09-10-97

AMERICAN MUSIC: THE VIOLENT FEMMES MAILING LIST currently run by Pat. Wary ************************************************************************** TOUR DATES: (NEW DATES MARKED WITH A **) September 12-Greening of Mackay, Concordia University,Montreal, QUE (P,O) September 13-Shoreline Amphitheater, Mountainview, CA (O,P) September 14-Doheny State Beach, Dana Point, CA (O,P) September 16-The Palace, Hollywood, CA (T,P,O) September 17-The Palace, Hollywood, CA (P,O) September 18-Canes, San Diego, CA (T,O,P) September 19-The Glass House, Pomona, CA (T,O,P) September 21-The Catalyst, Santa Cruz, CA (O,P) September 22-Luther Burbank Center, Santa Rosa, CA (O,P) September 23-The Fillmore, San Francisco, CA (O,P) September 24-The Fillmore, San Francisco, CA (O) TENTATIVE September 26-Carolina Music Fest, The World Mardi Gras, Charlotte, NC (O,P) for more info call 704-333-2263 September 27-Smokey Mountain Jamboree,Knoxville,TN (P) October 9-Benedictine University, Lisle, IL (O) October 10-East Stroudsburg University, Abeloff Convocation Center, East Stroudsburg, PA (O,P) October 15-MontClair State University, Montclair, NJ (O) **October 31-Sports Hall at Coimbra University, Coimbra, PORTUGAL (O)** I SEE AT LEAST 5 SUBSCRIBERS FROM PORTUGAL. HERE'S YOUR CHANCE TO FINALLY SEE THE BAND! COIMBRA IS IN WEST CENTRAL PORTUGAL. MAYBE SOME OF YOU SPANISH SUBSCRIBERS CAN GO, TOO, AND ANY OF YOU FROM THE SOUTH OF FRANCE. 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 ALSO: THE INSECT AND WESTERN PARTY September 10-Lunar Cabaret, Chicago, IL ************************************************************************** The Quote Of The Day: She said to me oh I love it when you're mean Don't you it's boring when it's quiet and serene -From Life is a Scream send your quotes to ************************************************************************** WHO/WHERE Going to a VF concert? Want to know if anyone else on the list also going? Check here first! Montreal, Que, Canada --------------------- Mountainview, CA --------------------- Santa Cruz, CA --------------------- San Francisco (Sept. 23) --------------------- Charlotte, NC --------------------- Knoxville, TN --------------------- East Stroudsburg, PA --------------------- ************************************************************************** ANY SUGGESTIONS ON HOW TO IMPROVE THIS LETTER SHOULD BE DIRECTED TO ************************************************************************** WEB PAGES: Official: http://www.vfemmes.com Unofficial: http://www.gl.umbc.edu/~mmerry2/femmes.html Guitar: http://www.bucknell.edu/~wtorres/violent_femmes/ Mat would like to start up a digest for people interested in trading info on tabs and chords. All interested parties should contact Mat at: ************************************************************************** In Today's Issue: Retrospective RE: Cover This Name..Bass..Nerd Rock RE: Name..True Fans RE: Name Need a Ride?..Democracy Who Was That Band?.. Sabrina Help Me Find Tonight Want to Meet? Want to Meet? RE: Ages RE: Ages RE: Ages..Cincinnati..Stickers Request for Discography..Come to St. Louis Another Vote RE: Grosse Point Blank Insect and Western Party ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A friend of mine, Sid Griffin (ex-Long Ryder and current Coal Porter) is working with Polygram Records, Europe on ther reissue programme. One of the upcoming projects is a 2CD Violent Femmes retrospective. We would like the Femmes fans to pass on any suggestions of tracks to be included, by email to me at: I will collate the information and pass it on to Sid. Please don't suggest anything too obscure, the only tracks available are those which were released on albums or singles through Slash Records' licensing deal with London Records/Polygram in Europe. Regards, Phil. -- Phil Dennison Pat. says- Please send all responses to this post to ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ <> HAHAHAHAHAH! Couldn't help but get a mental pic of the boys with boufants and pea green peddle pushers (only they were singing my fave - Quiche Lorraine!:) But seriously ... I find this idea vewwwy intewesting. And after much thought I decided on the song I would most like to hear the Femmes cover - Marquee Moon by Television (Rhyme was a VERY close second.) On another note I met someone over the Labor Day weekend who offered an interesting tidbit on the origin of Johnny from Add it Up - he said the subject, Johnny, is non other than John Lennon. I'm not totally convinced he knew what he was talking about but also found this vewwwy intewesting! Anyone else intrigued? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Don't mean to whale on you there, Beky, but it seems to me like you'd have something me intelligent to say about the name change. 