Saturday, September 29, 2012

Social Chaos Summer 2001 performance at Somber Reptile, Atlanta

The Eclectic Roots Ensemble

The Eclectic Roots Ensemble
Members: Cortez Paschal, David Canis, Jamie Walker, Rod Breland, Nate Sadler, Chenitha Reddick, Suzy Schultz Sounds Like: The Original Wailers Label: Eclectic Roots Productions, Boom One Records Manager: Cortez Paschal Bio: Uniting humanity with the melody every single time..... The Eclectic Roots Ensemble began in the winter of 2001 and has played venues all over the southeastern US: The Somber Reptile in Atlanta Ga, Under Couch at Ga Tech in Atlanta,

Sly Willie Down 1998

Sly Willie Down is an original rock band based out of Atlanta, Georgia who has been generating excitement in clubs throughout the southeast with their original sound and unique style. Their songs and genre can be compared to Green Day and Marvelous 3 with a delivery like that of Metallica. The band is overwhelmingly accepted by Blink 182 and Korn fans. Sly Willie Down formed during the spring of 1998 from the ashes of a local garage rock band in the North Georgia area. Andy Jones’s innovative style of drum playing courted with David Bice’s (guitar) punk influence, Chris Collis’s (bass) unique groove and Stacy Gregory’s soulful vocals provide the musical background of the group. Still refusing to explain the band’s name, these four artists have come a long way since playing in venues that could be opened with a garage door opener. Since forming, Sly Willie Down has headlined at The Sports Hangar in Copperhill, Tennessee and The Duff in Cleveland, Tennessee. They impressed the audience at the Somber Reptile in Atlanta, Georgia.

Firehazard at the Somber Reptile.

Cough Syrup 1994


Cough Syrup

Cough Syrup cassette cover

Cough Syrup was together from appox. 1992 until sometime in 1994. These four songs constitute our last recording session. At that time I think that we had about 10 songs (excluding songs we had retired). The final line-up was Jon Lukens, Benjamin Lukens (The Forever War) on bass, Matt Ciccarelli on guitar and Zach Hollbach on drums. Patrick Borezo played bass before Ben Joined. Jonathan Kenny was our original drummer, and played on two prior recording sessions before moving out of town. We had a drummer named Daryl for one gig between losing Jonathan and finding Zach.
I’m not especially fond of my Bob Schick wannabe vocals here, but I think the songs are worth making available. Our other studio material is too shitty to post.

Live July 2nd, 1994

Everything below was taken from a VHS tape of the last Cough Syrup show: July 2nd, 94. The show was at the Somber Reptile Lizard Lounge, which was a second, smaller show space beneath a club called the Somber Reptile in Atlanta. We were supposed to play with Las Mordidas (Chris Thomson and ex-Fidelity Jones folks), but they never showed up.
Aside from the recording above, this is the best example available of what we sounded like starting around the Fall of 93. I put a tiny bit of compression on these and EQed them a little bit. I also edited out string-breaking between song banter. There wasn’t too much I could do with the video. There just wasn’t enough light.
  1. 10 lb. Flashlight 
  2. Skinnerboxing 
  3. Vapor_Action 
  4. Apple 
  5. Chang vs. Eng 
  6. Conflag 
  7. Fingers 
  8. Henry XXI 
  9. 49 
  10. L Teen 

Hickey 1994



Beloved and missed San Francisco punk rock.

Fun and hooky, smart and catchy, weird and wonderful. With incredibly deftlyricsBill Stevenson inflected drumming, and riffs that recall some of the best things about 90's punk rock, probably 'cause Hickey were one of the best things about 90's punk rock, this is one of those things we'd all be better off for with it embedded in our brains.

If you don't already know this, then this oughta be a great place to get a start on doing so.

Hickey - Self-Titled

4 COMMENTS:

Justin said...
Yes! I love Hickey! Thanks for posting!
Gray said...
All Hail Hickey!
They played my house in Athens at the first show we ever booked, and ended up staying...seemed like a long time. But, they did teach me how to make a mean Ramen noodle stew sorta thing. Delicious! They also showed that you can fuck around with people's preconceived notions of what punk and hardcore should be, and come out the other end a far more entertaining and interesting band.

