AMERICAN MUSIC: THE VIOLENT FEMMES MAILING LIST
currently run by Pat. Wary

*************************************************************************
TOUR DATES: (NEW DATES MARKED WITH A **)

**January 23, 1998-Miller Stage, San Diego, CA (P)**
**January 24, 1998-The Coach House, San Juan Capistrano, CA (T)**
**February 1, 1998-Paramount Theatre, Seattle, WA (T)**
**February 2, 1998-LaLuna, Portland, OR (T)**
**February 7, 1998-Egan Civic & Convention Center,Anchorage,Alaska (P)**
**February 8, 1998-same as above, is the abbrev for Alaska AK? (P)**

Special thanks to for letting me know about
the Ticketmaster dates before anyone else.

Can anyone tell me whether the VF will be playing Chicago on New Year’s
Eve? I have heard a rumor to that effect.

NOTA BENE: ‘O’ stands for the Official homepage
‘P’ stands for Pollstar
‘T’ stands for Ticketmaster
‘I’ stands for Insider Info
All other references are subscribers

To book a show, contact Monterrey Peninsula Artists.
Serious inquiries only.

*************************************************************************
The Quote Of The Day:

I danced before I had two feet
sang before I had a tongue
-from I Danced

send your VF quotes to

*************************************************************************

WHO/WHERE
Going to a VF concert? Want to know if anyone
else on the list also going? Check here first!

Seattle, WA
————

(maybe Portland, too)

*************************************************************************
ANY SUGGESTIONS ON HOW TO IMPROVE THIS LETTER SHOULD BE DIRECTED TO

ANY AND ALL CORRESPONDENCE CONCERNING THIS LETTER SHOULD BE DIRECTED TO

*************************************************************************

WEB PAGES:

Official: http://www.vfemmes.com
Unofficial: http://www.gl.umbc.edu/~mmerry2/femmes.html
Guitar: http://home.ptd.net/~jiffypop/violent_femmes/
*This is a new addy, folks. Change your bookmarks*

TAB DIGEST:
The tab digest is give and take; remember to share what
you have.
Une banane
dans l’oreille: Send in your top five faves each week to:
They will periodically be compiled
and posted.
HERE I AM: write to me, , to add your name to this
list. Once it’s up and running, you can then write in
to find out who lives near you, or who lives in a town
you’ll be visiting.

*************************************************************************

In Today’s Issue:

More Pat. Ramblings
I’m From…
VF At Last in Seattle!
RE: Lots of Stuff
RE: Pet Names
RE: Hosea
South Park Cartoon
Une Banane Dans L’Oreille
Sabrina..and Stuff
Fave Live Shows

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
More Pat. Ramblings
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
OK, I tried to get this out on Monday, but it looks like it’ll be after
midnight before it goes out, so: hey, I tried. Since I haven’t gone to
bed yet, I don’t really consider it a new day yet anyway.
I have received many responses to the Here I Am list. So many in fact
that I can’t print all the posts; it’d take up so much space. I am
however printing just one example, pulled completely at random, and it
will follow my little ramble.
Here’s the list of cities represented so far:
Rochester NY, Clayton NC, Oklahoma City OK, Montgomery AL, West Chester
PA, Omaha NE, Alexandria VA, Santa Rosa CA, Norwood NJ, Baltimore MD,
Bellington WA, Tacoma WA, Albuquerque NM, Seattle WA, Milwaukee, WI.
I won’t be doing this every issue, but I will be reminding you from time
to time that if you want to be included in this list, write me, and I’ll
put your name on, and if there is anyone who lives near you who is also
on the list, I’ll send you his or her addy. 14 responses isn’t too bad,
considering it’s a holiday and you’ve only had a couple of days to think
about it.
BTW, whether or not there will be an issue on Wednesday is still up in
the air. The kids’ll be up the crack of dawn..my mother will be down from
home (CT) and will be spending the night..I’ll be either tipsy from mead
consumption or emotionally drained..OK let’s say it’s doubtful.
So to everyone, Happy Chanukah and Merry Christmas. Have some latkes and
wassail on me.
OK I’ve said enough. On with today’s issue:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I’m From…
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My name is Whitney, i’m 17 years old, almost 18, and i am from
Alexandria, Virginia. It’s really boring even though i live ten minutes
from DC. I absolutely love the Femmes!!! oh, by the way…HI DANICA!!!
i love ya babe!!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
VF At Last in Seattle!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After 5 and a half long years of waiting, the Femmes are coming to
Seattle! They will make their appearance Feb 1st at the Paramount. It
will rule.
Anyone who is going let me know!!

Brian
email:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
RE: Lots of Stuff
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Einfach Klassisch, see this’d be german, and since i know german and i’m
in a rather good mood as im typing this, i will translate for you. it
means simply classical, i suppose it’s probably a german song (duh beky,
why don’t we just hit you over the head with a broomstick *laughs* wow,
im in an odd mood)

also that dude who wrote in and said that he and his friends used to call
the femmes the Vehemins Feminae, it just so happens that i also take
latin. you called them the violent/rowdy women? that’s kinda
interesting.

oh yea, um im 15 (yay, my birhtday was november 19!!) and im from a suburb
of milwaukee wisconsin.

also, sorry this may sound really like demented, but um my friend told me
that the femmes don’t play “i held her in my arms” in concert… is this
true? i hope not, please tell me it’s not, i mean don’t like lie to me or
anything like that, but tell me that they play that in concert, because
they need to because it’s one of my favorite songs….

ok my dad’s kicking me off the phone because my brother’s a jack ass and
won’t get off the other phone ine like he was told.