'Rock' was cool, 'AM' is cool too. And maybe someone does care- they obviously went to some trouble to change it. I'm not some college guy trying to prove something here- I'm 14, too. I guess I should put something Femmes related into here so it's not a TOTAL flame- um, I was messing around on my bass and figured out a cool new way to play the bass linr to "Please Do Not Go". If anybody plays, and they want to try something kind of cool, drop me a note. It sounds a little bit like the solo, but it's sort of understated. You'll hear. Also- anyone here into Pavement? I mention this because I've always considered Femmes nerd rock (along with TMBG, Devo, Pink Floyd), and Pavement is very cool stuff. You may have heard "Stereo" on the radio. If you like Blister 2000, some of there stuff is similar, although less melodic than the Femmes. Their musicaly talent pales in comparison to Brian, Gordo, Vic and Guy, but they're interesting to listen to. I guess my nerd rock statement could use some backing up- seems to me like all the bands I mentioned fit the alternative genre, EXCEPT- their lyrics/musical style/general attitude has something that really set them apart, make them almost unaccesible to nonfans. There are exceptions- Soul Coughing, for instance, and the teenage Pink Floyd revival (of which I'm part of), but a good portion of it appeals to a nerd-type population. I mean, come on, it's not like PEARL JAM or something we're listening to. I'm probably going to get flamed left and right for this, but you have to admit it- we're a different audience than most others, and unless you're one of those BITS-only Femmes fans, you're in it for something other than pure pop appeal. Don't take this the wrong way- you don't HAVE to be a nerd to be into Femmes, but you've got to realize that to really get deep into the lyrics, you've got to analyize, and once you've done that, you are looking for deeper meaning in song lyrics, which is a characteristic of a nerd. I'm willing to admit it- WHY DON'T YOU? -- Paul -- "Freeze. Don't move. You've been chosen as an extra in the movie adaptation of the sequel to your life................" -Pavement, "Shady Lane" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hello! I just subscribed to this thing and the name is fine with me- who reads it for the name anyway?! It's the content and that rocks! I'm a 17yr. old (soon to be 18) college freshman that is patiently waiting for a Femmes concert in VA!! (me too Brian Kelly!!) Keep up the good work Pat & company! :) Jade ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ First of all it really doesn't matter what the name of this newsletter is, no matter what it's called it's still the same thing...A newsletter where people talk about the Femmes. Besides that it was a democratic vote, get up off it. Second of all I do think that there is a difference between a TRUE Femmes fan and a Femmes fan. The only reason I say this is because I can recall many Femmes concerts that I have been to where a bunch of annoying people stood around talking for the whole concert until they played BITS, then they all went crazy. I can also remember when I saw Femmes at SummerFest in Milwaukee. I was walking around the beer gardens before the concert when I heard someone say "Dude the Femmes are walking around". Calmly I looked around and looked right at Gordon. We passed each other and casually I said hey Gordon how's it going. This idiot heard me say Gordon and went nuts looking around trying to find him, the whole time saying "Dude I gotta meet him, they're my favorite band". Whatever, Gordon was standing right next to this guy and he didn't even know it. Sorry to write so much but it's been awhile Stacy ****I didn't know that you could use the word "LIKE" that much in one paragraph**** ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I suggest a name Change...... on the beginning of Add it up they have the opening of ..... The Violent Femmes , they bring all of their equipment and you can't fuck with the Violent Femmes You can not fuck with this band.......take something out of there or just simply change it to ....Ladies and gentlemen the Violent Femmes! -Pat. says: AAARRRGGGHHH! No more name changes! No more PLEASE! I'm begging you! :) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hey there, all you crazy kiddos...Am also going to hop on over to the S.F. show this September if anyone's near Reno and would like to co-travel? Am 19/F, will be travelling with my b/f, so would love to have some extra company! (smile) Wanted to interject about some things that have transpired in the newsletter lately... Democracy, however corrupt some of you may think it to be, prevails. Hence: American Music. I agree with whomever it was who said so in the earlier issue. If ya didn't vote, don't gripe. If ya did, ya also knew other people would too. Can't win 'em all, right? But remember, that just means that when you do win, the taste of victory is oh-so-much sweeter! As for the issue of the brain-stimulating conversation...I'm all for it. Anyone for a good brain-game? I hope we can come up with some good topics. Perhaps some analysis of some song meanings or something intriguing like that? (Am looking forward to some killer responses to this one.)!!! Well, all, that's it for now... Tiptoeing in the tulips all alone, Danielle ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Did anyone go to the Femmes show at Georgetown University in D.C. this past spring? If so, do you remember the name of the opening band? I met the Femmes that night, went on their tour bus and chilled with them all, but I can't for the life of me remember the name of the opening band. I do know that they are from CA. Another thing-is there anyone out ther who could get me copies of there videos and Sabrina episode (they sang Please Do Not Go, right?)