Also, historical sidenote: I think I reviewed this for Heartattack fanzine and was made fun of by Kent McClard for liking the awesome epic jam on this one.
Anonymous said...
i "think" i saw this band in columbia, sc. did they do some weird shit with small trampolines? it was a great show, whoever that way. thanks for the post.
James Joyce said...
When I saw Hickey at the Somber Reptile, they completely antagonized the college/high school crowd with with rants about the "smarty pants kids with your textbooks and rich parents paying for their school", etc. and were seriously pissing the crowd off. It was amazing.

The Somber Reptile Hosts a Benefit for Victims of Terrorism eptember 15, 2001


The Somber Reptile Hosts a Benefit for Victims of Terrorism

22 bands play the Atlanta venue; all proceeds going to Red Cross

Staff Writer
Published: Tuesday, September 18, 2001
Updated: Saturday, October 10, 2009 11:10
It is a typical scene outside the door of the Somber Reptile, one of the few venues in Atlanta still supporting punk music. A small crowd of young men and women, all of them in T-shirts sporting nonsensical logos or slogans, stand smoking cigarettes outside the door, as if deciding whether the scene inside warrants their entrance. A young woman in sunglasses sits on a stool by the door, checking ID's and strapping paper wristbands -- the kind that miraculously become stronger as one tries to remove them -- around people's wrists as they walk in.
"Are you playing with one of the bands?" she asks a group of men who have shown up with haircuts that are more architectural than fashionable.
"Yes," they tell her, but here is where the scene becomes unique.
Instead of letting the band in for free, she tells them, "It's a three-dollar donation, or you can give more if you'd like." And the band members, without flinching, reach for their chain wallets and unload a fist-full of dollar bills each into the moneybox by the door.
Why would local punk musicians happily pay to get into a club that has hired them to play? Because on Saturday, when this unique scene took place, the money was going to the Red Cross, and the whole event was organized to benefit victims of the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, D.C.
The benefit, which featured performances by 22 local and regional bands, some playing double sets, raised $300 by the end of the evening.
"Atlanta needs to lead the way, showing that we care about these important issues and events," said Ben Weaver, one of the directors of Genius Enterprises. Genius Enterprises is the promoting and management company which manages the Somber Reptile, and which organized the benefit on Saturday. Weaver said that the idea for a benefit first came to him from the members of At Any Cost, a local band.
"They called me up on Wednesday, the day after the attacks, saying, 'We want to do something about this,'" said Weaver. After The Masquerade rejected the idea of a benefit, Weaver was the first to step up, offering the Somber Reptile as a venue.
"Music is a powerful thing," said Weaver. "It draws people. It moves people." And so, he set about trying to harness this power to move people "in a positive direction - toward unity and solidarity."
What followed for him was three days with almost no sleep, as he frantically tried to book bands and find volunteers. The response, he said, was overwhelmingly positive.
Tragically Undecided, a band based in Warner Robins, Ga., was just one of those who came to perform at the last minute.
"We got a phone call yesterday at around three o'clock in the afternoon," said one of their band members. "Half the band had gone home to Warner Robins, but I got on the phone. Everything was finalized about one o'clock in the morning."
Another band member chimed in, "I didn't know we were playing until after 2 a.m." But when he did find out, he didn't hesitate to agree, saying that the cause was too important to turn down.
"If you didn't have family who were affected [by the attacks], you know somebody who did," he said. "It's amazing how many people this has affected. We're lucky that it didn't hit any of us, but I've got way too many friends who are sitting at home waiting for phone calls from relatives in New York and Washington."
The scheduling of bands just didn't stop. All day on Saturday, bands were showing up volunteering to play. And not just punk bands: a man showed up with a guitar, volunteering to do an acoustic set; an 11-piece salsa band showed up; a small jazz-influenced acoustic group set up on the stage upstairs. Ben Weaver was elated. "Real musicians can still express emotion, can still talk about relevant issues," he said. Talking about the volunteer bands, he added, "These are the guys who are calling in, who want to do something. Some of these bands even showed up this morning to help clean the venue and get it set up."
By noon on Saturday, the first band had started to play. By two o'clock, there were already seven bands waiting to go on. By six o'clock, with the benefit scheduled to end at seven, the number had expanded to thirteen bands, with more showing up each minute. Stages were set up outside, in the basement, and in the restaurant section of the Somber Reptile. By 2 a.m., when the event culminated, 22 bands had performed on four stages.
As the event progressed, Sophia Bowman-Albirt, who was working the door for Genius Enterprises, best expressed the general sentiment.
"I've been here today since 10:30 AM, cleaning, making signs, calling radio stations, and bands,” Bowman-Albirt said. “And we're going to keep this going as long as there are bands here to play."
"I was sitting around feeling really impotent about [the attacks],” she said about her decision to volunteer her time. "It's been really cathartic getting to work at something that's going to help out."
And, she added, the fundraising was going well. "Almost no one pays just three dollars. A lot of people are giving $10 or so at the door." Some corporate donors were also expected.
Jahmah Lewis, director of promotions for Genius Enterprises, commented on how the terrorist attacks had affected people in Atlanta.
"The day after the event, we had seven bands scheduled, and no one came out," he said. "The bands called, saying they were scared. But I thought, right now is not a time for people to be locked up in their houses. It takes energy to be negative and depressed and pessimistic." The benefit on Saturday, he said, hoped to "take that same energy and turn it into something positive."

