List archive online at http://www.oocities.com/violentfemmeslist
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TOUR DATES (*=New Dates)
Thursday 8/21/03 Anaheim CA House of Blues Anaheim
Friday 8/22/03 Las Vegas NV Skin Pool Lounge (Palms Hotel)
Saturday 8/23/03 Del Mar CA Thoroughbred Club
Sunday 8/24/03 Ventura CA Ventura Theatre
Saturday 9/20/03 San Bernardino CA Glen Helen Blockbuster Pavillon
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IN THIS ISSUE:
Tour Date Ticket Info
Official Site Updated
Memphis Mud
RE:Mud in Memphis
East Coast Road Trip
RE:Mud in Memphis
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For upcoming show tickets:
8/21 ANAHEIM $32 http://www.hob.com/tickets/eventdetail.asp?eventid=21244
8/22 LAS VEGAS $20-25 http://www.skinpoollounge.com/http_docs/skin/skin.asp
8/23 DEL MAR $Free$ http://www.dmtc.com/season/events/event.php?id=18
8/24 VENTURA $22 www.ticketmaster.com
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Official Site Updated
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Check out the official page! There is a new group shot from the OZ
tour and some shots of the Femmes with Ben Kweller from Chicago.
There are also some new 7/2003 fan letters and responses from Brian.
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Memphis Mud
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What do people expect? Don’t get me wrong-I love the
Violent Femmes, but didn’t anyone notice that they don’t
even PLAY anything new anymore? If no one noticed or
cared about that, and if everyone only wants to hear the
songs that are 20 years old anyway, why would they
bother putting anything new out? Personally, but if having
Victor back means that the newer stuff will never be
played again, I would take Guy back anyday. Maybe
Gordon just figures no one wants to hear brand new
stuff, so why record it.
Julie
pish_tish
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RE: Mud in Memphis
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I wish somebody could get close to Gordon
and tell him how much his decision to do
no future records with the Femmes hurts
his dwindling group of fans.
Gordon, it doesn’t matter how many albums
you sell. You are good enough, you are
smart enough and dog gawn it people like you.
I also echo the writers opinion who said he
felt ripped off by the band sticking to only
the early music. It bums me out to go to a
show and know I won’t hear Sleepwalkin or
Rejoice and be Happy. Why not just play the
first album over and over? Has anyone
bothered to ask why they are only playing the
old songs? Victor seems so happy to just be
on stage with the guys that he would play row,
row, row your boat if they asked him, so it
must be something more to it. It always is,
isn’t it.
Brain makes the comment in the article that
they are not an oldies nostalgia act, but
isn’t that what they are becoming if they
don’t continue to produce any new material?
It’s all compounded by not playing any of
the music they’ve done over the last 10-12
years.
Somebody please tell Gordon to stop being a
knucklehead. Brain and Victor are having
fun. Life is too short, get on with it and
bring a little joy to your fans. Is it too
much to ask to have your favorite band just
play the songs you love and maybe come up
with a few new ones when they feel like it.
My God, its not like we are asking them to
solve World hunger, but apparently it is
just as large a request.
SCPGAMEDIA
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East Coast Road Trip
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hello everyone,
I just got back from my Femmes 761 mile marathon
tour to the Baltimore, Norfolk and DC shows. My son
Dan’s tuba was aching to play again with them and I
was hungrier than ever for the sounds of the band I
never tire of seeing and hearing. The Baltimore show
at the Powerhouse live took place in a sporadic drizzle
which never seemed to dampen the spirits of the
enthusiastic, party-minded crowd. Highlights for me
were hearing Dan play tuba with Jared Oldman on Sax
for I Held Her In My Arms and hearing the rarely played
I Saw Her In The Crowd by special request of Brian’s wife
Varuni for their 5th wedding anniversary. There is such
love between this couple! The Norfolk show was played
in this stiflingly hot warehouse -like venue which Brian
told me they have played more than any other venue.
The crowd was really into the show although the
temperature out on the floor must have been more than
slightly uncomfortable. Once again, Dan got to play I
Held Her In My Arms with Jared and as a spectacular
treat for me, they played Sweet Misery Blues, my
favorite Femmes song. I had mentioned to Victor in
Baltimore that I never heard them play it live and after
the Norfolk show they told me that they played it for me.
It was definitely one of my premier Femmes moments.
