12-11-98

Best viewed with Courier size 10 maximized screen ************************************************************************ The Quote Of The Day: How can I explain personal pain? -From Gimme the Car -Submitted by slim ************************************************************************ TOUR DATES (NEW TOUR DATES MARKED WITH **): Dec. 29- 8:30 pm, Electirc Factory, Philadelphia, PA, $17.50 (P,T) ($0.25 of each ticket goes to charity) Dec. 30- 9:00 pm, The Boathouse, Norfolk, VA, $15.00 (T) Dec. 31- 7:30, Patriot Center, Fairfax, VA 52.50 Plus 6.75 service charge for phone orders!!! Call 800-551-7328 to order (O,P) (With Pietasters and Squirrel Nut Zippers) 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. ************************************************************************ WHO/WHERE Going to a VF concert? Want to know if anyone else on the list also going? Check here first! Philadelphia, PA ---------------- JMES4249 (Jennifer) ************************************************************************ ALL CORRESPONDENCE CONCERNING THIS LETTER SHOULD BE DIRECTED TO AMUSIC ************************************************************************ WEB PAGES: Official: http://www.vfemmes.com Unofficial: http://vf.lasvegasweekly.com/ http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Palladium/6918 http://members.aol.com/kittricken/index.html VF Message Board: http://red.cscwc.pima.edu/~cstaley/femmes/board.html Yahoo Chat: http://clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/newtimesviolentfemmesclub Past Tour Dates: http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Lounge/1725/femmes/femmes.html Guitar: http://www.angelfire.com/hi/VFemmes http://www.smug.adelaide.edu.au/~therapy/violent_femmes/ MP3's http://members.tripod.com/~GasolineFumes/music.html Glenn Gano's Page: http://www.alaska.net/~ggano Charm Records: http://www.charmrec.com ************************************************************************ In Today's Issue: Portland Femmes Show Yahoo!Clubs New Times Violent Femmes Club RE: Other Bands RE: Other Bands RE: Other Bands RE: Other Bands _The_ Other Band... Cultural References RE: Black Girls You Know I Dig Black Girls Never Tell ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Portland Femmes Show ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Before anyone realizes how angry I am I'll tell you. I'm pissed off... pissed off...PISSED OFF for a lack of concert. I was eagerly anticipating the Portland concert with the Femmes because they only make it to Oregon about once a year and it was an utter disappointment this time. Every other Femmes show I've seen I would go back if it was the same exact show because they were exactly that awesome... If I knew I was going to see the show I saw last night I'd want my money back. It started off with one of the worst live bands I've ever seen "the FLYS". In a thirty minute set they played two covers... what? not enough playable songs?? maybe because they suck!! (sorry FLYS fans (I hope there isn't any)) Then the next band was Sugar Ray... he has some definite potential but it wasn't the same Sugar Ray I saw at Kamp KOME 2. It appears since he's been in the studio he's a little out of practice on the stage. Then came Garbage. They decided to play their first all acoustic set. I guess it would be a treat for Garbage fans but the venue for acoustic was all wrong. When one of the guitarists broke a string on the first song I knew the way the night was heading. Ms. Manson has an annoying voice and shouldn't talk to the crowd, just sing. Then came Soul Coughing. A radio personality should never talk about a band being one of the best live bands... it gives someone too much expectation. Soul Coughing came out after that comment so I expected more... They don't have the stage presence that I know the Femmes are capable of. (forshadowing). After them was CAKE. With songs like The Distance and Rock and Roll Lifestyle I was expecting to get a good set with them. I saw them in California and knew that they could put on a good show... another disappointment. The only song I recognized... (because I don't own their albums) was Never There. And now it's time to explain my belief on pop songs. While the Femmes and other bands may be sick of playing songs like Blister in the Sun and Add it Up and some of us may have heard it more than one million times, there is a reason those songs are popular... because they are great songs and they have very real appeal when they are first heard. Therefore at a show there is a large number of people there to hear those particular songs.. especially in a festival setting like this one. The crowd was the weakest crowd I have ever been a part of. Hardly anyone was there to support their favorite bands and there was practically no one singing along. (exception being my friend and I during the femmes). So during Cake there was no advancement in the pit let alone any movement. When the Femmes finally came out it was about time. Gordon was smoking a cigar and Brian Ritchie wasn't... isn't role reversal from several years ago. Anyway they set started off with Country Death Song and then to Blister.... I don't want to put up a whole set list because it is unimpressive. Take a regular Femmes show and cut the set list in half-- by taking out your five favorite songs including never tell and that's how it went. The only half way impressive thing was that Gordons sister Cynthia was there to back up Jesus walking on the water and Gordon's nephew played bass on Gone Daddy Gone and Black Girls. The Femmes didn't give any comments to the crowd and there was absolutely no intro to Dance, MF, Dance. Once they were done they walked off stage and there was no encore. For the one show of the year that they play here it sucked. My friend and I are definitely interested if they do anything like that Wisconsin tour again. The only good point of the night is that I was able to purchase a signed Wisconsin tour poster... A nice little bauble to add to my collection. Sorry for the scathing review... but that's how it was. LilBoek ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Yahoo!Clubs New Times Violent Femmes Club ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hey, all Start coming to chat. It is at 9:30 EST (8:30 cen. 7:30 mtn. and 6:30 pac.) I can't make it tonight but I think that the rest you should try tonight. I should be able to after exams are over on sat. So I'll see you then. Jamie i_eimaj ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ RE: Other Bands ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ another cowboy mouth fan-incredible-they do great stuff-most of the groups being listed here are way up on my music preference list-however, i just wanted to let you guys know about an incredible band playing around pennsylvania, well, most of the north/east u.s.