Interview with Dan Vapid on Screeching Weasel's "First World Manifesto"

Photo by Katie Hovland

After discussing female meatheads and how MTV's Jersey Shore is similar to the Harlem Irving Plaza of the '80s, Dan Schafer (aka Danny Vapid) answered some questions regarding Screeching Weasel's first studio album in 11 years, "First World Manifesto."

Squid Pro Quo: Can you tell me when you joined Screeching Weasel, how you heard about 'em, how you joined and what was it like?

Dan Schafer: "The first time I heard about them was in 1986 through the Daily Herald newspaper. There was an article about a punk rock band from Prospect Heights called Screeching Weasel. In the photo, they all had long hair. It was pretty funny. I remember being excited that a punk band lived that close to my hometown of Des Plaines, just two towns over. I remember just getting my driver's license and meeting up with Martin from Los Crudos at some venue in the west suburbs to see them play one of their first shows. There were like five people there beside us. Somehow it got canceled. After that, Screeching Weasel did a short stint of 21-plus shows, which I was too young to see.

Sometime in '87, they began playing all ages shows at the original Durty Nellies, located in downtown Palatine. I was a singer of a hardcore band at that time called Generation Waste. Screeching Weasel and Generation Waste played a few shows together when both bands had demo tapes for sale. Recording and selling demo cassette tapes was common back then. When Generation Waste broke up in '88, I spent about a year playing with random people but nothing seemed to stick. When Warren Ozzfish quit Screeching Weasel in 1989, they were looking for a bass player. I told them I could play bass, even though I couldn't play very well at the time. I was a huge fan of "Boogada Boogada Boogada" and practiced the songs like crazy. I got to become a member of one of my favorite bands."

SPQ: What was your first practice like or your first experiences with John and Ben and whoever else was there at the time?

DS: "Good. I remember rehearsing for an EP we were about to record called, "Punkhouse." I remember being very excited to play in the band and make a record. Back then, making an actual record was like a dream come true for me. I also thought Ben wrote great songs and the band had tons of potential and was bound for success. It's a nice memory for me."

SPQ: What were the major tours/breakups/shows/memories until Screeching Weasel's most recent hiatus?

DS: "The most memorable SW tour was my first in 1989. We toured in Ben's car with only our guitars, luggage and merch. Our first show was in Corvallis, Oregon; a 40-hour drive. I remember during my driving shifts, Ben and John somewhat lecturing me to stay in the left lane while passing only. We were singing "100 Bottles of Beer on the Wall" and other stupid games to pass the time. Our next show was in Berkley, CA at Gilman Street, which was a venue started by the people from Maximum Rock N' Roll magazine. Playing Gilman Street was a big deal back then. I remember playing San Francisco and a hall in northern CA with Green Day; they were just starting out. We were meeting lots of people and bands from all over the country. It was pretty cool but the tour was long and brutal. When we got back from that tour, the band broke up.

I started Sludgeworth soon after, in '89. I was playing for about a year when John Jughead asked how I felt about playing in Screeching Weasel again at the club, McGregor's, which was located at North Ave. and Route 83 in Elmhurst. I remember telling him I never wanted to stop. I think it was assumed I did. Ben and John had a project called The Gore Gore Girls, but were having problems getting it to go.
Larry Livermore from Lookout Records! told Ben he was interested in releasing a record by his band if he called it Screeching Weasel, so we were back in business.

In the summer of '91, we toured out to the west coast and recorded "My Brain Hurts" at the Art of Ears studio in San Francisco. I remember feeling pretty good because I was playing more of a role in the band. I was writing songs, singing backing vocals, giving input and they liked my ideas. That really meant a lot to me. Although I never took it personally, the guys in Generation Waste were sometimes patronizing when I offered creative input, probably because they were older than me. Some of it was probably deserved. But still, that early experience with Screeching Weasel, getting encouragement from Ben and John and watching Ben write songs played a huge role in wanting to pursue music further and working on being a songwriter.

After that, we toured through the south and east a few times, recorded "Wiggle" "Anthem For a New Tomorrow" and in the fall of '93, played a last show at a venue in downtown Forest Park. Screeching Weasel wasn't going to play live anymore. I can't speak for everybody but from my perspective, we were getting to the point where we were on auto-pilot live. I can remember Ben and I talking about it. During our last show, I was thinking about what I was going to have for dinner later that night and Ben was thinking about the movie, "Eddie and the Cruisers" for most of the set. I don't remember any tension at that point in time, just a need for a change."

SPQ: Tell me about 2007/8-present, doing "My Brain Hurts" in its entirety and getting the name Screeching Weasel back.

DS: "There was a business dispute between Ben and John over the ownership of the band. When that dispute was over, the idea of playing under the name, Screeching Weasel seemed more appealing to Ben. Having been an observer and member since the band started, my perspective is different than many. For some, the lack of Jughead is a charged subject and the band has lost something integral and vital. I don't see it that way at all. From about 1988 and on, I realized the success of Screeching Weasel is due to Ben, not John. Ben started the band, conducted a good portion of the business and wrote a large majority of the songs, including the signature leads that fans presumably attribute to John. To me, there should have never been a dispute in the first place over who's the owner of the band. It's always been obvious to me. All that said and done, I'm glad that Ben decided to reform the band and ask me to be a part of it. The response to the "My Brain Hurts" set was great, and we have had a huge amount of enthusiasm about Screeching Weasel coming back."

SPQ: So then what's it like without Jughead after all these years?

DS: When Ben was playing, "My Brain Hurts" under his solo set, I received an email from John stating how disappointed he was in me. I didn't see the harm in it. Ben was performing songs he wrote in a past band. I do it all the time. So did John, with his old band, Even In Blackouts. He made a public statement about it in which he claimed he wasn't my friend anymore. It felt self-serving and a little hypocritical to me. He didn't seem to care when he was playing in Screeching Weasel and I wasn't in the band anymore. I wasn't disappointed at him for playing in Screeching Weasel without me and I certainly wasn't sending him disapproving e-mails about it. I was simply asked to re-join a band I was a part of. There was no conspiracy or anything personal about it. It made for a lot of drama from Screeching Weasel fans all over the Internet and I understood that John's feeling were hurt. With that said, he benefited greatly for doing very little in terms of contributing to the sound of the band for many years. He was, how I saw it, a guy mainly into theater who knew Ben in 1986 who could play guitar well enough. Musicians willing to play punk rock back then were hard to find. I think John's talents are better-suited in acting and play writing. I believe that's where his heart has always been. I believe we have a line up now that is superior to the one we had back in the early '90s and I'm excited to see where it will take us."

SPQ: Has Ben changed? Is he the same dude you grew up playing music with?

DS: "Somewhat. Both of us are 20 years older now, and he's a father and a husband and that creates change for anybody. But he still gets a kick out of writing a good punk rock song. That side has always been there. He's good at it, so I'm glad to be working with him again."

SPQ: Do you feel you've changed? If so, how, and in what ways have you stayed the same?

DS: "Yes. I've changed somewhat too. The older you get, the less and less you care about what people think. I used to think that I could never be a musician at 40. That would be lame and absurd. Not to throw out a cliche, but you're only as old as you feel. I feel young at heart. I always think of my grandfather, who's 103. He still goes out and does things all the time. Although never perfect, I feel better without all the baggage that comes with being in your 20s. Also, I never thought I would be a dad! My wife and I will be having a baby in May! These things and others have changed, but music has been a constant for me and I don't see myself changing in that regard."

SPQ: What was writing "First World Manifesto" like as opposed to the rest of the albums you played on? Was the process different because there are different faces and hands involved, or is it you and Ben doing all the writing? Or just Ben? Just you ever?

DS: "Ben has always done the bulk of the writing in Screeching Weasel. I co-wrote only one song called "Dry As the Desert." We had Mike Kennerty from the All American Rejects producing. I never worked with an actual producer before. It was strange at first, but in the end the record came out great. While throwing down backing vocals and guitar tracks, each idea was discussed with Mike, so that was a new process for me."

SPQ: In an interview I read with Ben, he said he likes to have control over the band and push everyone to work hard and keep high standards. How does this work for everyone involved and being you're a senior Weasel member so to speak, is there that pressure on you as much? Or does your relationship exist on a more liberal level when it comes to business?

DS: "I think bands should always keep their standards high. You should always be pushing the envelope and never rest on your laurels. The pressure's on everybody and that's a good thing."

SPQ: Has the big Screeching Weasel hiatus of the 21st century been a good thing? How's the scene changed? Do you think it will be as good as it used to be? Better? Worse? And in what ways?