He added, "I would like the Somber Reptile to be a representation of what Atlanta is doing for victims of terrorism." Lewis also emphasized the importance of grassroots activism.
"What we're doing today will help change the nature of the Somber Reptile. We're hoping to change the whole neighborhood by doing positive things like this," he said.
And it certainly seemed that they were succeeding in generating a positive atmosphere. The dozens of punk bands - groups not often noted for their general decorum - were getting along in a spirit of solidarity and friendship not often witnessed in musicians of any genre. Teenagers, following their favorite bands, showed up with their parents in tow. And fans and musicians alike volunteered to help out however they could - setting up lights, making signs, moving equipment. Even I was enlisted to help solve a technical problem with one of the soundboards, when the person I was interviewing found out that I knew what was needed.
Of course, all of this might be surprising under other circumstances. But in the wake of the tragic events in New York and Washington, everyone seemed to take this kind of volunteerism for granted.
Amy Hilton, a booker for Genius Enterprises, put it this way: "These attacks are the biggest thing that's happened to any of us in all of our lifetimes. There's nothing that has threatened our country quite as much. Naturally, we want to do everything we can. We want to show that the young people in Atlanta care."
If you looked at the room at the Somber Reptile, lined with dozens of bands, some of them waiting hours to play for free, the fulfillment of Ms. Hilton's goal was obvious. Young people in Atlanta do care about these tragic events. The benefit on Saturday was a further testament to the solidarity and compassion of Americans of all ages.

