Men Without Self Respect.
 

"Johnny played guitar, Jenny played bass
The name of the band was the human race . . ."

Thanks, asshole.

Obscure bands
 

hehehe
I just recalled that I won the Platinum Blonde tix for my lip-sync performance as Xene Cervanka of X singing oh, now I can't remember the name -- it went

"I am a black and white ghost.
In a black and invisible dress.
Oh, what a mess I'm in.
What kinda fool am I.
I am the married kind.
The kind that saiys I do.
Forever searching -- for someone new."

I can't believe I remember this.

Men Without Self Respect.
 

I'm not entirely sure why I'm encouraging this, but...

The original five members of Duran Duran have gotten back together for a 20 year reunion this year. They're touring Europe and Japan right now and they'll probably hit state-side (assuming Roger Taylor doesn't have another nervous breakdown) by fall.

Uh, I saw the Samples, Toad the Wet Sprocket, Tool, A Lighter Shade of Brown, Catherine Wheel, The Violent Femmes, No Doubt, Soundgarden, and a few others that blackoutting has totally eliminated from my mind when I was in college in the early 90s.

I'm seeing the White Stripes tonight.

Ack!
 

Resolved: The ultimate embodiment of "video killed the radio star" was Journey, because Steve Perry is too fugly to live.

http://home.attbi.com/~oneofus/images/perry1lg.jpg

Men Without Self Respect.
 

Your drinking must really be getting out of hand if you not only are hallucinating, but can predict which particular hallucination is coming.

Obscure Band Poll
 

i'm not sure if it is actually possible to name an obscure band that people have heard of but that no one else on the board have seen.

but anyway - for obscure at the time i saw them, soul coughing would qualify - i saw them before ruby vroom (their first album) was released. they were very good.

for just plain obscure cult favorites - the mr. t experience qualifies. possibly swervedriver (at least in the u.s., they aren't very well known).

for bands that should have been major stars but didn't work out and would have ended up as a one-hit wonder except it really wasn't much of a hit despite a major push from their label - summercamp. personally, i think they became doomed to failure when they took the opening slot for the failure/poster children coheadlining tour (so aloha, you aren't the only one who has seen poster children).

ms. naughty diplomat

O.K., now this is just sad...
 

It's bad enough for Chicagoans that Comiskey Park has been "renamed" U.S. Cellular Field (known as "The Cell" for all of the shirtless miscreants running on the field), but now...

The Chicago Bears, while sparing a corporate name from the new Soldier Field, will now be known as "Bears Football presented by Bank One", due to a 12-year partnering deal with the bank with an estimated value of $30 million. No I am not making this up...

http://espn.go.com/sportsbusiness/ne...4/1572282.html

The Year Of The Trojan Supercomfort Prelube . . .
 

Who knew that David Foster Wallace would get it all right.

Obscure bands
 

OK, last one. The Romantics (Talking in your sleep) opened for Wang Chung. Very disappointing - the lead singer has a miserable lisp and drool problem. Show was good though.

Speaking of one hit wonders, I was in the store a few minutes ago, and Year of the Cat was playing. And I thought - wow, who is this? Cat Stevens? no. Some other guy. Who is it?:what?:

Ack!
 

God. Having grown up in Southern California in the 1980s, that last song brings back lots of dis-memories. God bless TJ and its 18 yr. old drinking age (12 if you're a girl).

Obscure Band Poll
 

I think that's closer, since the English Beat became General Public once they dropped some folks and added Rankin' Roger.

Obscure bands
 

Al Stewart. Had lots of other stuff.

Obscure Band Poll
 

I'll give this a try.

I saw Timbuk3 (Future's so bright, I've got wear shades) at Rice University in Houston. Some guy doing a physics experiment blew out the electrical supply for the entire campus in the middle of their set, and they scrambled around in their van to pull out a couple of non-electric guitars and finished acoustic, which I thought was nice of them.

I saw the Skate Nigs in Austin and personally witnessed their bassist stage dive into the crowd and beat the hell out of some guy who groped the band's dancing groupie. I was surprised to see a video about year later on MTV -- as part of a Beavis and Butthead show, of all things (B&B liked).

I am most impressed by the Barenaked Ladies at the birthday party. That's way cool.

-balt(my band in college got it's first -- and only -- gig when Hootie and the Blowfish bailed on a campus party to play Letterman after their first single hit the charts)assoc

Obscure bands
 

Al Stewart. Also did Time Passages, so technically a 2 hit wonder.

(I play Time Passages in a local dive jukebox every now and then)

Fashion
 

I don't mean to be pimping for Tucker Max, especially with all that's going on between him and Ms. [name removed], but I like the shirt.

http://www.tuckermax.com/images/fatbastard2.jpg

(Spree: nothing dirty, just some drunk guys)