DS: "The hiatus was good in the sense that most of the fans had never seen the band live. Fans are eager to see Screeching Weasel and that's great. I'm grateful to be a part of something people appreciate. Overall, people everywhere that we have been touring have been very enthusiastic and supportive of Screeching Weasel."

SPQ: What can we expect on the new album? It's going to be on Fat Wreck - will it be heavy on the politics? More introspective looks on society?

DS: "Yep. You can expect Ben's ranting that you either love or love to hate. You can expect Ben's signature songwriting combined with some of my backing vocals and a new lineup of seasoned players."

Dan Vapid & the Cheats show review/set list (5.27.11)

Friday night was the first show for Dan Vapid & the Cheats, which was held at the Cobra Lounge in Chicago. Off the bat, it was an interesting crowd. I eavesdropped while hiding behind my $3 tall can of Old Style, and heard British accents in several groups. A guy named Tor from Norway came out and introduced himself to me, and I know other Europeans made the trip as well. I talked briefly with two girls from England who came out but their accent was so heavy and the music playing over the PA was so overly loud, that I couldn't hear a thing they said.

Sheboygan, Wisc. pop-punk rockers, The Jetty Boys opened the night. Lead singer/guitarist Drew Fredrichsen is a great entertainer with a very active stage-presence. Even if you don't like the music, it's hard to take your eyes off the stage because it's entertaining. I've seen The Jetty Boys a number of times now, and it's always fun and they seem to get the crowd into it. The Kurt Baker Band played next, sandwiched between the Jetty Boys and the curious Dan Vapid band. Kurt Baker was great - he played a number of Leftovers tunes, which I was all about. I've seen The Leftovers a bunch of times, and they were great. Mike Byrne of The Methadones was supposed to play guitar for them, but I don't think he wanted to do double duty that night, as he was playing lead guitar for Dan Vapid & the Cheats. They were great though - infectious punk-rock influenced power pop. Like Fredrichsen, Baker captivated the audience with his dancing, engagement of the crowd and positive egotism, reminiscent of Joe Jackson or Elvis Costello. The Kurt Baker Band was excellent.

Finally, the moment I'd been waiting for - Dan Vapid & the Cheats. I knew the lineup was 3/4 Methadones (Dan Schafer, Mike Byrne, Mike Soucy) and 1/4 Screeching Weasel 2k10 (Simon Lamb). They opened up with The Methadones' "Say Goodbye To Your Generation." Pete Mittler (Methadones) came up and played bass on a few tunes, which was great for me, because a part of me thought I'd never see my favorite live band ever again, and lo and behold, they were playing all together on a stage Friday night. It was short-lived, and Lamb returned to bass. During "Someday" by Sludgeworth, Joe Principe (Rise Against) took over on bass, and looked like he was having a great time up there with Dan, Mike B. and Mike S. They played a fair amount of The Mopes ("The World Don't Revolve Around You," "My Heart Won't Bleed For You," "Baby Doll," etc.), Sludgeworth ("Someday," "Anytime," etc.), Methadones ("Say Goodbye To Your Generation," "Bored of Television," "Transistor Radio," etc.) and The Riverdales ("Make Way," "Heart Out of Season," "Crash of the Moons," etc.) songs as well as Screeching Weasel's "High School Psychopath," which Schafer told us he wrote after high school. They also played a new one called "I Could Be Into You (If You Were Into Me)," which will appear on The Black Sheep Band LP that both Schafer and Byrne recorded on. They had Black Sheep Cafe chef James Toland up on stage to sing backup vocals. During The Riverdales' "Crash of the Moons," Adam Cargin of The Riverdales 2k10 came up and gave Soucy a break on drums. It was fun interacting with Byrne. I even brought a yellow guitar pick in my pocket to throw in his mouth (I missed). They also played a cover of the Pointed Sticks' "Out of Luck," which appears on The Methadones' "21st Century Power Pop" album.

The show was a good time, and while I know a lot of people from out of town were bummed that they couldn't see Screeching Weasel, I enjoyed myself more Friday night than I would have had I saw Screeching Weasel. I like all Dan's bands more, and the songs are better, in my opinion. The Cheats didn't have any merch, which was something I was curious about. I did pick up a free two-song CD from Kurt Baker with the songs, "Why You Gotta Lie" and "Don't Steal My Heart Away." I had a great night, which only got better Saturday and Sunday.

Set List:
Say Goodbye To Your Generation (The Methadones)
Make Way (The Riverdales)
Heart Out of Season (The Riverdales)
Baby Doll (The Mopes)
Transistor Radio (The Methadones)
Back To You (The Riverdales)
High School Psychopath (Screeching Weasel)
Diabolik (The Riverdales)
I Don't Wanna Go To the Party (The Riverdales)
Bored of Television (The Methadones)
My Heart Won't Bleed For You (The Mopes)
I Don't Wanna Live Forever (The Riverdales)
The World Don't Revolve Around You Anymore (The Mopes)
I Could Be Into You (If You Were Into Me) (The Black Sheep Band)
Riverdale Stomp (The Riverdales)
Crash of the Moons (The Riverdales)
3-2-1 (The Methadones)
Turning Up the Noise (The Methadones)
Encore:
Anytime (Sludgeworth)
Someday feat. Joe Principe (Sludgeworth)
Far Away (The Methadones)
Out of Luck (The Methadones' Pointed Sticks cover)
I Don't Know How To Say Goodbye (The Mopes)

May 25, 2008: Ben Weasel at Reggie's

I never thought I'd actually see the day where Ben Weasel sings Screeching Weasel in front of me live and in person.
But he did on Sunday, and a week later, it feels like a dream. I was right there in front of him, singing along, yet somehow my memory eludes me. It's like I don't remember the show, when in fact, I remember all of it at the same time. Like it didn't even happen.
Anyways, it was awesome. I got there a bit late and missed The Guts, who I wanted to see. But I caught the end of The Leftovers' set, which was very awesome. They did a cover of "A Hard Day's Night," which was really good. After them, Shot Baker went up and rocked, as they usually do. They've got a new album coming out this summer, which I look forward to.
Not too much longer after Shot Baker left the stage, Owen from Weasel Radio came out to introduce Ben Weasel. His bandmates came out, then finally, Mr. Weasel came out and opened the night with "Acknowledge" off Screeching Weasel's album, "Emo." Ben Weasel played a little of everything Sunday night, including some Riverdales.
He played the old ones like "Dingbat" and "This Ain't Hawaii" to "I'm Gonna Strangle You," "Cindy's On Methadone," "The First Day of Spring" and "The First Day of Summer." He closed the set with "Cool Kids," elongating the end of the song, giving everyone in the front a chance to sing, "It's a real cool club and you're not a part of it." It was a lot of fun and made me feel a sense of belonging in an adverse sort of way. Like a "We don't need you, so fuck you" kind of sense. It was nice.
But before I forget, towards the end of the set, Ben told us a story about this rumor of how he hated getting donuts thrown at him on stage, and he said it wasn't true and that nothing of the sort ever even happened. So, following that statement, he brought out boxes and boxes of chocolate donut gems and glazed donuts. I was lucky enough to get the first one tossed out, so I wanted to make sure I hit Ben with it. (Sorry, but at the same time, thanks!) Got him in the chest. I can't imagine how much of a pain in the ass Reggie's was to clean after the show, but it was a lot of fun, and well worth the sticky mess.

Afterwards, my girl took me to this place called "Berlin" where they were holding "Prince Night." I have to admit, it's the first time I've ever been to a gay bar. It kind of felt like I was trapped in a shitty 80s movie all night. The worst part of the night was trying to piss with a line of gay dudes standing behind me. I'm pee shy in straight bars, OK. I was a bit more nervous in the new setting. Regardless, it was a good time.
Pictures are of Ben Weasel and Larry Livermore with Little Type (of Lookout! Records!!!). Oh yeah, and thank you, Little Type (pictured with Larry Livermore), for the buttons!

Interview with John (Jughead) Pierson of Screeching Weasel/Even In Blackouts/The Mopes

Photo by A.V. Club
By Chris Carlton

Squid Pro Quo: A lot of people know you from your time in the Chicago punk scene as founding guitarist of Screeching Weasel. But they may not know that you're also a talented playwright. What was your first play, and how did you get started in theater?

John Pierson: "Well actually, if we are talking about Chicago, I think more people know me from theater. I get many more acknowledgments on the street from my theater projects than any of the bands I have been in. My first full-length play was in high school as the waiter in "Death Of A Salesman." But at Columbia College, I went there for five years and never auditioned once. I was more into taking literature classes than acting. I studied improvisation for about 10 years and still teach classes in that. I toured for a couple years with an improv troupe called Sheila. The first play that I wrote and performed was called "The Philosophy Of Nonthings," which was the inspiration for my production & publishing company called Hope And Nonthings."