Half Baked Records History at Somber Reptile 1995


Next came a band from Athens called Slumberjack. I was introduced to them through another Athens band Hayride. Athens had become almost an haven for me during this time period - I like to call this the Athens era. At the time, I was living in a huge house in Atlanta with three other musician-types. I had a day (9-5) job as they all had a night life. I found myself not being able to sleep during the night and going straight to bed when I got home from work. Even now that I live alone (one of the few luxuries I refuse to give up), I still have problems getting to sleep at night. On weekends, to escape from my difficult home life, I would go to Athens on the weekends and stay with Hayride. They always had an open-invitation for me to sleep on their couch. I would hang out with them during the day and we'd go eat together at the Taco Stand or the Mean Bean. At night, we'd go to shows at the Atomic Music Hall or the 40 Watt. I'd always try to buy them drinks for letting stay with them but they would refuse, saying they loved having me around. Athens had a great scene then - Hayride, Harvey Milk, Jack-o-nuts, Magneto, Slumberjack, Asa Nisi Masa, and a little-known band called Olivia Tremor Control. Chris, the guitarist and singer in Slumberjack lived with Hayride. I had seen Slumberjack play many times before I signed them at a club I worked at called Somber Reptile. They totally rocked! They were also very loud (They would pass out cotton balls to the audience at their shows). I released their 3-song 7-inch entitled High Heat June 22, 1994 with a party at the Atomic Music Hall in Athens. Slumberjack was probably one the most accessible bands on my label. I wasn't crazy about this band like I was about the other bands on my label, but I liked them a lot. Slumberjack broke up shortly after the release of their record. Their intentions were good, however, they just could not get their shit together.
At my birthday party at the Somber Reptile in the summer of '94, I ran into Mitch and Danette of Pineal Ventana. I had known Mitch for a really long time. He was the frontman of King Kill 33, an Atlanta scene legend. King Kill was really entertaining. Mitch would run around the stage, make these contorted faces while rest of the band was pretty much to themselves in the background. They played songs about conspiracy theories - JFK assination, the moon landing, etc. The band had broken up that previous summer, but Mitch formed a new band called Pineal Ventana with his girlfriend Danette on vocals. They played their first show with BOB at a WREK party. They went on to put out their own single with really disturbing artwork in the Spring of '94. It was one of my most favorite records that year. At first they performed mostly improvisations, but as time went on, they found there sound and really impressed me. I decided to ask them if to join my label at my birthday party. They agreed and I was elated. A four-song 7-inch entitled Philosopher Stone was released on Halloween of '94 with a party at the Clermont Lounge. BOB opened. It was BOB's big comeback show - they hadn't played since their CD release. I was a proud label owner for the first time in a while.
Around the fall of '94, BOB, Pineal Ventana, Tweezer, and Suzybeat all approached me about doing a theme record together. I said cool! We would get together at the El Azteca Mexican Restaurant on Ponce de Leon (affectionately nicknamed the "Punk-rock ass-kicker" for their incredibly strong margaritas) and talk about the record. We were a motley crowd, infamously known by the wait staff. We would flip tortillas across the table at each other (with salsa on them). This would make a huge mess, annoying the wait staff and the customers. The first couple of meetings, we got absolutely nothing done but drunkenness. The taking of the promotional photos was quite fun. We took a ton of us in front of the El Azteca when an ambulance had just pulled up in front. We all could never agree on a theme or artwork. In fact, I think some of the bands are still pissed at one another because of the artwork. It took until March of '95 to actually get a record pressed. The theme was about four different crimes: a bank robbery (Suzybeat), serial murder (Tweezer), child molestation (Pineal Ventana), and Vietnam War crimes (BOB). The release party was held for the 4-song 7-inch entitled Quadruple Felonyat Dottie's on March 8, 1995. We then booked a 2-day tour to North Carolina with everyone except Suzybeat participating. Our first stop was Wilmington, NC at the Bourgeois Pig. Pineal Ventana had this huge bag of popcorn and threw it on BOB during their set. It was hilarious. Our next stop was the Turtle Club in Greensboro. The club did little or no publicity and plus it was spring break - no one showed. We didn't let that bring us down. We had our own show. Everyone was drunker than hell. We found a Barney doll in the parking lot, ripped its insides and voice box out, and would wear it on our heads during the show. The voice box was also found singing in many songs. Travis of Pineal Ventana also subbed in for Timmy of Tweezer during Tweezer's set and no one noticed. It was one of the funniest times that I can remember about my label. A few weeks later I went with BOB on tour to Florida, New Orleans and Texas. I loved touring with my bands; it was something I didn't get to do that much since I had a full time job.
In the summer of '94, my friend Brendan who worked at WREK had a a party with Pineal Ventana and Clobber playing. Allan in Clobber was also had worked at WREK. Brendan and Allan used to do the punk rock show called "The Good the Bad and the Ugly". They were hilarious when they were on the air. I rarely ever missed their shows. One day, Allan and Brendan had a disagreement about the show and I, as General Manager of WREK, was forced to intervene. I sided with Brendan and Allan took it personally. In fact, he didn't speak to me until I saw him at Clobber's first show at the Somber Reptile with Jawbreaker at the Somber Reptile in the Winter of '94. I just dropped by the Somber to check out Jawbreaker; I didn't even know Clobber were playing. They blew me away. I went away from the show dying to see them again. I finally got that chance at Brendan's party. After the party, I went up to Allan and asked him to be on my label. And to my surprise he said okay. I was so excited. I adored Clobber. They had this incredible energy. Allan would jump up and down, all over the stage, occasionally knocking a mic stand down. At the end of the show, he would either jump into the crowd, jump back into the drum kit, or smash his guitar. That energy would rub off, I would end up jumping up and down at their shows. However, it was also that energy that got them thrown out of clubs. It wasn't until almost a year later, that their 3-song 7-inch with "Get Smart" b/w "New Year" and "Crazy"was released at Dottie's at May 6, 1995.

Tone Deaf Pig-Dogs


The Original Tone Deaf Pig-Dogs

The Tone Deaf Pig-Dogs are a punk rock anti-band from Norcross, Georgia, formed in 1989 by Mike Nickerson (vocals), James T. Warbington (bass), Michael Messer (guitar), Mark Warbington (drums), and Grant Nickerson in a managerial role. They released their first LP, "From Hell", in 1990, and began playing shows in the Northeast Georgia region. Michael Messer left the band to record a solo project with Mark Warbington, and Clay Browning joined the band on guitar.

