09-20-99

Best viewed with Courier size 10 maximized screen *********************************************************************** The Quote Of The Day: Bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad... *********************************************************************** TOUR DATES (NEW TOUR DATES MARKED WITH **): Dec 31- Falls Festival, Lorne, AUS (P) 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 Hornblow USA at: hbgusa Serious inquiries only. ************************************************************************ WEB PAGES: Official: http://www.vfemmes.com Unofficial: http://vf.lasvegasweekly.com/ http://tinpan.fortunecity.com/bluenote/936/ http://www.bigfoot.com/~planetblue http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Theater/6571/index.html http://geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Show/6806/ http://www.violentfemmes.net http://www.homestead.com/lucylittleland/vf.html http://www.fortunecity.com/campus/bates/377/ Yahoo Chat: http://clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/newtimesviolentfemmesclub Past Tour Dates: http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Lounge/1725/femmes/femmes.html Guitar: http://www.smug.adelaide.edu.au/~therapy/femmes/ http://www.angelfire.com/hi/VFemmes Glenn Gano's Page: http://www.alaska.net/~ggano Charm Records: http://www.charmrec.com *********************************************************************** ALL CORRESPONDENCE CONCERNING THIS LETTER SHOULD BE DIRECTED TO AMUSIC *********************************************************************** In Today's Issue: (Belated) Concert Reviews The Ramapo Show American Music KROQ Top 500 Re: Guy the Actor FEMMES IN FILMS Breakin' up, Freak Magnet ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ (Belated) Concert Reviews ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ OK, I admit I've been bad about not getting reviews from the shows I went to 2 weeks ago sent in, but this is the first chance I've had any time, and I haven't seen any other reviews, so there! First off, Seattle. Drove up to Bumbershoot the morning of the concert. Decided to take a seat in the stands rather than brave the floor; we got there close enough to show time there were already a LOT of people on the floor. It was a great set. The horns of dilemma were bigger than I've ever seen them (at least 5-6 strong) with an ACCORDIAN! I thought that was pretty cool. The crowd didn't seem to be that into the Femmes. At first I thought they were all there to see Cake (I went for both bands), but a LOT of people left after the Femmes set, so I don't know how to explain it. They didn't do lots of between song banter, and the best actually came from Gordon. They did "Old Mother Reagan" then "Dahmer is Dead" then Gordon said, "First we made a political statement, then we made a social statement, then I made a personal statement"... immediately breaking into Kiss Off. The rest of Bumbershoot that I attended was also a blast. Side note to NW folk... you really should check out the band Jumbalassy if you haven't before; they're one of the reasons I return to Bumbershoot year after year. Such a great live show! The next night was Portland. The friend who was supposed to go with me to both shows moved to Boston a week earlier, so I ended up going to this show with a friend who had never been to a concert with me before and didn't know what a rabid Femmes fan I am. I didn't tell him what he was in for until we had parked the car. (He couldn't complain, it was a free ticket.) I was coming into the PDX concert a bit worried because 1) I'd never been to that concert venue before and 2) I'd never seen both bands twice so close together before and was afraid they'd play the same sets. I was not in the least dissappointed. It was neat seeing the families and broad ages and styles of folks the show attracted. The same thing happened at Bumbershoot, but I expected it there. We were sitting with families who had young kids on both sides. Saw some parents there with teenage kids, and you could tell the parents wanted to be there more than the kids. The venue was really good. Even though it's outside the acoustics didn't suck, and the amphitheater has wide grass/concrete steps built up the side of the hill, so it's really easy to have a good view of the bands. Once again the Femmes did a kick ass show. Varied what was played, when it was played, how it was played. They did not disappoint me in the least. Guy played at a full drum kit sitting down for a couple of songs. Dont think I've ever seen that happen before. For the last song they played Brian had this hat that he played... very cool. Don't know that I can explain it, but someone else has probably seen it and can (or has.) My one disappointment at the PDX show; I saw them set up the digieridoo and the stick bass, and neither got played during the evening. That made me sad. Something that surprised me: Mr. Trumpet man (It's late... names elude me) from Cake didn't join the Horns of Dilemma for either show. Every other time I've seen the Femmes play with another band with horns the horns joined them for at least one song. Sigmund Snopek III was there; that's the first time I've gotten to see him live. Keyboards in concert! WOW! I didn't get down full set lists for either show. Needless to say they played all their old standards both nights, plus the same new songs and the South Park song. He skipped the drawn out intro, but Brian did an AWESOME Dance M.F. Dance in PDX. Am not remembering much else now, so will leave it at that. Now I get to count the days 'til Moxy Fruvous are back in town! M stevens ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Ramapo Show ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hi everyone, I made it up to the Ramapo show on Tuesday and it was well worth the effort. Ramapo is a small/mediun size college in Northern, NJ just NW of Manhattan. I was worried about making it on time for the Femmes as they were going on at 8:30 and I left work near Phila. at 5:00. As it turned out, I made it there with time to spare (3 hours) They opened with Look Like That, which I haven't heard them play for a while. Any show that has both Good Feelings and Confessions in the setlist is an immediate favorite, Good Feelings was especially beautiful with a wonderful solo by Brian which was only slightly marred by