02-11-98

AMERICAN MUSIC: THE VIOLENT FEMMES MAILING LIST currently run by Pat. Wary ************************************************************************ TOUR DATES: (NEW DATES MARKED WITH A **) Feb. 27-First Avenue, Minneapolis, MN (T,O,P) THIS IS A 21 AND OVER SHOW ONLY Feb. 28-8 p.m. Duluth Entertainment Convention Center, Duluth, MN (O,P,T) Mar. 1-Wayne State College, Wayne, NE (O) Mar. 3-Marzz, Raleigh, NC (O) TENTATIVE Mar. 4-Bohagers, Baltimore, MD, $20 (O,P) Mar. 5-Washington and Lee University, Lexington, VA (O) TENTATIVE Mar. 6-Nightclub 9:30, Washington, DC, $20 (O,P) Mar. 27 or 28-N. Michigan U., Marquette, MI (O) TENTATIVE 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 Monterey Peninsula Artists. Serious inquiries only. ************************************************************************ The Quote Of The Day: Just last night I was reminded of just how bad it had gotten and just how sick I had become. -From Prove My Love PLEASE 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! Baltimore, MD ------------- Washington, DC -------------- ************************************************************************ ANY SUGGESTIONS ON HOW TO IMPROVE THIS LETTER SHOULD BE DIRECTED TO 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 NEW ADDRESS: http://vf.scopemag.com or try: http://206.103.163.50 Download the unofficial homepage: http://www.gl.umbc.edu/~mmerry2/backup.zip Guitar: http://www.bucknell.edu/~wtorres/violent_femmes http://www.olga.net 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: Auction Final Bohager's Info 930 Club Info Needed RE: Homework Help RE: Come South Phantom Tribute Album Max Dunn ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Auction Final ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The high bid was $190. I forgot to ask the high bidder if it was OK to post his name, so I won't post it. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Bohager's Info ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I'm going to the Bohagers show and am happy to inform y'all that age doesn't matter unless you want to buy drinks. does anybody have any idea how to get to the 9:30 club from baltimore using public transportation? Marjorie :-P ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 930 Club Info Needed ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ OK, here goes... this might be long and you'll have to excuse my giddy excitement at finally getting to see the Femmes play... WOW! I can't believe this is happening to me! Since the tender age of 12 or 13, I have loved the Femmes, and I made a vow that I would go to no concert until I could see them. Well, it was easy keeping that vow since my mom was always really strict and said I was never going to be allowed to any concert... Anyway! Now I'm 19 and I got an email from a friend saying "Hey, lets go to the 9:30 club and see the femmes!!" I can't believe I'm going... two general questions for anyone.... how do I get tickets and should I be getting them now and is there danger of selling out?! (I'm sure there is, I mean, it's the femmes!!) Secondly, to anyone who has been posting the "met the band at the tour bus after the show" stories, I know this sounds ignorant, but I've never been to any concert so bear with me... How did you go about doing that... is there a special pass or can you do it if you find the bus or what?? I'm dying to know, I am determined to meet them and not be a gushing idiot. So, if anyone can help me I'd be most thankful! -Jess -Pat. Says: Check out the 930 homepage at http://www 930.com to find out how to get tickets for this show. There's lots of ways to do it. As far as selling out is concerned, that's always something to consider. Several shows have sold out recently. I'd suggest you find a way to get your tickets ASAP. Now, on to the tour bus. Just look for the bus before the show to be sure you know where it is. If you can't find it, look for it after. They usually don't leave right away, so you should have time. You don't need a pass, or anything other than patience. The bus is usually near a back door. Really, you can't miss it. There's always a group of people who seem to know the door from which the band will exit. Just look for the crowd after the show. Now, as for behavior, they're used to gushing, so don't worry about it. I must say that they do respond more positively to those who are polite, so don't be a screamer or a pusher. Don't knock on the doors to ask when they'll be out. I don't mean to insult; of course you won't do that, but I've been to quite a few shows now, and I've seen all that and more. Lastly, go ahead and contact the people in the who/where. That's what they're there for. Seems like a bunch of you are going to this show, and Bohager's too. You should arrange to meet up, hopefully before the show. That way the veterans can show you the ropes. I'm sure the VF would be pleased to see a quorum of AM subscribers waiting for them after the show. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ RE: Homework Help ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Pat: Here is my response to Stephanie's interview. I don't know if it is appropriate for ROCK/AMERICAN MUSIC, but I wanted to share the information and find out about others first experiences with the Femmes. Steve Deisig, 23, live in Syracuse, NY, but I'm originally from Buffalo. I originally heard the Femmes as an 8th grader while with my two best friends outside a Friendly's restaurant after a Junior High dance. We all took turns listening to this silly song called Blister in the Sun on a walkman. We couldn't stop laughing over having a "blister in the sun". After that night, I borrowed a copy of the original Femmes tape from a classmate and wore it out listening to it for the rest of the school year. The group's mix of teen angst and raw energy was perfectly apropos for