SPQ: Can you give our readers a little history on The Neo-Futurists?

JP: "I teach 8 week classes on Neo-Futurism so a brief history leaves out a major understanding. Here is the website. But we do have a manifesto, which I am including right here:

"Neo-Futurism In A Nutshell"

Neo-Futurism is a new approach to performance that advocates the complete awareness and inclusion of the actual world within the theater in order to achieve a goal: to bring people to a greater understanding of themselves and each other.

Rather than upholding contemporary theatrical conventions of character, setting, plot, and the separation of audience and performer, Neo-Futurism aims to present actual life on stage by creating a world in the theater which has no pretense or illusion. This means that:

1) You are who you are. Your name is your name. Your age is your age. Your appearance, physical condition, and way of speaking, as well as your personal history and life experiences are none other than your own. You grew up in your hometown. You're gay, you're straight, you're married. You've never been to Seattle. You know who you are and what you've done. Use it.

2) You are where you are. In most cases this means on a "stage" in front of an audience. Currently, specifically, this means you are probably reading this interview off a computer screen. That's not a T.V. you're watching (maybe it is). This isn't a castle in the Alps. The gun is fake. If you need a prop, get it. If the ambience is wrong, change it.

3) You are doing what you are doing. All tasks are actual challenges. If you can't do something, you must be actually physically unable to do it. If you're pulling, really pull. If you're having sex, really have sex. If you forget your lines, you've forgotten your lines. If you're not supposed to know what's going to happen next, make sure as hell you can't know. You're not sleeping on stage, you're lying there with your eyes closed. No need to "act" tired as you enter the stage with an empty suitcase. Fill it up with rocks, run around the block three times. You'll be tired. No need to dredge up a lot of emotion to endow that sheet of paper you're holding with all the seriousness and poignance of your father's death certificate. Bring it in. If your father's alive, what are you doing saying he's not?

4) The time is now. Deal with real events in your current life in your current world. If you broke up with your boyfriend on Tuesday, don't say you're still together on Friday. If a politician pissed you off by what they said six months ago, don't complain about it now. It's history. Write about how it affects you today. Theater is the medium to reflect what is going on now, because theater is going on now. Theater takes place in real time and space. That audience is right in front of you right now. Deal with that.

The bottom line is that Neo-Futurism does not pretend or buy into "the suspension of disbelief" - it does not attempt to take the audience anywhere else at any other time with any other people. The idea is to deal with what is going on right here and now.

These guidelines are not set forth as "rules and regulations" but more as a jumping off point with which, it is hoped, people can find a greater meaning in their everyday lives. The aim is to empower and affirm not just the lives of the performers but the lives of the audience members as well.

Greg Allen
Revised May, 2008"

SPQ: Do you find more pleasure in writing and performing as an actor, or as a musician? Or is there an even balance in both?

JP: "For many many years my production of plays was exactly equal to the number of albums I was recording, now they are off a bit, but I think they hover somewhere around 24 each. With Even in Blackouts, people say I was consistently the happiest they have ever seen me. I can feel that while playing with that band. We didn't have as many rules and stress as Weasel. So with EIB, it trumps being onstage for theater. But I really don't think I could live without writing and performing theater."

SPQ: You have also written books for Hopes And Nonthings publishing. One a book of your plays you had written up until that point, and one called Weasels In A Box. Are there any plans for a new book release in the near future?

JP: "I have a new novel coming out in October called "The Last Temptation Of Clarence Odbody". Which is an alternative story to the famous movie and short story, "It's A Wonderful Life." I'm pretty proud of it, I never thought I would write this type of parody book (fan fiction) but I just couldn't get the story out of my head, and after a year I gave in and started writing it. Three years later, it is about to be finished."

SPQ: Besides your writing and acting, you have been a part of some amazing bands over the years. Screeching Weasel, The Mopes and Even In Blackouts have all made such an impact in the Chicago scene, your influence is undeniable. Who influenced you as a musician?

JP: "My influences are varied depending on the band. Growing up I was a huge fan of the guitar work of Brian May (Queen), Ritchie Blackmore (Deep Purple, Rainbow), and Martin Barre (Jethro Tull) I think those type of bands besides Traffic and Oingo Boingo taught me that it was OK to be weird. I think this added to my odd clothes wearing in Weasel. Most of the solo work that appears in Weasel I believe was influenced by bands like Judas Priest and AC/DC, with perhaps a little Descendents thrown in. Even In Blackouts was my clashing of those influences with the acoustic bands of my youth, Bob Dylan, Jim Croce, Cat Stevens, and later, Tom Waits. Punk bands that I would consider influences are few, beyond the people I knew like Lint from Operation Ivy and Chris Barrows from The Pink Lincolns. I loved Keith Morris from The Circle Jerks, and Adrenalin OD were another of my favorites."

SPQ: In the early Weasel days, did you ever think the band would influence a whole generation of punk bands?

JP: "No, I don't think you can ever really know that. But being in a band had always been one of the few things I wanted to do. As a child most kids talk about wanting to be a scientist, doctor, astronaut, but I never had a single thing. I think my family was so busy dealing with divorce, violence and drugs that I never had a chance to consider that stuff. So when I graduated high school I just basically did whatever the hell I wanted, and worked hard to make it happen. And that is still what I do now. I don't ever really settle on being any one thing, but they all seem to have something to do with creativity."

SPQ: When you formed Even In Blackouts, you literally invented a style of music that was never seen until that point, acoustic punk rock. How did you come up with that idea?

JP: "I don't really believe I invented anything. Nothing the band does is very unique. I think it is great and actually pretty smart, but it's all taken from many different influences. It is rooted in the same philosophy that started Screeching Weasel. We just played the things we were interested in void of any positive repercussions beyond our own enjoyment. I think the fact that Ben and I were just pretty damn dedicated people is what made that work. So when I started EIB I purposely said to myself that I needed to start from scratch and do something different. So I started with elements that I saw as very different from SW. A female choir-trained vocalist, acoustic guitars and what I believe to be darker concepts and instrumentation. But what I tried to apply to the band is the energy that excited me from playing punk rock. I think this shows best in the live performances of EIB. It is difficult to play an acoustic guitar that hard and fast, but the wonderful thing is that it creates a desperate energy, like constantly falling off a cliff. It hurts to play like that. For the first couple tours, I couldn't sleep at night because my fingers hurt so badly. Some nights I even cried.
And what could be better than ending this interview with the fact that I do indeed cry?"

SPQ: A huge thanks to John for taking the time to talk with Squid Pro Quo. Such a talented and diverse gentleman. Thanks again, John.

"Merman Records Presents: Sea Creatures Vol. 1" 7'' review

Merman Records' second 7'' release, "Sea Creatures: Vol. 1" is a four-way split between Fear of Lipstick, the Neutron Bombs, Regal Beagle and The Roman Line.

The first track by Fear of Lipstick, "Did Ya Know?," is your standard three-chord pop punk song a little too reminiscent of Screeching Weasel's "Racist Society." It seems to adopt the same authoritative, informative attitude that Ben Weasel was so good at conveying in early Screeching Weasel. Fear of Lipstick isn't trying to be anything they're not here as "Did Ya Know?" is a more personal statement rather than a statement period, if that makes any sense. They play really well, the recording quality is a bit low but overall it's a good song and I'd check out more by this Canadian four-piece.

The second band on here is the Neutron Bombs from Chicago, IL. I've seen them play three times now, two of which were shows we played together and every time I see them, I like them more and more. My first impression was "Ken sounds British." The Neutron Bombs write some catchy songs with sweet bass and guitar riffs. Songs from the band's demo display this more than "Not Listening." Exactly two minutes in length, this is the best-sounding recording the band has and hopefully in time, we get to hear more by them. Oh, they also feature Pete from The Methadones, The Bomb and Explode and Make Up on bass. I'm going to say this song is good, reminiscent of British punk and power pop with a Midwest attitude obviously influenced by bands like Naked Raygun. Then The Dickies/Pointed Sticks/999/The Damned influence is also apparent. Check this trio out.

The third song, "Party Again" is by a band called Regal Beagle from Los Angeles. These guys sound awesome and I can't believe I haven't heard of them before. I hate to sound redundant but the beginning of the song sounds like "99" by Screeching Weasel. They also kinda remind me of The Leftovers with the "let's get drunk and party" attitude accompanied by a rockin' guitar solo. The song, less than a minute and a half in length, goes fast but rocks and is the best tune on the split. Oh, the band's MySpace profile also has a song that Joe Queer sings quite a bit on. Fucking rad.