distortion in the sound equipment which increased as the solo ended. Brian looked annoyed but it was such a beautiful solo, nothing could take away from it. Gordon did an incredible solo on Add It Up. He looked like he was really lost in the music and everyone loved it. They played all of the "standards" and Bad and Color Me Once. I love that song. I always think it's See My Ships when they play the first few notes. Gordon gave some little speech about the Pennsylvania chickens being used to do research on the New York encephalitis being spread by mosquitoes. He remarked that people were upset about a few chickens being harmed in order to save a few human lives. Brian's introduction to Dance Motherfucker was something to do with the students looking so somber because they were back in school and what a wonderful accomplishment it would be to hang the diploma they would receive on their wall and tell their children .....DMD. One comment about college shows. I'm sure the Femmes do lots of them during the year and they know that it is as much a college social event as a coming together of Femmes fans who happen to go to college. It seems to me that they are never happy with the audience enthusiasm level. Gordon made a comment at one point about this not being the warm-up but the real show. Brian reminded the "teenagers" to clap for the performers when they were introduced. I guess that's just what happens when they play to colleges. All in all a great show. I have my "Femmes Fix" until they come back to this part of the country after the New Year. I even resisted the chance to use my aftershow pass so that I could make the long ride home in time to be semi-functional in work the next day. Oh, the trials and tribulations of being a responsible adult! Marylee Rubaiyat -Pat. Says: I wonder if my second favorite entomologist is working on this encephalitis problem. I have not heard from her or her husband in a very long time. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ American Music KROQ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ our poor ol' "American Music" was only the 306th greatest song of the 90s! boohoo! But then again, it was 90s music, on KROQ, and thinking about it, according to many, the greatest songs that have come out in the 90s are the horrible grunge songs. HAHA! Nirvana was number one. need I say more? anyway, I never expected too much of this countdown and thank goodness i wasn't home to listen. Ryan rcbarbato Visit Johnny and Ryan's new & improved homepage at http://www.geocities.com/WestHollywood/Village/4687/index.html ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Top 500 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ >I couldn't believe that I was reading that someone suggested that >American Music was nowhere near the top 500 songs of the 90's. DAMMIT! I did NOT say it wasn't one of the best 500 songs of the 90's!!! I said it wasn't one of the 500 most POPULAR songs of the 90's. There is a BIG DIFFERENCE!!! Yes, if it was a list of the BEST songs, American Music and a bunch of other Femmes stuff would be there. I just said it wasn't that POPULAR! Oh, and by the way, I was wrong. It was #306. Nick mypen15 -Pat. Says: Admit it. Nick's right. As much as I love the music, I don't think I've ever heard American Music on the radio here in NE PA, with the possible exception of a few college stations. Kind of makes me sad, but that's alright. A lot of the music I love never makes it to the radio. We don't need some corporate idiot to tell us what's good. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Re: Guy the Actor ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Here's a link to a brief bio of an actor born in France in 1916 and died in Quebec in 1986 (where ffrenet says "Agnes of God" was filmed). http://www.canadiantheatre.com/h/hoffmang.html Guy the drummer is looking DAMNED good for an 83-year-old Frenchman. And oh, that accent! --Sandy sandycitarella -Pat. Says: The thing is, I'm pretty sure Guy did some acting before joining the VF. So in what, pray tell, did he appear? TV? Commercials? Indie/Underground? Anyone? Help? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ FEMMES IN FILMS ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The posts about Guy & Brian being in movies reminded me of something Guy said after the July 30th show at Hampton Beach, NH (seems so long ago now). He said that the Femmes were recently asked to be in a film, but Gordan wasn't interested at all. I'm pretty sure he was talking about a part in a movie, or maybe a concert video. I was standing closer to Brian, & Guy wasn't speaking directly to me. Ron, & Emily (also on the AM list) were also there, & maybe one of them heard more of what Guy was saying than I did? If so, maybe they could post what else he said :) Oh yeah, I just uploaded a few updates to the Femmes section of Planet Blue. (Should be a link to Planet Blue at the end of this message) Also, if anyone on the list has A Violent Femmes related site, & would like to exchange links, feel free to contact me. Take Care, Eric gineryc ~PLANET BLUE~ http://www.bigfoot.com/~planetblue ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Breakin' up, Freak Magnet ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hi Pat, hi all. I'd like to know if anyone has the "Breakin' up" cd single: how "Peter Jest" is? And the version of "Didgeriblues" is the same that's on "Rock!!!!"? I often search for it on the web, but I always find only the promo version with only 1 song on it. Have you ever see it for sale somewhere? I received my copy of FM last month, and I like it very much (I'll buy it again when it finally and officially comes out in february!). The first four songs are perfect, in my opinion, and I like "Yes oh yes" and "Requiem" too. The whole album is very good, except for "A story", one of the worst VF songs ever written by Gordon... And for the self-covers of "I'm nothing" and "I wanna see you again", I prefer the original versions! I hope that the official release will be a little bit different from this one: they recorded it more than two years ago, maybe they have new songs, maybe different versions of them... Ciao, Andrea hanzzzz -Pat. Says: They just CAN'T get rid of A Story; it's my youngest son's favorite song on the whole album! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~