? I was out of town for Sabrina and never get a chance to watch tv. I will pay any necessary expenses. I would be SOOOOOO grateful. i luv brian! -danica -Pat. says: That band might have been Phil Cody. They are from CA (well, originally from Ohio I think) and were touring with the Femmes for a while this past spring. They will again be with the band for some of the CA shows. You can find out about them by going to the Interscope Records homepage. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ You can either add this into the newsletter or not, it don't matter to me. The only thing I have to ask is if you or anyone you or anyone in the letter may be able to tell me is where I can find the "Tonight" single. This may have been covered in previous mailings at some point, but I was unaware. I am desperate to find this CD, so any help is appreciated. Thanks ahead of time bro! "Long live the legend" -Jason ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I'm going to be at the Violent Femmes concert at the filmore on september 23rd Nora. I don't think anyone likes me anymore here so you don't have to meet up with me or anything, no pressure. Humdrum ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hey!! I'm going to the concert at East Stroudsberg. I saw the Femmes when they played in Scranton (I'm from Scranton PA). The opening band, Angry Salad was great. I have faith in the Femmes that they will get an even better opening act. They deserve the best. If anyone else is going to be at the ESU concert, get a hold of me. Kt. e-mail: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I'm soon to be 28. I've been listening to the Femmes since I was 17. It's been a pretty good decade. Laurel ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ i thought i was the youngest person on here, but there is a girl who is a few weeks younger than me. i am 14, turning 15 on october 27. some of you may think that i am not a violent femmes fan because i only own one album and havent been to one of their concerts YET..... but who the hell cares. i can still be a fan of their music. i will admit that they're not my fav band, but i still love them. ____ -ReBEccA* ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Okay, first of all why anyone cares about how old everyone is, I don't know; but for those inquiring minds, I am 17. Now, why do the Femmes have like 20 tours in California and not a single date booked in Cincinnati, a city that plays Femmes songs all the times, and has a devoted fan base. It makes me sad. Also, does anyone have any cool VF bumper stickers/stickers? The only store here that carried them has ceased to exist. "Someday, I am going change, but not today"- Adam Duritz Pat. says: Keep watching the tour dates. Y'never know... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I have recently been getting your VF newsletter. I am from St. Louis and i am a huge huge fan of the Femmsters. I own 8 of their cd's and know of more, but I have no idea where to get them. Any store I have asked for them kinda looks at me like "you LIKe the violent femmes?1?" or they want a record company and a title, which i do not have, could you print a lost sorry a list of all their cd's and compilations they have taken part in? I would greatly appreciate it. and to the age of readers issue, age is a only a number, relative to time and if the older femme fans were going the speed of light, they would be young too. so who cares, there's enough Gordon Brian and Guy to go around also, how would I go about getting the femmes to play here in St. Louis? we would love it ever so much!!! thanks a avid VF fan Pat. says-Time didn't allow me to compile a discography. I'll try for Friday, unless anyone here has one ready made. Or you could check out the Official and Unofficial Homepages. As far as getting the band to come to St. Louis, take it up with your Student Activity People. That's all you can do I guess. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ <> now I agree that it is great for anyone to start listening to the femmes at anytime, but I think here is a great oppertunity for a vote. which femmes album does this guy have? I say either the first one or "Add it up" If it's anything else I'll be surprised, anyone else have an opinion? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ In a message dated 97-09-08 09:43:39 EDT, you write: << listening to the grosse pointe blank soundtrack. ok, here's my first question- what was that version of BITS on it? Im NOT talking about blister 2000. Its different then the one on Violent Femmes and Add it up. It sounds so, well, WHINY! >> I heard they (the record company) some how lost the original recording of BITS and had to re-record it for the album. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a note to ANY femmes fans that the insect and western party is amazing. All the shows seem to be in relatively small, intimate venues(the one in my city of Windsor Ontario was only about 30-40 people. Although I had never heard Eugene CHadbourne he turned out to be an amazing guitarist and avant garde experimentalist (which Brian Ritchie complimented nicely) Anyhow check out this unbelieveable event if you get the chance. Ken in Windsor ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~