The fourth and final band on the split, The Roman Line, strays furthest from the traditional pop punk sound, but still maintains that three-chord sound just with distortion, kind of like how Off With Their Heads does it. Their song is called "Squeaky Wheel Gets The Grease" and is about a girl that sounds as if she's an "attention whore." It's got more gruff-sounding vocals with bass and drum and then it'll go to a totally Fat Wreck-sounding verse, something like the Loved Ones or Smoke or Fire would come out with. There are backing vocals in there that reinforce that sound that I'm having trouble describing...

Anyways if you're sick of the stuff you've got and are open to new music by bands you may have never heard before, pick up this 7'' from Merman Records (www.mermanrecords.com). It's fun, diverse-sounding, and a great split put out by a great new label. I am looking forward to the next volume of "Sea Creatures" already.

Interview with Danny Vapid of Screeching Weasel/The Methadones/The Mopes/Sludgeworth/The Queers

By Chris Carlton

Squid Pro Quo: Thanks for taking the time to speak with Squid Pro Quo, Dan. I know you have a lot going on, so we'll get right to it. You've got a new band, Dan Vapid & The Cheats, and your first show is May 27th at Cobra Lounge. Who's playing with you, and how did you get the band started?

Danny Vapid: "The band is me on lead vocals and guitar, Simon Lamb (The Riverdales redux) on bass, Mike Byrne (The Methadones) on lead guitar and Mike Soucy (The Methadones) on drums. The idea behind performing as a solo act has been a suggested idea of sorts for a few years now. It started a few years back with a promoter in Genova, Italy who asked if I would be interested in touring over there playing my back catalog of songs from various bands I played in: Riverdales, Methadones, Mopes, Sludgeworth, Screeching Weasel etc... I thought it was a cool idea and a great chance to see Italy again, but never came into fruition because of other musical obligations. But since the unfortunate events with Screeching Weasel at SXSW, I would soon be left without a job. I got a call from Mike Byrne the following week and picked up some temp work through the company he works for. While working, he got a text message from the people at Cobra Lounge asking if I would be interested in doing a solo show on the same weekend that the Weasel anniversary fest was scheduled. At first, I wasn't very interested. I was still feeling very out of sorts and emotionally wrought from SXSW. Mike really liked the idea when we started talking about it and he offered to play guitar. Within a week, I began gravitating towards the idea of doing this show. I was getting lots of support after the SXSW fiasco from friends, bands and fans and that meant a lot to me. Not to mention all the people that booked airfare, hotels, etc... to see Weasel Fest, which is now canceled. It's a bad situation and not what most people made plans to come to Chicago to hear. But If there's a silver lining in this shit cloud, people can still stick around and get a chance to hear my back catalog of songs and get to see Kurt Baker and The Jetty Boys. So far, the response to this has been positive. As long as there are people who want to hear these songs, I'm more than happy to play them."

SPQ: In the past you've played "Make Way" and "Back To You" by The Riverdales and "Someday" by Sludgeworth during Methadones sets. Can we expect those songs this time around? Or is the set list being kept hush for the moment?

DV: "There are no secrets. We'll be playing all the songs you've mentioned and more. A whole set full of them."

SPQ: What can we expect from The Cheats this year? More shows or maybe some new recorded material?

DV: "I'm working on doing some more shows. I've already have had a few offers and will be playing Insubordination Fest in August. I have plenty of songs written for a new record so hopefully they will have a home with this project and we can generate some interest with some record labels on that front as well."

SPQ: You're a legend in the Chicago punk scene and you have been an influence on many, not just in Chicago, but around the world. Who influenced you as a musician and a songwriter?

DV: "Lots. Here are some songwriters. They range in genre, but here they are: Dee Dee Ramone, Joey Ramone, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Brian Wilson, Elvis Costello, Kim Schattuck, Pete Shelly, Buddy Holly, Leslie Gore, Hank Williams Sr., Jeff Pezzati, Pierre Kedzy, Ben Weasel, Paul Collins, Cliff Johnson, Rick Nielson, Blake Schwarzenbach, Matt Skiba, Josh Caterer, John Samson, Ben Gibbard, Elliott Smith, Rhett Miller, Paul Westerberg, Bob Mould and many more. Also, autobiographies from musicians, books or documentaries on bands, producers or studios like Sun Records, novelists like Charles Bukowski and John Fante, comedians like George Carlin or composers of film scores like Bill Conti and Ennio Morricone; they all play a role, even if it's very subtle. I try to take what I like about something and give it my own twist or sensibility."

SPQ: You were recently involved in the Black Sheep sessions, and recorded a single. How did you get involved in the band and what was is like playing with such legends as Eric Spicer and Jake Burns?

DV: "Mike Byrne had told me about the project and how it was associated with a new restaurant opening and I thought it was cool. Many years ago, I went to culinary school and cooking has remained and interest with me ever since. I never had the opportunity to mix music and cooking; two things that I have so much interest in. So, I e-mailed James Toland (Black Sheep Restaurant) and asked if I could write a song for the project and it was done. I was really excited about the project and to work with musicians who have had such a big influence on me. Years ago, if somebody would have told me that I would write a song and Jake Burns from Stiff Little Fingers and Eric Spicer of Naked Raygun would play on it, I wouldn't have believed it. It was a bit surreal. As soon as Jake started playing guitar, I got goosebumps. Although not a S.L.F. song, it had all the nuances of his playing and I was totally eating it up."

SPQ: I heard some of the proceeds from sales of the Black Sheep single will go to charity. Is that correct?

DV: "Correct; the Children's Memorial Hospital."

SPQ: Are there any plans for another Black Sheep recording session in the near future?

DV: "It's hard to say. There are lots of people involved, all whom have projects of their own. But if everybody was down for doing it again, I'd love to.

SPQ: With all the bands you've played with, what do you feel is your greatest musical achievement thus far?

DV: "This question is always difficult for me to answer. But some of the Sludgeworth songs and my contributions to Screeching Weasel's "My Brain Hurts" were big achievements for me. They were breakthroughs as a musician. But, ultimately, I'm just happy to make a connection with the listener no matter what the song is. Being able to make music, travel the world and having people appreciate what I do is what means the most to me."

SPQ: You've been recording music for more than 20 years now. How do you feel the scene has changed from the early '90s to now?

DV: "The mid-'90s was the merging of 'punk rock' into the mainstream. There was the success of bands like Green Day and the influx of bands that followed. Some of it made for positive change and some of it was really stupid. Since about 1999-2000 and on, there have been so many sub-genres of punk rock not only in Chicago but around the world. In a populated city like Chicago, these sub-genres have grown into many scenes, some tightly knit, and spread out over the city and suburbs. It can be hard to keep track of them. I've read some of your other interviews with guys like John Haggerty, for example, who say when they started, it was much smaller and everyone knew each other. I totally agree. In my experience, it was also less fragmented. The guy who listened to Flipper and Husker Du was friends with the guy who liked Minor Threat and The Misfits. It was all kind of part of the same thing. It's not like that as much anymore. You have pop punk kids, emo kids, hardcore kids, etc... with scenes that have little or nothing to do with each other. Then, of course, technology and the Internet played a big role of changing the punk scene. There wasn't MySpace or Facebook, etc...

SPQ: When The Methadones decided to call it a day, people seemed to take a step back, kind of shocked. I know I was blown away by the news. Was it hard to say goodbye? And do you see the four of you playing together or recording ever again?

DV: "We were a band for 10 years, had internal problems for about 5 years and we still kept going. We tried to work through it, hoping there was some spark left. Even though I was a little sad about it, we were all ready to move on. We got to the point where we were going through the motions and it was getting very stale. We all went through periods of giving a shit and not giving a shit, all at different times. We're all still good friends and I'm sure we'll work together in some capacity, but likely not as the Methadones."

SPQ: Before I let you go, is there a website that you would like to plug for any of your former bands? And where can we go to find out about upcoming shows, releases or merch?

DV: "Since I'm not playing in those bands anymore, I'd rather plug who I am currently playing with. Look out for Noise By Numbers, which will have a new record on Jump Start Records titled, "Over Leavitt" out in July. Also keep an eye out for Dan Vapid & The Cheats- we'll be playing at Cobra Lounge on May 27th. Hope to see you there!"

SPQ: I would like to thank you again for taking time out to talk with us, Dan. I am excited to see the new group live, and want to wish you and the band all the best in the coming months! Thanks again, Dan.

DV: "Thanks for the interview, Chris!"

Download a tune off "First World Manifesto" by Screeching Weasel

Screeching Weasel has a new tune up for download. It's called "Beginningless Vacation," and it'll be on its upcoming album, "First World Manifesto," due out on Fat Wreck March 15.


