA punks drove up to San Franc...

Eric Oblivian to rock n roll fans, Eric Friedl to his folks... Happy Birthday to you! Thanks for carrying on the DIY punk rock torch back when you were an Oblivian and starting Goner Records and eventually opening the coolest record store I've been to in ages. Thanks for hosting my photo exhibit in 2005 and having a hot dog reception! Thanks for giving us Goner Fest, and giving punk loving foreigners a travel destination. Thanks for just being there, being you and being part of so many awesome bands. Have some birthday cake, man. And in Goner-speak, that's "you're a piece of cake!"

Goner Records, the punk haven of Memphis, TN... the store turns 3 on March 3 (Saturday). The 3-3-3 celebration features a day and night's worth of music featuring all my favorite Memphians and Mississipians. If you live round those parts - GO! SATURDAY, MARCH 3 GONER turns 3 years old! Daytime @ Goner Store Free! 2pm COUGARS 3pm JEFF GOLIGHTLY 4pm KID TWIST (it's Tyler Keith solo! As featured at last Cooper-Young Fest!) 5pm BOSTON CHINKS / BARBARAS (new Goner signees) 6pm JACK O & TEARJERKERS Nighttime @ Hi Tone $5 10pm HARLAN T BOBO 11pm JAY REATARD (backed by Boston Chinks, new album is amazings!) 12pm PREACHERS KIDS (the best party band in the land! Rock Rock Rock!) Visit the Goner store and meet Eric and Zac. BUY Goner releases! Pictured here are members of the Leather Uppers and Hipshakes with everyone's favorite Japanese one-man band, Rockin Enocky. Leather Uppers and Hipshakes available on Goner records! Some of the most discriminating record collectors ...

And good riddance to 2006 already.... Actually, 2006 had its ups and its downs, just like any other year. Before we go any further, let's wish a Happy Birthday to David Quinton Steinberg the young man on the right, flipping you off. He's 18 in that photo, taken for the Stiv Bators solo album, "Disconnected." At 18, he was already a punk rock veteran before joining Stiv, having been playing punk rock since 1976... And 1976 is when I really felt the active punk rock era began for me...the first time I saw Patti Smith in January 76, touring in support of her debut album, "Horses" which was released in November 1975. Its also Patti Smith's birthday this weekend, and Lenny Kaye's too! But by most counts, people credit 1977 being the year punk broke (despite the fact there's a documentary/tour film called "1991: The Year Punk Broke" - which is a movie about grunge bands and includes the Ramones). And what all that means is that 2007 is...