-beky

-Pat. Says: Beky, I’m almost positive I’ve heard them play I Held Her in
My Arms. But then, it may have been a few years ago. I have
to check my set lists (but I don’t see that happening till
1998). Put it on your Christmas Wish List, and maybe they’ll
play it ‘specially for you in Milwaukee someday.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
RE: Pet Names
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>Back when I was little (’round 10 years old) I had a copy of a femmes
>tape, and me and my friends referred to them as the “Whining
>Banshees”…just a random memory conjured up from one of the posts…

ahh, yes . . . people who mangle the Femmes’ name. I just have to post
about this. I’m a big fan, follow the band around a lot to shows, have
done this for years. It’s my hobby. My mother, who is in her 70’s, of
course cannot understand this, and thinks this is a terrible waste of
time and money and energy and . . . well, you get the picture. So for
years she has been referring to them as the Violet (like the flower)
Phlegm. I used to correct her, then realised I was wasting my time —
this is her way of expressing her disapproval.

So a couple years ago, I was stunned to receive from her, for Christmas,
a tape of the “Add It Up” album! Of course, I already had it on CD, but
I refused to let her take it back. Just imagine, this 70 year old woman
going into Sam Goody’s (for the first time in her life), going up to
the counter, and asking for the most recent release by
“The Violet Phlegm.”
I was really, really touched by it, by the fact that she made the effort,
and by the fact that she finally accepts the Femmes.

bec

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
RE: Hosea
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
MBlack wrote :

>If anyone has “Why Do Birds Sing?” (like I needed to say “if”) open up
>the album cover. In the section where they credit people, I noticed the
>day I bought the album there was this caption…
>
>Lack of Knowledge – Hosea 4:6
>
>Knowing the Violent Femmes have a strong religous background, I assume
>that the song “lack of Knowledge” was at least based on this verse.

I remember, some years back, a friend of mine had to interview the Femmes
for a Belgian magazine. He noticed the Hosea reference too. Also the
opening verse of Hallowed Ground is from Hosea, so he went out and did
some research on the Hosea figure. Hosea was a prophet, whose book is in
the Old Testament. He warned his people for disaster that was going to
be, but the Jews didn’t listen. Hosea himself was laughed at, and (if
I’m not mistaken) imprisoned. So they weren’t prepared when these bad
things actually happened (don’t remember what it was though, could have
been an invasion of the enemy, or a catastrophe, I don’t know). So
that’s what this song is all about.
Gordon actually was pleased that he met a journalist who actually knew
who Hosea was, seemed to be that Hosea was his favorite Bible character,
and that he was writing a musical or an opera around the Hosea story.
Never heard anything about that afterwards…

Frank.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
South Park Cartoon
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
there was a related femmes lyric in the cartoon south park last night.
kyle, one of the little kids, was in a mental hospital and he was singing
a christmas song or jewish song or something, i forget exactly what it
was, anyway after the first verse of the song he said “second verse, same
as the first” kinda funny, huh?

later
john

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Une Banane Dans L’Oreille
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
La chronique preferee de tous…

1-Slow Down Gene Kruppa’s Big Band
2-Lover’s Lane Squirrel Nut Zippers
3-Apres-moi l’apocalypse Basta
4-Cold Cold Ground Tom Waits
5-Cry (If you want to) Holly Cole

-A l’avenir veuillez poster vos top 5 au soin de la Banane (copier
l’adresse ci-haut), comme ca tout le monde recevra sa banane.
-Please send your top 5 to the Banana (copy the address). Everybody will
receive his-her banana if you do so.

-Pat. Says: So that’s how it’s going to work, folks. Send your top 5
faves every week, and Edgar will send you total top 5.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sabrina..and Stuff
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Somebody mentioned in the last newsletter that they heard that the Femmes
had been on the TV Show “Sabrina: The Teenage Witch”. I just wanted to
say that I just happened to see that particular episode one night while
I was studying for finals, and I had left the TV on. I heard Gordon’s
voice on TV and looked up in surprise, only too pleased to see him
standing there looking back at me from the screen!! You can probably
imagine that I was glued to the TV for the next 20 minutes; I don’t have
to tell you that I forgot all about my final……..Oh, well. It was
worth it.
Oh, and just for everyone’s info, though I’m sure youve already heard
enough about it, I am 18 years old and have been listening to the Femmes
since I was twelve. I have all of their albums except Rock!, which I
really want info on getting>>>>>> many of my family
members, friends, and teachers also listen to he Femmes, and they range
in age from 8 to 42…….these people obviously know talent when they
hear it!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Fave Live Shows
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
i would like to comment on fave shows:
1. violent femmes: the way he looked at me i thought i would
faint
2. pearl jam: they really know their music
3. no doubt: really energetic
4. green day: i love the way the involve the crowd
5. cure: robert smith is so cool
6. age of electric: canadian band who are amazing
7. korn: jonothan ‘seizures’
8. silverchair: though young real heavy
9. nofx: involve the crowd
10. tool: heavy mosh pit

thanks, meghin

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~