1: Follow Your Leaders
2: Frankengirl
3: Beginningless Vacation
4: Dry Is The Desert
5: Totem Pole
6: Creepy Crawl
7: Three Lonely Days
8: Friday Night Nation
9: All Over Town
10: Fortune Cookie
11: Baby Talk
12: Come And See The Violence Inherent In The System
13: Bite Marks
14: Little Big Man

Joe Queer on the Ben Weasel incident:

Most of us pop-punk fans have been following the Internet buzz following Screeching Weasel's SXSW show, where Ben Weasel punched two girls. Dan's dismissive hand wave at the end is my favorite part of that video. Anyway, Teenage Bottlerocket says they're out because they don't want to be associated with Ben/anyone who advocates violence and the Chinese Telephones, The Soviettes, Chixdiggit! and Kepi Ghoulie have all dropped out as well, for the same reason. Shot Baker and Banner Pilot have said they would still play. But, Vapid and the gang all quit the band as well so it looks like Weaselfest is off. Now here's what Joe Queer has to say about it:

"This whole Weasel thing is way out of hand. I mean come on and let's put this in perspective. The chick deserved a punch-unfortunately Ben gave it to her and not some other girl who would have been called a hero-but Ben's a monster. He doesn't advocate hitting chicks. I don't either. But as a lead singer in a punk band I know as well as anyone that sometimes you just fucking lose it with assholes onstage bugging you and causing trouble. This isn't Mother Teresa we're talking about here folks-it's a little troublemaker acting like she's a victim.Yeah I wish Ben had handled it differently-hell I'm sure he does. But everyone knows Ben isn't a guy who beats on chicks. Come the fuck on.
And after all Ben has done for the scene out there everyone jumps ship on him and all of a sudden he's persona non grata. I'm ashamed at all you people who could at least show him some support instead of acting all high and mighty and bailing out acting like you're some saint. Playing Weaselfest doesn't mean you condone hitting chicks for crying out loud. Talk about adding 2+2 and getting 5. Christ if Ben didn't start SW half you fuckers wouldn't even have a band. Ben's been around the scene for years-has he ever hit a chick before-no. Is he a guy who hates girls and beatson them-no. And you all fucking know it!@!Fuck you assholes who throw him under the bus like you're some righteous motherfuckers. Hey we've all fucked up-Ben has too. That doesn't mean he isn't my friend. I'm just glad it didn't happen to me-I honestly don't know how I'd react. For a chick to do that shit and then hide behind the fact she's a girl is bullshit in my book. In the old days-when a punk was a punk and not some self righteous asshole who doesn't dare to step out of line lest his Hot Topic earing punk pals make him conform to their rules-the crowd would have cheered when the chick got smacked.It's really nice at the first sign of trouble everyone bails out. Managers and booking agents and bands on Weaselfest. It's that herd mentality-everyone is terrified they do something that goes against the grain. Hey I don't advocate hitting chicks but everyone knows Ben doesn't either. You guys are all acting like you've never been to a punk show before. You people and bands who should know better too. In the heat of the moment he lashed out after getting spit directly in the face. Mother of God I pray it happens to all you do gooders out there. Let's see how cool you all are. The sad thing is Ben would be the first one sticking up for you too.

To all you bands out there-mainly those flying under the radar screen who can see thru the bullshit still instead of believing they're some self righteous do gooders-Thank you!! Right fucking on! We don't give a fuck what Fat fucking Mike-that rich bastard who has nothing whatsoever in common with his fans-says. Ben's my friend and he's done so much for the scene-he's our fucking friend and we're not abandoning him for one stupid incident at a punk show. You'd think he was throwing Jews in the oven at Aushcwitz the way these people are talking. And bands dropping off Weaselfesttoo-fucking A you pussy motherfuckers. Fuck you!! Talk about fair-weather friends. Boy this has shown me everything I need to know about a few people. You scumbag motherfuckers."

Interview with Mike Byrne of The Methadones/Off Broadway (Redux)/Dan Vapid and the Cheats

(Mike Byrne, guitarist, pictured right)
By Chris Carlton

Squid Pro Quo: Thanks for taking the time to talk with Squid Pro Quo, Mike. Can you tell me how you got involved in Dan Vapid & The Cheats?

Mike Byrne: "Hey Chris, thanks for asking me for an interview. I need a better public image since the "To Catch A Predator" episode aired. You all know what happened at SXSW. When Dan got back, we needed some help at were I work, so Dan was coming into work with me every day. Dan's mentioned in the past how he would love to put a band together or play a show doing songs he has written for all his bands. A friend of mine who works with the owner of the Cobra Lounge contacted me asking if Dan would be interested in doing a show at the Cobra in place of Weaselfest. Dan was a little hesitant about it. I offered to play guitar if he needed someone. After about a week of thinking about it, he decided to to it and he gave me a list of songs to learn. At first, I thought it might be just a one-off gig, but we are going to go ahead and make a band out of it and record and play shows."

SPQ: Besides the upcoming gig Memorial Day weekend at Cobra Lounge, are there any more gigs planned as of right now?

MB: "We have one other show that we are planning on playing, but we are working the details out with the promoter. I guess I shouldn't say anything yet until it's official. We plan on playing out and we will probably do another show in Chicago sometime this summer. We plan on doing out of town shows too. The only thing we probably won't do is any long-term touring. It's just too hard with jobs and two of the guys in the band are married and Dan is having a kid soon."

SPQ: You were playing with Kurt Baker (The Leftovers) recently. Will you be doing double duty playing with Kurt and The Cheats at the show?

MB: "I will be doing double duty at this show. Luckily for me, I know a good portion of Kurt's set already from playing with him back in December. I think we are adding some new songs to the set, so I will have to learn those. I already know all the songs in Dan's set, so that shouldn't be a problem."

SPQ: Being a huge Off Broadway fan myself, I could only imagine what it would be like to play with Cliff Johnson. So, I have to ask...what IS it like?

MB: "Hahaha, it's actually pretty interesting. I've been a huge Off Broadway fan myself for over 11 years. I never thought I would be playing with Cliff in a band much less in Off Broadway. It's different because I've played in punk bands my whole life. It's a different style of playing and it's more challenging as far as chords and song structure. Cliff and the bass player Greg are super talented guys and I feel very inadequate playing with them sometimes because they grew up learning from the Beatles and I grew up learning from the Misfits and bands like that. But the two styles do work good together. The shows are fun because we play totally different places than The Methadones did. We play dingy bars on the Northwest side or sports bars in the suburbs."

SPQ: Is Off Broadway back? And if so, are you a part of the band?

MB: "Off Broadway is back; I'm the guitar player along with Simon (Lamb), who played with Dan too. We've talked about recording some new stuff and we definitely have plans to play a lot of shows. We are in the process of getting a new drummer. We had someone, but he just joined Badfinger, so we are back to looking."

SPQ: Any plans for recording new music with any of the bands previously mentioned?

MB: "We definitely plan on recording with Dan Vapid and the Cheats. Dan has a lot of songs written. I'm always really excited to hear new material from Dan. We've discussed it with Off Broadway, but we don't have any new material to record but Cliff has a lot of old unreleased songs that we could record. I think Dan and Cliff are two of my favorite songwriters and I'm lucky to be playing with both of them."

SPQ: Looking back at not only your career in music, but all the bands you've seen come out of Chicago, what are some of the high points for you?

MB: "I think growing up in the 'burbs and being lucky enough to come into the city at a young age and see all these great bands. Some like Raygun and The Effigies who were already established at the time, but seeing bands like Screeching Weasel, Sludgeworth, Gear, No Empathy, The Vindictives and a lot of others when they weren't as popular as they got. McGregor's in Elmhurst was a cool club that I spent many Sunday and Wednesday nights, seeing a lot of these bands. Plus you had the Wrigleyside on Clark St. that Marc Ruvalo booked at and Isabelle's on Grand Ave. that Joey Vindictive booked at. There were a lot of short-lived clubs that lasted only a year that put on great shows. I really miss when I was younger and was excited about seeing bands. I don't get that very often now."

SPQ: What's you all-time favorite venue to see a live show or play at?

MB: "Seeing bands for me was always cool at McGregor's. They had decent food and always put on great bands. I saw so many amazing shows there. Green Day, Pegboy, Screeching Weasel, Los Crudos, Sludgeworth, Monsula, 411, Born Against, Smoking Popes; there are so many. As far as playing, I always loved playing the old Bottom Lounge. I thought it was a really cool place and the owners were really nice guys. I always had a blast playing there."

SPQ: Who influenced you as a musician?