-maggie pierce and ej-have any of you heard of them? they do an incredible folk/rock blend-all of them sing, all of them play all the instruments, they're about to release their 3rd cd in about a week-but i would definately recommend them to anyone-and from what i've heard from their new cd, it's fantastic-if you're interested, email me, i'll pass on their website address adam adamgrickis ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ RE: Other Bands ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Here's who this 56 year old Femmes freak listens to when taking a break from the Femmes: Joan Baez; Sixteen Horsepower; Social Distortion; the old Judy Collins; Washington Squares; Phil Ochs; Dylan; Tom Waits; Bob Gibson; Weezer; Wild Colonials; Butthole Surfers; Dead Milkmen; Hole; Raging Slab; Loreena McKinitt; Chieftains; almost any Irish, Gypsy or Jewish music (though I am none of the above); Rossini and Rodrigo; Fifties Music; Nina Simone and Kris Kristofferson. That accounts for about 100 of my 700 CDs. I like somebody in most all categories but am partial to folksingers and great musicians (spelled Femmes). I'm also partial to the music of my singer/songwriter son, Dylan Burr, between bands now that Tequila Mockingbird, Fireweed and Fingerpaintin' have all gone the way of so many great obscure but locally popular groups. As for the song "Black Girls", gimme a break. Chill out! BurrResear ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ RE: Other Bands ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Well, i happen to believe that the best bands come out of Milwaukee, case-and-point your favorite and mine, the Femmes. I really like local (for me, Milwaukee) music... Bands like The Gufs (who, btw, you should see live if EVER presented the opportunity...), Pet Engine, the Wooldridge Brothers, etc. Anyone who lives in the Milwaukee/Wisconsin area should try to see these bands play live if possible... rob=) coons ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ RE: Other Bands ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Both the Talking Heads and the Velvet Underground remind me alot of the Femmes even if they dont really sound like then....Because of that when I'm not listening to the femmes its one of them that i am listening to. Other than that i love classic rock.......Clapton/Cream, The Doors, CCR, The Who is great, every once in a while some Areosmith, and on a crazy day i'll even pull out some Guns n Roses. I also like the Beatles. I have a couple of Ween cd's but besides the country album (which makes fun of country) i've never quite figured out what exactly ween is trying to do and i really dont listen to it that much. Last but not least (a band i havent seem anyone mention yet) the truly great LED ZEPPELIN..... although they still cant touch our Femmes. NWO 4-LIFE Bobby Helmsley2 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ _The_ Other Band... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Well, noone's mentioned Radiohead yet, so let me just say: Radiohead. I'm holidaying in the USA soon, so see all you USAians there... thErapy therapy http://www.smug.adelaide.edu.au/~therapy ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Cultural References ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > I believe the song Black Girls is a reply to the songs >from the musical HAIR (original Broadway Cast Please) "Black Boys" and >"White Boys" I think that they are social commentary, satire. I can >see that Hallowed Ground might offend religious people, but no, I find >great comfort and solace in that album. I don't think the Femmes do social commentary. Black Girls isn't a reply to HAIR, Johnny isn't about Dalton Trumbo's book; they're just songs. If it was written by TMBG, then yeah, I'm sure there are at least fifteen cultural references, puns, and allusions that few will ever get embedded in each line, but the Femmes' songs always seem to come from pure emotional inspiration, with no deeper message or satire. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing, don't get me wrong; I just don't think Gordon has the right kind of intelligence for clever social commentary. Which is why we need TMBG. They can sing a line like "a yellow Roosevelt avenue leaf overturned" and have you analyzing it for a week. > And when checking out They Might Be Giants, Do not omit the first > album with frolicking pink snowmen! I don't believe there are any pink snowmen. Unless that's what color the protective rubber skin is. Which, now that I think about it, probably is pink, or at least flesh-colored, because I just realized what they meant by that. Huh... I never caught that before. See, that's what I mean- the Femmes could never do that. But they could put it to a tune that could bring tears to my eyes. Oh well, nothing's gonna change my clothes. (Which I also think is an indirect pseudo-reference to Thoreau.) Later, Jeff Jeffrey_Wilson ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ RE: Black Girls ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ << he's merely stating his personal point of view >> I disagree. I think it's pure satire. The "Lord of Hosts" bit could be seen in the same way, like Gordon's poking fun at those who suddenly "find God" because they need someone to "hide" them. Our boys don't strike me as the type to take any racial preudices seriously, but maybe I'm just projecting this onto them because to me, they're saints. Let's just hope they've taken no vows of chastity... *nudge nudge wink wink, where are my backstage passes* Claire Lottelita ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ You Know I Dig Black Girls ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I asked people how they felt about Black Girls, not because I think it is offensive, but because I can imagine that people might be offended by it. Personally, I think it's a great song and should be taken in a light-hearted way. Some people might have other ideas and are entitled to them. One of the reasons I like the Femmes is their lyrics. How many other bands could come up with a song like Black Girls. Most don't get beyond "My baby's leaving me and my heart is breaking, ouch, ouch, ouch." The Femmes always have something unusual to sing about, whether it's lying poets or biblical floods. Think of the awful syrup that's popular at the moment - Spice Girls, Cher, Venga Boys and even Aerosmith. How many times can these donkeys fall in love and be broken hearted? That stuff is so boring. Give me Gordon whining about ex-president's wives or extolling the virtues of reading. Ah, a breath of fresh air. Toodle pip. scrawbzy ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Never Tell ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I recently got Hallowed Ground and damn it's a good album and I was wondering if anyone can tell me what "Never Tell" is about. I think it's about a guy who is hired to kill somebody and someone finds out and he tells him to "Never Tell," and he does and the guy kills him. Can someone please tell me if I'm right or wrong? Thanks, Robert Pouder pouderthesexgod ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~