Brian Ritchie’s solo on Good Feelings and all of his
“stand up in front of the crowd” solos constantly astound
me. The man is definitely the musician extrordinairre of
the group. His shakuhacchi solos add such a dimension
to the music. And I can’t even imagine what they would
do without the enthusiasm and energy of Victor on
drums. He’s such a dynamic personality.The DC show was
almost canceled when, after a gloriously beautiful day, the
sky erupted in a most violent thunderstorm complete with
lightening and torrential rain which poured down right
onto the front of the stage, just as the Femmes were
scheduled to take to the stage. The crowd stood their
ground and began chanting, “Rain or Shine”, evidently
the advertisement for the show. After what seemed like
about an hour, the Femmes crew (surely the most
devoted, efficient crew on the planet) mopped up the
stage so those who were playing plugged in wouldn’t get
electrocuted and the guys took to the stage and played
an abbreviated, but totally spectacular 45 minute set.
It seems that DC had a very strict 10.00 curfew and
even though the weather had hindered them from
starting on time for a full set, the curfew remained in
effect. The Femmes were disappointed and Victor
told the crowd they wanted to come back some time
to play a 3 hour show for them. I hope it happens
sometime. I’ll be there!
Just one comment about Gordon’s (un)stability. We
all have our unstable moments, just not in front of
the watchful eyes of thousands of fans. Without
hesitation, I find him to be one of the genuinely
kindest human beings I’ve ever met. And he wrote
all of that incredible music when he was barely more
than a kid. That’s enough for me to just take him as he
is.
Marylee
Rubaiyat
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RE: Mud in Memphis
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I gotta say I am bummed about the new album thing but
it is not suprising to me. I have heard from a Milwaukee
source that Gordan had issuses with getting along with the
others int he band at one point but then i thought things
had smoothed over….oh well. finding that out really
dissappointed me because seeing them on stage makes
me think that they are different than other bands and that
they have a bond, so thats why i see it as okay that they
are not making a new CD becuz if they only did it for the
money and publicity then i dont think that that would be
like them, ya know? Anyway I would REALLY like to
see another LIVE album! One from all these 20th
anniversary concerts! That is waht would be freaking
awesome, because we all know that they are the
BEST LIVE!!!!!!!!!!!! Okay peoples rock on! And
keep wishing with me you CHicago folk that they
come back at least one more time this summer! The
show on Halsted made me WANT MORE!
PEACE!
Jen
yennifer_82
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RE: Mud in Memphis
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
if i were a femme what would i do? i guess i’d ride it all the way.
i dont know. i thought thats what this band was all about… never
doing any thing they had to… only keeping it real. but just touring
to make the bucks and not putting out new tunes doesn’t seem
that real to me. in fact it doesn’t seem that diferent from my day job.
but theres one thing i don’t get. they put albums out when guy was
here. no guy? no tunes? they aren’t playing the old stuff now that
vic’s back. is vic a problem? i always thought 3 dudes – 3 votes.
gordon wont record. vic won’t play the new stuff. why is one guy
able to rule the world?
Eric
wisconsinsane13
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RE: Mud in Memphis
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I sent the message about the quote from
Brian, and I am appalled by people’s
reactions. Questioning why people are
still fans? Well, I am a fan because the
music is good. Of course I would love
the Femmes to get along with each other,
for Gordon to be more happy and stable,
and for Victor to play songs recorded
origanlly with Guy, but I can’t change
any of that. I for one didn’t find
the fact that Gordon is a bit nuts
surprising. Think of all the variety
of emotions in his songs. But that is
what makes him great. Also, I don’t
see how anyone can get that he doesn’t
care about the band from him being
unstable. Gordon and Brian and Victor
have all devoted most of their lives
to this band and to bringing great
meaningfull music to us fans. I don’t
think that Gordon doesn’t care. He is
probably just tired. I for one would
like to give him the benefit of the
dought. And in reply to the fan who
disliked the set list the Femmes are
currently playing: I recently saw them
for the first time a few weeks ago in
Memphis and was thrilled just to be
there. They did tend to stick with the
first album, but I’m not sure if that
is in avoidance of Guy’s songs. It
seems to me that a majority of concert
goers are not all the biggest fans,
and typically know more songs off of
that first album. I could be wrong
about that though. Also Victor was a
joy to see perform. His energy and
enthusiasticness was contageous and
he made the show extra special. He
adressed the audience frequently
while Gordon and Brian stayed fairly
secluded. Victor jumped around and
danced and genuinly conveyed a very
warm and kind hearted personality.
I had never gotten much of him out
of the music, but now I really can
see how he ticks. This may seems
silly but I don’t know why Victor
left of why Guy left or why Victor
returned. I’d love this information!
Sunny Franklin
LinoleumGRRRL
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