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AM Fan Letter • 1997

11-05-97

AMERICAN MUSIC: THE VIOLENT FEMMES MAILING LIST currently run by Pat. Wary ************************************************************************** TOUR DATES: (NEW DATES MARKED WITH A **) November 8-House of Blues, Lake Buena Vista, FL (T,O,P) November 9-Jannus Landing, St. Petersburg, FL (T,P) November 10-Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL (O,P,T) November 11-McAllister Auditorium,Tulane University,New Orleans,LA (O,P) November 13-Foellinger Auditorium,U of ILL/Urbana, IL (mg-black,P,O) November 16-Tripp Athletic Center,UMASS/Dartmouth, N. Dartmouth, MA (P,O) 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 ************************************************************************** The Quote Of The Day: 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! Lake Buena Vista, FL -------------------- St. Petersburg -------------------- Boca Raton -------------------- [email protected] New Orleans -------------------- Champaign-Urbana -------------------- ************************************************************************** TRADE, SELL OR BUY When your wishes are fulfilled, please email to have your name removed from this section. In the interest of space, I will remove each name after it has been up for two weeks. If you wish to resubmit it at that point, please do so. ------------------ would like the following: Any good Brian Ritchie CD's, any good bootlegs with hopefully unrecorded music on it... or covers, American Music, Singles: Do you Really want to Hurt Me?, I held her in my Arms, Tonight, Used to Be, plus anything else i may be unaware exists, CD's only please. As trade, Alden offers a bootleg of this summer's Waukesha show, good quality. ------------------- Would like boots of the following shows: 9/95 Maritime Days 1/96 Winterfest, Icehouse (first show) 7/4/96 Summerfest, Marcus Amphitheatre 8/97 Waukesha County Fair Plus, I know there was a guy with a video camera at the Winterfest show. ----------------------- Wanted: a copy of Film Noir: I have a good quality '89 show at the Metro in Chicago to offer in trade...or if anyone else is interested, i could go for some more femmes material! ------------------ Does anyone have any boots from one of those shows that brian ritchie has taken part in ??? i don't think he played out to support his albums..? well anyway an outside of the femmes brian ritchie musical exhibition would be just peachy to feed my ears and i have some femmes stuff to trade for it. (i cannot communicate today ughh silly fingers) ---- i've been searchin' highhhhh and i've been searchin' lowww but i still cannot find a boot of the november 14th 1996 university of maine orono showwwww...and i don't know what to dooouuuoooo!!!!! can somebody help me....??? with lots of lovey, kyle ------------------- I would love to buy a violent femmes poster, not the new crappy posters but an old one, It does not have to be super old but before New Times. I will also offer free copies of "The Mercy Seat" to all who ask. ------------------ I'm new to this list and I joined it after I saw the Femmes at the Lisle gig in IL. I'm wondering if anyone on the list was there and recorded the concert. If so, please contact me privately. I would like to arrange a sale. ------------------------ I would like to buy a copy of "The Blind Leading The Naked" either on tape or CD from someone who lives in England (because that is where I live, too). Sadly I have nothing to offer in return except cold, hard cash. Alternatively, does anyone know of a record shop which is likely to be able to get it for me. All the ones I have tried say that it is no longer available. ------------------- I currently have 4 Femmes boots with more on the way. Here is the list of them: 8/1/83 New Orleans, LA 1/20/85 Berkeley, CA 9/27/91 Seattle, WA "Film Noir" I'm looking for pretty much any Femmes live stuff but especially the show from 9/16/97 at the Palace in Hollywood, CA, because I was there and it was by FAR the BEST show I have ever been fortunate enough to witness. ---------------------- I have about 50 Replacements and Paul Westerberg shows (and one Jonathan Richman show from about 2 weeks ago!), but I don't have any by the Violent Femmes. I'm looking to trade for any femmes shows. If no one is interested in the mats or Jonathan or Big Star or the pixies, I will gladly trade you two blank tapes for every show. I live in Washington state, and it's rare that we get the femmes to play up here. ----------------- I dont have any bootlegs by the Violent Femmes,but I know some of you people out there do,and I was wondering if you would be interested in trading me for something.I have 3 Nirvana boots,1 Sonic Youth,1 Sex Pistols,2 Rolling Stones,and a few others I cant think of.If you are interested in trading me any of these for a Violent Femmes bootleg,or one by any band,please e-mail me.Oh yeah,I also have a Who boot. ************************************************************************** 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/ TAB DIGEST: The tab digest is give and take; remember to share what you have. ************************************************************************** In Today's Issue: FAU Info GLENN Gano Gigs Trade, Sell. Buy BOOBOO RE: Top 5 Faves, Or: A Banana in the Ear Top 5 Trend RE: Classify the VF RE: Classify the VF RE: Opening Bands RE: Opening Bands RE: Opening Bands Fake Fans Assumed Names ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ FAU Info ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I confirmed it. At the Buzz Bake Sale Fest in West Palm Beach, FL , goldfinger was playing. When i was leaving , i saw them. I asked them if they were opening for the Violent Femmes and they said "yeah". I did not ask them if they were on the specific date of Nov 10. But i am pretty sure now that they will be opening up for the Violent Femmes. --mike ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ GLENN Gano Gigs ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ if anyone is in alaska....you might be interested in this....: saturday, november 8th kaladi brothers on brayton drive 8:30-10:30pm friday, november 14th barnes & noble, 200 e. northern lights 8:00-10:00pm saturday, november22 kaladi brothers on brayton drive 8:30-10:30pm in the newsletter it said that on the 8th brazilian singer pragyana will perform...and on the 14th there will be a mystery guest???...and david moore will play with glenn as well as do his own set...... - ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Trade, Sell, Buy BOOBOO ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hey, all of my e-mail was erased and i was setting up a bunch of trades with people on American Music. Could you please post something from me telling those people to e-mail me and update me on what's going on. Thanks a lot. Nick -Pat. Says: Anyone who was setting up trade with mypen15, please contact him again ASAP. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ RE: Top 5 Faves, Or: A Banana in the Ear ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ For sure you tell yourself what the matter with the object : Uh, a banana in the ear. Let me introduce you to a good ol' joke that runs uphere in Canada. (Excuse me if there's something wrong with my English, I usually speak French.) Here's the joke : A man walking on the sidewalk see someone with banana in the ear. He stops the man and asks him : "Hey, why is there a banana in your ear". The other reply : "What ?" He retries with his question : "You have a banana in the ear, why ?". "Excuse me, says the other, I can't hear you, I have a banana in the ear !!!" I know it's the kind of joke you can find in the Reader's Digest but it's so absurd that most people surely don't even mind to find a funny sense in it. Anyway, I finally come to my point. At one time, me and friend used to e-mail each other our top-5 songs each week. And we called it : "Une banane dans l'oreille" translated as "A banana in the ear". It's a long story just to tell you my 5 best songs for the moment. It also helps me to practice my English. Here they are, in no particular order (This list tends to change every couple of days or so). 1- Add it up - Violent Femmes 2- Superstar - Sonic Youth (a song written by The Carpenters) 3- I'm only sleeping - The Beatles 4- Crime scene (part one) - The Afghan Whigs 5- Misunderstood - Wilco And here's my top-5 French songs (worth to learn French) 1- La complainte du progrs - Boris Vian 2- Sang d'encre - Jean Leloup 3- Les bonbons - Jacques Brel 4- Le parapluie - Daniel Blanger 5- Ceci n'est pas un chanson - Bran Van 3000 Thanks for laughing at my joke Edgar Pwelanfonte ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Top 5 Trend ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ hey all you top five listers! i just wanted to point out a curious fact that i ran across while reading all of your lovely top five lists. there is an enormous amount of you who listed the femmes and janes addiction. i think that is sort of interesting how you are all sort of similar.....you'll have to pardon me. i am an anthropology and sociology major and i love observing trends in human behavior! ok...i hope i didn't perplex too many of you with that little observance! "I hope you got.......FAT!"----what an awesome song! :) emily ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ RE: Classify the VF ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I am going to have to agree with MBlack. The Violent Femmes have their own unique style unclassifiable by any term we now have for music. They are simply Violent Femmes, nothing more and nothing less. 1DJEK3 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ RE: Classify the VF ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ In a message dated 11/3/97 7:37:23 PM, you wrote: <> almost an oxy-moran! But seriously my personal opinion on the matter is this. Labels are a way of separating music so people have an idea of where to look. The femmes are either in alternative or Rock/pop sections. Just leave it alone. True the femmes are unique and not only do they not really copy anyone (unlike most bands) but no one has really tried to copy them. Which is unusual considering that there are over a dozen songs old and new that have the same basic chord progression as "Smells like teen spirit".(everclear, better than ezra, offspring all written after the release and the cure , love & rockets, and more written before) THERE ARE ONLY A FEW BANDS OUT THERE NOT IMITATING AND UNIMMITATED VIOLENT FEMMES ARE ONE OF THEM. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ RE: Opening Bands ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ >Just curious what bands have opened for the Femmes in the past.... > Here's the two I've seen. Solution AD (they jam!) (Lycoming College Summer '97) Badwrench (Bloomsburg University, November.. I think '96) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ RE: Opening Bands ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ive seen the femmes 3 times...the opening acts i saw were: november 22,96- mars needs women - who, im sorry if any people from the ny/nj area are on this and like them they sucked. all they chatted about while they were on stage was, and i say this literaly "buy our cd". and the music was horrible may 3,97- knockout drops. they were alright. a lot better than mars needs women and october 15,97- the toasters. i hear they're a pretty well known ska band. they were pretty good. a lot better than i thought. the one good thing about them was they played the theme song to kablam. i have a setlist for that last show if anyone wants it : ) ~shannon-- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ RE: Opening Bands ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ for some reason i can't remember many ....probably because they are all el' stinko...i saw buffalo tom open for them in maine....they blow big time..no other way to put it.....the drummer had a nice pork pie set... tastey...sounded nice...too bad he plays straight through beats!!!...he is exciting....moxy fruvous was ok but they seem to never change there act...i've seen them play 4x over the last 4 yrs......they are different and that makes a big difference......i wish bands would choose there opening acts like the indigo girls do.......i understand that the femmes do not pick who opens for them....that stinks....i stink i need a shower bye ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Fake Fans ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ You know one thing that moderately amazes me is that the Femmes are still where they're at and not soaring in the heights of fandom. When you look at it, they have had a few relatively big hits (i.e. Blister in the Sun, Kiss Off, Add It Up, etc.), but they are almost in the same place where they started. When I talk about them to most people they either don't know who I'm talking about at all or don't figure it out until I start mentioning popular VF songs. I like to see people taking interest in the Violent Femmes and appreciating the music, but more often than not they don't have any clue about the band and don't really appreciate the music. I'm not saying that a good fan must have every CD and know Gano's mother's maiden name. I'm saying that there is more to music than just sound. Let's put this in high school terms for lack of a better media, but I think we'll all still understand. There's a small secular group that listens to the Femmes. They hear and feel the music and have a deep appreciation for what it stands for. One day some cocky prep is driving to school in his BMW and hears Blister in the Sun on the local radio station. Thinking that it's a pretty cool song he rushes out and buys the CD (with his parents money). He then introduces the song (not to be confused with the rest of the songs, because he doesn't really like them) to his friends. They all rush out and buy all the VF paraphernalia in a 100 mile radius. Which brings us back to the small secular group. They see that something that they once coveted and understood is being brainlessly injested by the masses as a growing trend so they are forced to move on from VF to something or someone else just to keep from looking like they are conforming to the fad instead of vice versa. Maybe this isn't even about the Femmes and about our society in general, but either way you all know what I mean or I hope so anyway. I feel that the Femmes stand for something all their own. As if they are underground, yet hold themselves above the "system." Take for instance Kiss Off (we all know the song so I won't quote it), they see the system, understand what it stands for, realize the consequences of not playing in the system's games, but they still rebel and hold against it. They refuse conformity and to be accepted by the masses. I thought of all this while I was going to bathroom and brushing my teeth (not at the same time). This could just be senseless ramblings or maybe you can relate. I don't know. But I will gladly accept any mail that has feeling for either. -Pat. Says: Just because something has become popular doesn't mean you have to stop liking it. I understand where you're coming from, but IMHO to be a true nonconformist you have to stop caring so much about whether other prople think you're conforming just because you do one thing which has suddenly become 'the thing to do'. There'll be enough of the other things you do to assure people you're weird ;=) Just keep doing what you do, and liking what you like, and if others do and like the same, what of it? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Assumed Names ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hi to all, I just received an e-mail from my uncle who lives in Milwaukee, WI and I was wondering if anyone has any idea of what tavern and what assumed name they would happen to be playing at and under... > The Femmes, huh. When I worked at a grocery store in 1984, they always > came in for a midnight snack. One of the members father is a preist or > rev. or something like that and his church was close by. He would also > come into the store for food. > I think it's one of those things where they have been around all the time, > you really don't realize it. Many times a few of the members play every > Sunday night at a local tavern under an assumed name. I want to make a trip to WI this Winter and I was wanting to see more performances... -Farrah - ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~