MB: "Growing up, I listened to metal when I was a kid and then got into punk and hardcore. The band that totally made me want to start a band and play guitar was The Misfits. When I first heard "Walk Among Us," I stopped listening to metal and started buying punk records. Some people growing up loved KISS and The Misfits were my KISS. When I was in 5th or 6th grade, I would come home from school every day and put on "Walk Among Us." I can still listen to that album all the time. As I got older, I would say Cheap Trick has a big influence. They wrote amazing tunes and they looked cool. Before I met Dan, I always, and still do, think he writes these amazing tunes. When we started playing together, it was cool to see him take two or three chords and turn them into these great songs. I still love watching him do that."

SPQ: Of all the bands you've played with, who did you like playing with more and why?

MB: "The band I had the most fun in was The Methadones. I got to play on a bunch of albums and tour the States and Canada and go to Europe. It was a blast. Like any band, there were some not-so-fun things about it, but for the most part, I had a great time. Plus it was the longest band I ever played in; 10 years. I played in a bunch of other bands that had some fun moments, but they never lasted to long. Before playing in The Methadones, I played in The Vindictives for about two years and I learned a lot about playing lead guitar from the bass player, Johnny. He is a really talented guy who showed me a lot of cool stuff on the guitar."

SPQ: If you had the chance to see any band/artist that you haven't seen yet, who would it be?

MB: "Obviously there are a lot of bands that are broken up that I would want to see. But bands that are still around? The Forgotten Rebels, Gilbert O'Sullivan, Joe Jackson, 20/20, the Vancouver Subhumans. That's all I can think of now."

SPQ: And now the question we've all been waiting for; what are your top 3 favorite places to get chicken wings?

MB: "Fantastic question. First is Yakzie's in Chicago. Hands down the best wings in Chicago and the world. Amazing sauce. The wings are small, but in a good way. Second would be "Down the Hatch" in New York City. They are a very close second to Yakzie's. Good sized wings and a very similar sauce to Yakzie's. Third I would say right now is Wingstop on Milwaukee Ave. in Chicago. I'm partial to them because I live closeby and the wings are consistent and the owner is really nice and he gave me a free meal once."

SPQ: As always, I want to extend a big thank you for taking the time to speak with Squid Pro Quo, Mike. Always good to hear from you and see what you're up to.

MB: "Thanks for the interview Chris, as always I think you should wear tighter trousers. I will see you on May 27th at the Cobra for the first Dan Vapid and the Cheats show."

An AT&T electrician, a CD/DVD replicator, a grocery store manager and a full-time musician by day, The Methadones by night

My favorite band to see live announced it was calling it quits this past June. The Methadones will play its final show this Saturday, 11/13 at Reggie's Rock Club in Chicago with The Soviettes, The Copyrights and The Jetty Boys. I've never had such a conflicted set of feelings for a show in my life. I have seen The Methadones over 20 times, more than any other band. Ever. I've made friends at their shows, met significant others at their shows and all-around had way too much fun singing along to Dan Schafer's infectious pop tunes (and had an indiscernible number of guitarist Mike Byrne's grey picks stuck to my forehead after being in his mouth. And spit at me, for that matter). Seriously though, no other guitar player will encourage you to flip things up on stage (guitar picks, bottle caps, etc...) and into his mouth while playing a song.

My hetero-life mate, Jerry Cola (who I befriended after many-a-Methadones-show years ago) and I have been yelled at and had things thrown at us by drummer Mike Soucy for stealing Byrne's microphone at past Beat Kitchen shows and drunkenly singing with our favorite songwriter, Dan Schafer. Pretty much every time, it's a blast to talk to bassist Pete Mittler. Most of the times, he's hammered and says things to me like, "I hope I remember this song" or "I'm not gonna fuckin' remember this song." This past June in Baltimore, he's even condensed it down to, "I'm drunk. Shit, we go on soon." But he's always pulled through, and it rocked. I've seen The Methadones have really, really good nights and I've seen them have off nights. I've seen them play venues that are no longer venues (first Bottom Lounge on Belmont Ave. and School St., Stage 83 in Lemont, etc...). I've seen them play dives. I've seen them play huge stages. I've seen them in Illinois. I've seen them multiple times in Maryland. I've seen them go through lineup changes. I've seen them revert back to the old lineup. I've seen those guys on the wagon and I've seen them off the wagon. I've seen them play Riverdales songs. I've seen them play Sludgeworth songs and I'm pretty sure I even saw them take a crack at a Screeching Weasel song before the whole Weasel get-back-together thing (it was The Methadones or The Mopes at the Beat Kitchen in 2006, I can't recall). I've lost my voice a lot, dealt with a combined total of weeks of ringing ears and have been overly tired the following day because of this band. And I wouldn't change a thing about it. Except for maybe wearing earplugs sooner.

The first time I saw The Methadones play was June 12, 2005 at the old Bottom Lounge. They were opening for The Lawrence Arms, a band whose live shows I was also pretty new to at the time. A Wilhelm Scream also played that show. That was during the band's Thick Records days: a label that treated them like shit, skipped out on any forms of payment and from what I understand, ultimately ignored any and all of the band's attempts to contact them. "Not Economically Viable" had been out for about 7 months and I was completely oblivious to anything Methadones. I didn't know that that Sunday, the day Mike Tyson announced his retirement from boxing, would be the first time I would see one of my future favorite bands and be the start of a few new friendships at shows and outside of shows.

I headed back to the car my ma let me borrow that day - or to the Metra - hooked. I couldn't take my eyes off their guitar player, Mike Byrne. He was running back and forth across the stage like a fucking madman and I'm pretty sure he was intoxicated and/or on something. He was pogo-ing like crazy and I thought, "Man; these are some pretty poppy hooks but if this guy is that into it, there must be something more. They must be worth checking out." That's exactly what I did when I got home. I checked 'em out. I fell in love with his lead guitar on songs like "Mess We Made" and especially, "I'm About To Crack." I told my best friend from high school, "You gotta check these guys out with me, you'll LOVE them" and it became a thing between me and that friend to catch The Methadones whenever they played Chicago and its surrounding suburbs.

I started a zine called Squid Pro Quo in January of 2008 after I discovered my passion for writing and then actually getting published. Frustrated with various music publications not publishing me (but moreso, my unwillingness to try over and over again only to be rejected or even worse, ignored), a light bulb clicked on in my head and I said, "Fuck it" and decided to start my own zine. It didn't sell all that well, but online, it got and still gets a lot of hits and I interviewed some pretty fuckin' cool musicians (Joe Queer, Dan Schafer, Mike Byrne, Derek Grant, Mikey Erg!, Jess Margera, etc...). Anyways, this isn't about the zine, it's about The Methadones. My favorite outlet with the zine was each issue's column by Mike Byrne. I'd e-mail him, knowing that he always had something funny to say and always had a story to tell whenever I saw him in person (I remember this one time at a show before I knew him, he and a friend of his were drunk and we were both wearing white T-shirts. His had a front pocket and mine didn't. He put his arm around me and pointed out the fact that had my shirt had a front pocket, we'd be matching. Then he told me to work on that).

He wrote me two columns and they are my favorite and most fun articles I published. The first one was an article he wrote in 2008 about meatheads. The second one, which he wrote in 2009, was published in the print copy of Squid Pro Quo issue #2, and tells all about The Methadones' European Tour, mainly detailing all the joints and weed that accompanied them and telling fun anecdotes about the drummer just deciding to end "Annie" in the middle of the song and so on (I gotta type that one up and post it).

Sometime in the next couple of days, Mike Byrne will submit a third piece chronicling The Methadones' 10-year run.

Thinking about this Saturday, I'm flooded with butting emotions. I'm as happy as I was when I was a teenager looking forward to jumping around, getting drunk and singing along, losing my voice and yelling for them to play "Transistor Radio" and "Bottom Out" (the latter of which I don't think I've ever heard live). At the same time, I'm bummed. I'm really, genuinely bummed that this will be the last time I will experience The Methadones. No other band since June 12, 2005 has made an impression on me quite like The Methadones did. That's not to say I haven't gotten really into any bands since then, but The Methadones were and are unique. The four-piece are all very different personalities with their own unique lives, and they've always set that aside and collaborated to play these songs. My relationship with each of them as friends has changed how I initially viewed them, but only for the better. As I've grown up and played in my own bands, I've shared bills with Pete, I've hung out with Mike Byrne, had beers with Dan (while being too afraid I'd come off as just another obnoxious, attention-starved pop punk fan) and engaged in some things I cannot publicly speak of with Mike Byrne now that I really think about it.

It will be a bummer knowing that part of my teenage years/early 20s is gone. Fortunately for me, the guys of The Methadones all have different musical prospects going on so the good thing is, I won't lose out on the music they make. Dan Schafer's in Screeching Weasel, The Riverdales and Noise By Numbers, Mike Byrne is in Cliff Johnson and the Happy Jacks, Pete Mittler plays in Explode and Make Up, The Bomb and The Neutron Bombs and Mike Soucy plays in The Bomb. I'm excited as I will ever be to see The Methadones one last time at Reggie's this Saturday, but I'd be a liar if I said I wasn't bummed out as well.