that stage of my life as a confused teenager. From that first listening in '88 to my graduation in '92, the Femmes gave voice to my unexpressed passion, rage, and loneliness. Their music also served as a connecting point between my aforementioned 2 friends and myself, until the untimely passing of one of those friends in '91. I still listen today because of the association I make between their music and a wonderful time in my life. Although their music doesn't affect me like it once did, it still serves as a trigger for many fond memories as well as a few sad ones. My favorite song is "I Held Her in My Arms" because of its energetic jazz beat combined with a message that I can relate to several past relationships that were with the wrong person at the wrong time, while the right person slipped away. My favorite song while in high school was "Good Feeling" because I could empathize with its stark, lonely message of longing and frustration. I currently have no problems with the Femmes per se, but I also no longer feel the immediacy in their music that I once did. My "relationship" with the band has gone from Femmes Fanatic in the past to collector in the present. I still enjoy their concerts, but no recent ones have approached the mind shattering intensity of the first Femmes concert I attended 6 years ago. I also noticed at the 2 concerts I attended in the past year that I'm the only one with thinning hair! As for changes that I've seen over the years, they mostly deal with the expanding scope of the band's musical interests and abilities (ignoring the change from Victor to Guy). Although I enjoy their newer releases, my favorite albums are still Violent Femmes, The Blind Leading the Naked, and American Music. In response to your last question, I'm not sure how I would some of the Femmes. Perhaps it would be just best to use their (modified) tag line, "American Music: 1982 to 1998". Thanks for the opportunity to answer your questions. I hope that your school project goes well for you. I'd be interested in hearing about other people's first experiences with the Femmes. Steve ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ RE: Come South ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The VF played two shows at the Rendon Inn (changed from Tipitinas on the day of the first show) on December 27 and 28, 1996 in New Orleans. I know because that was my first VF concert, after having been a fan for many years. Regardless, my friends and I didn't have enough money after going to the show on the 27th to attend the show on the 28th, so we hung out around New Orleans, and wound up at Cafe du Monde over in the French Quarter. Who did we stumble upon? Gordon Gano sitting there drinking his coffee and eating some beignets. I went right up to him and said "Hey, Gordon, mind if we talk with ya?" He was cool as can be, and actually must have delayed the show that night by talking with us. It was probably one of the best nights of my life. Regardless, I asked him why they don't play down south that much (I was living in Baton Rouge, LA at the time), and he just said that they play where ever they are invited to play. He does love New Orleans, though, and I would bet that Cafe du Monde would be a great place to find him next time he's in town. My solution to seeing more of the VFs was to move up to Chicago. :> I've seen them about 5 more times, each show exceeding the previous. Well, that's bound to be the greatest story of my life, so if you'd like me to tell it again sometime, I'd be happy to. :> In short, do what Pat said, and have someone important in your town to plop down the money to get them to play there. john ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Phantom Tribute Album ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Sometime back, we went through what seemed like a month of discussion about an alleged tribute album to gordon. If I remember correctly, it was decided that it was a rumor, and then we all proceeded to send in "fantasy" albums with suggested tribute artists. Anyway, I ran into something today on the net, saying that gordon was in fact putting it together and it would be released in 1998. The article also said that PJ Harvey and Lou Reed would be among the artists on it. The article was on a page called "Today's Headlines," edited by Carrie Borzillo. Anyway, it was dated October 10, 1997, and I was wondering if this is false, maybe what originally started the rumor, or if it is a corroboration? ANOTHER OBNOXIOUS QUESTION THAT EVERYONE IS SICK OF: When, if ever, is the new album coming out? Last I heard, it was to be a St. Patrick's Day release. Any updates? -Pat. Says: I can't seem to shut up today. This album is supposed to be a soundtrack for a movie that did almost nothing in the box office. I'll look for details to put in the next issue, but if memory serves, it should have been put out on Mercury records. It is produced by Gordon, and there are no other VF members involved. What I'd like to know is if that Clash Tribute album is ever going to be released? Last I heard there were some legal problems, but that was months ago. My last email to that record company went unanswered. Let me try again. New album...I think the Official Homepage now expects a March release, so St. Paddy's may not be too far off. Fiddlydiddlydieddlydee. I can hardly wait..three of my favorite bands should all be releasing in March o happy month. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Max Dunn ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Does anyone know of any titles or where I can get ahold of some Max Dunn Poetry? For those ROCK!-less ones out there, Max Dunn wrote a poem called "I danced Before I had two feet" which VF turned into the rockin' "I Danced" on ROCK! Any and all information is greatly appreciated. Thanks. Jason ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~