The Reformation of the Tone Deaf Pig-Dogs

After a two year hiatus, Mike Nickerson, James T. Warbington and Michael Messer (recording as Mike Blade at the time and had released "Blessed Annihilation" on Youth Band Records) re-formed in 1993 and recorded "Tone Deaf and Disorderly".
In 1994, James T. Warbington (guitar) and Mike Nickerson (vocals) had brought in new members Dom Totino (bass) and Chad "Spanky" Black (drums), whom they had met at a local Waffle House. The Tone Deaf Pig-Dogs began playing at Punkfests and at numerous shows around Atlanta, mostly at the infamous Somber Reptile and the Wreck Room. They recorded the "The Red Tape" as a demo for the new inception of the band, and to gain local support for shows. Soon after this, Chad "Spanky" Black and James T. Warbington had left the band. This helped Mike Nickerson bring aboard friends, Keith Xenos (Smedley and the Space Cadets) on guitar and Adam Funari (A Quart Low) on drums. Within months of resolving personal issues, James T. Warbington returned to the lineup as a rhythm guitarist.

Verce


Verce is a very witty, humorous and polished lyricist. He has a southern style with a lot of cocky flair and passion. He grimy lyrics mixed with his commercial appeal makes him a very strong force and a great blend of an all around rapper.
Why this name?
Verce is actually short for verce atile which best descrbes the style. Verce atile was formed when I joined this group named the Riot Squad
Do you play live?
Yeah you can catch me in the GA and southest. Been rocken Gwinnett's famous "Luby's" and whirly ball. Also at level 3 in the A and somber reptile. My special moment was performing a special tribute to our fallen homie D with the Riot Squad. The entire place was in tears, it was a truely sad and moving moment.

Dick Delicious and the Tasty Testicles circa 1992 Somber Reptile Atl.

Zen Circus 2003 Shows





December 30
The Library

November 29
Somber Reptile's Cajun Kitchen

October 15
Somber Reptile

September 20
Somber Reptile's Cajun Kitchen

September 3
Somber Reptile

August 6
Somber Reptile

July 23
Somber Reptile

July 2
Somber Reptile's Cajun Kitchen

June 27
The Library

June 25
Somber Reptile

June 11
Somber Reptile

May 28
Somber Reptile's Cajun Kitchen

May 14
Somber Reptile

May 2
The eXtreem

April 24
Somber Reptile's Cajun Kitchen

March 7
Presidio

February 15
Somber Reptile

January 4
Somber Reptile



Oval: 2002




November 28
The Library

October 5
Somber Reptile

August 24
Lenny's (Formerly Dotties)

August 9
Somber Reptile

July 20
Penumbra

May 31
The Library

May 18
Somber Reptile

April 26
The Library

March 15
Lenny's (Formerly Dotties)

March 9
Maggie's

March 8
Maggie's

February 21
Lenny's (Formerly Dotties)



Oval: 2001




November 16
Somber Reptile (Red Cross Benefit Show)

September 15
Somber Reptile

September 14
Somber Reptile

August 9
CJ's Tavern

July 25
Somber Reptile (Reunion Show)

March 31
The B52

Your Local Music Scene Is Not Dead!


Your Local Music Scene Is Not Dead!

The local scene here in Atlanta isn’t like it used to be.  I can remember 20 years ago or so where there were venues of just about every size to accommodate all the different levels of bands.  I’m sure every city at one time was like this.  Here in Atlanta you had the small upstart venues like PJ’s Nest, The Wreck Room and The Somber Reptile.  Just about every rock/metal band in the city got started here.  

Anti Punkzine Benefit 1994


Levelhead
Spooky?
1994 (?)
Vinyl rip

No cover for this one, so that boss flyer will have to stand in. Levelhead was a great pop punk band out of Marietta, Georgia, one of the northside Atl suburbs. My old band Round Ear Spock played with them a few times, and I always loved them. This 7" in particular got worn out on my record player. If I'm not mistaken, we played with them, Total Chaos, and the Voodoo Glow Skulls once, but one of the Voodoo Glow Skulls got super sick and they canceled, so Total Chaos did too, leaving us two local bands to hold down the fort. The Somber Reptile let everyone in for free, and we tore it up. I didn't really like those other bands anyway.

So if you like this record, head over to Beyond Failure and search for their unreleased full-length. Also, bassist Matt Monroe is in a band called Callsign who aren't too far off from Levelhead, though not as poppy. You can hear them here.