Updated: Banner Pilot on the Ben Weasel incident:

They were going to play, but Banner Pilot just issued this statement:

"Weasel Fest

As we said a few days ago, what Ben did at SXSW was lame and unjustified. Other bands and people have defended the punch as justified, a view that we consider to be, uh, insane. You don’t punch someone who spits on you, period. But given that by all accounts it was the first time he had punched someone, and he apologized, we felt it made sense to honor the single show we had agreed to months earlier. A lot of other people seem to equate his punch to a guy beating his girlfriend (ala Chris Brown) or something; we viewed it more as a really, really stupid spur of the moment reaction. Dumb, not justified, but not the kind of thing that would make a person have no chance at redemption. So, it was a weird thing to be caught in the middle of, it wasn’t an easy choice, and we understood the other bands who dropped off. We just decided that, based on everything we knew, we’d honor our commitment to play the festival.

Since then, though, the rest of Screeching Weasel has quit, more bands have dropped off, and no one knows if it will even happen. It’s in a weird limbo. If it doesn’t happen, we don’t want to find out so late that it becomes a pain to adjust our tour / travel plans. And if it does happen, it sounds like it will no longer resemble the show we committed to play.

In other words, it’s a pretty weird situation, and we’re going to bow out of it and will look at setting up a different show for Chicago some other time. Apologies to anyone who wanted to see us at the show. We’ll make it up, promise."

-Banner Pilot

The Fizzy Pops - "The Fizzy Pops" review:

Finally - some good pop punk by teenagers and not 35-year olds! The Fizzy Pops, from the western 'burbs of Chicago, released its debut, self-titled album in December 2009 on Throw Up Records.
The trio alternates vocal duty between bassist Luke Ostojic and guitarist Caitlin Ferraro. Their tunes channel influences from early Green Day, Screeching Weasel and The Queers. It's especially noticeable when Caitlin busts out the catchy, poppy solos leading songs like "Friday The 13th" and "My Boss Is a Weirdo." Unlike a lot of pop punk bands, the bass player doesn't follow every note the guitarist does, which is refreshing. The two instruments play well off each other, almost giving some of the tracks a hint of ska influence. A confrontational tune, "Weasel," is led by Cait (which may or may not be about Ben Weasel). Not sure. Then some tunes, like "Loose Screws," almost seems to pull more of a Vindictives influence than anything else, combining a fast beat and snotty and somewhat non-traditional, "unpretty" pop punk vocals. I recommend this album to anyone who is a fan of any of the aforementioned bands. And The Muffs, cause sometimes Cait's vocals remind me of Kim Shattuck's. Also, these dudes (and dudette) are fun to see live - very full of energy!

3.5/5

TOP TRACK: "Friday The 13th"

Shot Baker - "Take Control" review

Most of today's "Chicago punk bands" have strayed far from their roots. By roots, I mean bands like Naked Raygun and The Effigies, two Chicago originals from the early 1980s that gave Chicago a defined, unique sort of working-class sound.

Sure, Chicago has popular bands like Alkaline Trio, whose influences include Naked Raygun, Pegboy and a slew of Chicago originals, but they are a completely separate animal.

But in 2003, Shot Baker exploded onto the scene.
My first time hearing them was at a Mopes reunion show at the Beat Kitchen in the summer of 2006, where I picked up a five-song demo with a little bird on the cover.
I immediately fell in love with the philosophical, yet contemplative lyrics backed by such strong, driving music.
At first, I was reminded of Screeching Weasel, not by the band's sound, but by its messages and thoughts. One of my favorite elements of Ben Weasel's lyrics is that he admittedly doesn't know everything, but finds a niche in not knowing and he still tries to figure things out. I sensed this in vocalist, Tony Kovacs' lyrics.
It's something I can relate to, just like Shot Baker's new album, "Take Control," released on June 24 on Riot Fest Records.

The album, less than 30 minutes long, has a lot packed into it.
The first song, "Short On Time," is a straight up punk song about accepting the way things they are, even if they would be better changed. It's not a song about giving up, but a song about living and going with the flow, so to speak.
Kovacs sings "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em/I'm done searching for the truth."

Immediately following "Short On Time" is "Falling Apart," a song re-recorded from the little bird demo I picked up two summers ago.
This tune's eye-opening lyrics sing of fear and man's ignorance. Kovacs sings about how the borders of large and powerful countries are nothing more than lines drawn in sand and how depending on which side you're on, the other side's men are always going to be less than yours.
It's about the ridiculousness of pride and arrogance. But like most Shot Baker songs, it's a hopeful tune, ending with a message.
"Let evolution strike the human heart/Ignite the light of truth/Compassion will triumph over ignorance/It all starts with you."
Kind of like a "Your vote matters" message, only without the false pretense lying underneath.

The next song that really caught my attention and sparked a bunch of neurons was "Just In Case."
Kovacs really digs a philosophical mine in this one, as he breaks everything down by saying, "Did you ever stop and think? Your ancestral history. All those people had to meet and all the circumstances had to be just right, down the line, back to the time when man first started. This big bad life is what you're handed, will you take your time for granted?"
There's a little hint of sarcasm in there, poking fun at all the depressed people we have wandering the Earth for no real reason.

But the real kicker in this song that makes me want to live each day to the utmost fullest is when Kovacs says, "Now is your greatest journey, make it all worthwhile just in case there is no afterlife/Live like it fucking matters, search for heaven deep inside just in case there is no afterlife."
I can't say enough about how truly amazing "Take Control" is. It covers both spectrums of musical enjoyment. If you're more into the words, this album's got it. If you're more into the sound, this album has it down to a beat.

Do your ears and mind a favor and pick up "Take Control" by Shot Baker. For anybody else who hasn't quite figured things out but are open to life's possibilities, this album is an ass-kicking, reassuring pot of gold.

The Queers/The Scissors show review (3.14.09):

So tonight, Reggie's in Chicago hosted The Queers with The Scissors. There was another band in between called The Poison Arrows, but they had to cancel due to alleged "van trouble."
It was cool because unlike the last four times I've seen The Queers, this time had something different; something special. They had, on tour with them, Wimpy Rutherford. Wimpy used to play in the original Queers in like 1982 (See:The Queers story) when they first started out as just a local punk band to piss off local art fags, as he once called them. Ah, who am I kidding? Art fags are everywhere.
They did a Ramones cover of "I Don't Care," which was pretty cool considering they usually do "Sheena Is a Punk Rocker" and "Blitzkrieg Bop." Adam from The Leftovers was playing drums for them, which was awesome because The Leftovers are a really great band. He was a really nice guy too, which is always cool. They all are nice guys.
They played a lot of the usual stuff - "Debra Jean," "Granola Head," "Hi Mom, It's Me," "Ben Weasel," "Teenage Bonehead," "I Hate Everything," "I Want Cunt," "You're Tripping," "Fuck the World," "Punk Rock Girls," "No Tit," "Born To Do Dishes," "etc...
But with Wimpy, they did "MacArthur's Park," "Fagtown," "This Place Sucks," "Tulu Is a Wimp," "Kicked Out of the Webelos," "Terminal Rut," "I Spent the Rent," "I'm Useless," "Wimpy Drives Through Harlem," "We'd Have a Riot Doing Heroin," "I Like Young Girls," "Nothing To Do," "Fuck You" and I think some others. They did a cover of Screeching Weasel's "Cindy's On Methadone" too.
It was a really good show. The Scissors were pretty good. I don't recall seeing the chick guitarist the last time I saw them play at The Note. So, possible new addition there. Pretty good stuff though. Queers are coming out with a split with The Riptides sometime this year as well as a new full-length, I believe. I'm pretty sure both are going to come out on Asian Man Records. Go catch The Queers with Wimpy Rutherford, it was fuckin' good.

The Queers Are Here!

The first known usage of the term "punk rock" was in the Chicago Tribune on March 22, 1970 in an article about a New York band called The Fugs, where lead singer Ed Sanders described his solo material as "punk rock - redneck sentimentality."

Punk was not just about making a different style of music for the hell of it, which is a common misunderstanding. Punk seemed to be a necessary step taken in the 1970s by those across the globe who didn't agree with the pompousness and sentiment of the era's rock 'n' roll bands and society.

"Punk rock had to come along because the rock scene had become so tame that [acts] like Billy Joel and Simon and Garfunkel were being called rock 'n' roll, when to me and other fans, rock 'n' roll meant this wild and rebellious music," said John Holmstrom, founder of "Punk Magazine."

By 1977, the punk movement was in full swing. England had The Clash and The Sex Pistols. The U.S.'s punk scene stretched from The Germs in California all the way to The Ramones in New York. Australia had The Saints.

While it had a tendency to spawn in urban areas, punk was not just found in big cities. Many obscure towns birthed some of the longest-living and most influential punk bands of the era. One such place was in Portsmouth, N.H.

In 1977, then-vocalist John Hayes (also known as Wimpy Rutherford) was practicing with guitarist and current vocalist Joe King when his friend, Kevin came running in saying, "'Come out to the car, come out to the car, you gotta hear this tape I got,' Hayes said.

"So we went out to his car and we sat in his car and we listened to 'You're a Loudmouth, Baby' and 'PT Boat On the Way to Havana' and I've never heard The Ramones or anything like that before and that was the day - that was the actual day - that we just stopped doing all the shit we were doing and went down a whole other road. Once I heard the energy of that kind of thing, that just sent me right down the road."

"We were just inspired by The Ramones and Black Flag and we kind of just wanted to start a band," said King. "We were fooling around with our instruments and then we just said, 'Let's start a band.' And that was really it, to just have a legal reason as it were, to drink and try to pick up girls and stuff like that," said King.

At this time, Hayes and King (also known as Joe Queer) played in a local punk band called The Bugs and another called The Falling Spikes. Then in 1981, Hayes, King and bassist Tulu declared themselves "The Queers."

"Joe and I were both just sick of the crap of the '70s, the music that was out and what people listened to, like fuckin' Steely Dan and The Eagles and all that kind of crap, and we just wanted to be anti all that," Hayes said.

King and Hayes just wanted a name people would remember that was provocative and also pissed off the art community.

"We just wanted a name that we could spraypaint around our town to piss 'em off, so that's kind of where it came from and it stuck with us," King said.

When The Queers started out, punk was just punk. There was no "this type and that type" like there is today.

"You were nasty and snotty and played power chords with no beats and it was really, everything was kind of similar," Hayes said. "The only dissimilar things you had was, you had the east coast American and west coast American and then the English."

The Queers released two 45 rpm records between 1982 and 1984.

"I remember when we put out the first two Queers records, it was so small then, I remember being at my house, I was a just little kid, living in my little apartment and in came a letter from Jello Biafra and he said, 'Hey, I heard your two singles on some radio station somewhere, where can I get a hold of them? Thanks, Jello Biafra,'" Hayes said. "So even people like that were already in touch with other people that were doing the same. It was pretty small, pretty close-knit. I sent him the singles, I sent him a letter back and I never heard back, but I had come to find out that the guy's an asshole."

In the mid-'80s, the bandmates went separate ways.

King got into the restaurant business, and owned a two-story bar/café in New Hampshire at the time that had burgers, nachos and things of the sort.

"It's creative and there's a good energy," King said. "A lot of people complain about the restaurant business, but it doesn't have to suck, you know, it could be really fun if you get a good crew in there." We had the dining room area (where) there would be a lot of grilled salmon and Italian food and stuff. It was a pretty cool place and I miss cooking. Every once in a while, I wish I still had the restaurant."

King took me back to the 1980s and early 1990s when he had his own place in N.H.

"I was really dedicated, it was a small place. We only sat 46 upstairs and 46 down in the lounge. Everything was fresh," King said. "So, I cooked my own turkey for the roast turkey sandwiches, I cooked my own roast beef, I cut my own French fries, I made my own tomato sauce - I used canned tomatoes - but I used as much stuff fresh as I could, whether it's a burger or whatever. There's a right way and a wrong way to make it, so I didn't just have a restaurant that I opened up to throw frozen French fries in the fryer, no. I didn't do that, that'd be kind of boring."

As King got into the restaurant business, original bassist, Tulu and Hayes went to Boston.

The bandmates were doing their separate things until 1990 when King put out the first record with bassist Greg Urbatis, drummer Hugh O'Neill and guitarist "Young" Sean Rowley.

"I owned the restaurant then, Hugh and B-Face (bass) worked for me - my friends, you know. We were the punks and so I said, 'Let's make one album. Let's get together and make one more album, we'll put it out ourselves and we'll call it a day, but at least it'll be a great punk album,'" King said. "OK, so we hadn't played in about a year, but we still had a bunch of songs. I met Ben Weasel out in Chicago, I sent him an old recording or something. And he got on Lookout! (Records) in 1992 or 1993 and I was working at the restaurant and Larry Livermore called me from Lookout! and he said, 'Do you want to make an album?' So here I am in N.H. and I'm thinking 'Hey, fuck it, I was going to buy a restaurant in Portsmouth, N.H. There was a great deal, I had the money, I was going to go in there at the restaurant downtown and Larry called."

At that time, Lookout!'s own Green Day was just hitting it big.

"I said, 'You know what, I haven't gone down that path in life and I need to learn those lessons. So I know I'll probably regret this, but I'm not going to buy that restaurant,' so I didn't buy it," King said. "The people went in there and they made a lot of money. But I went down that path in life with music and I traveled and that's what happened."

To King, it was weird because he and his friends just wanted to have fun and play on weekend and work the restaurant business.

"That's the point where we made 'Love Songs For the Retarded' and put it out ourselves, we pressed like 500 vinyls or something and called it a day, but here I am," King said. "Then all of a sudden, I went down that path in life and that's how I met my wife and all my friends now are through music, so this whole big life I have was all because I took that decision not open the restaurant and take a chance and go on the road and play music and meet people and learn about life. It all worked out."

Before 1993's "Love Songs For the Retarded," The Queers' 1990 release, "Grow Up," was the band's first and, undergoing numerous lineup changes over the years, The Queers today have over 15 releases between full-length albums and 45 rpm singles. The band's 2007 release, "Munki Brain," deviates away from straight punk and into bubblegum pop and surf.

It's rare that a punk band outlives The Ramones' 22-year career, but The Queers have done it and are still traveling the world.

"You kind of get to the point doing music where listen, all of want to party, at least a bunch of us musicians, want to party and do drugs and drink and not have to work a regular job and sleep with girls you wouldn't meet otherwise," King said. "You want to do all that stuff, but ultimately, it was something inside, that I had to do music. Once I started doing music, I realized it was all about punk rock to me, and music was about being the better person and learning about life and becoming a better person through it. People think it's just about playing a gig to a bunch of drunken people, but its so much more. It's like a journey; if you don't learn anything from the journey, then I should've just stayed in the restaurant."

To King, musicians are lucky to take on the job of going out and touring and playing music to lots of people.

"Not many people get to do a job where they cheer, you know? And say 'MORE MORE MORE.' That doesn't happen when you're flippin' burgers or writing for the paper or whatever, right? You know, if you don't learn from this lucky trip that you're on right here, then you might as well go manage a fuckin' Taco Bell 'cause you're a fuckin' asshole and you haven't learned anything."

"Like George Harrison from the Beatles said: 'We woke up one day, we're the biggest band in the world but then we looked at each other and said, 'Now what?'' So yeah, that's the way I look at it, it's all about learning about life," King said.

Over the years, a lot of now-famous pop punk bands have opened for The Queers.

"A lot of the pop punk bands that got famous like Lit or Good Charlotte or Fall Out Boy or Blink-182 and tons of those other bands - Sum 41 - but really, the only truly great one was Green Day. I'm inspired by it, it's great and that's cool and more power to 'em, I mean, I did it 'cause it was something inside, but bands like us, Green Day, Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Screeching Weasel, The Muffs, we didn't do it 'cause it was a career move," King said. "Now it is a career move. If you look like you dress at Hot Topic and got eye shadow on and you write some gay ass songs, you can get famous whether you have fuckin' talent or not, if you got the look.

"It was like a loser's proposition. You were either fuckin' 'Welcome to Burger King, may I take your order ma'am?' or a punk rocker. There wasn't any fuckin' safety net under you. You did it because something told you to do it. Green Day, they were going to do those songs on 'Dookie' whether they got fuckin' famous as hell or they didn't. They had those songs written - we saw 'em, they were showin' 'em to us - before 'Dookie' came out. Some of us got really famous, some of us got semi-famous and some died, some lived, some learned, some moved on, you know. But it touched all of us. Punk rock really did a bunch of cool people out."

King is now married, but playing more than 30 years of punk rock, he is definitely not looking to call it a day anytime soon.

The Queers, who tour a lot, can live off touring, but the band needs a break, King said.

"I'm opening up a recording studio and starting my first session next week, working with The Riptides from Ottawa, Canada," King said. "We're going to do a split with them and a couple other projects. I got a bunch of bands coming in. We're starting slow, but it's pretty cool. I'm spending all my money on stuff, but it's fun. To be honest, I'm more into getting behind the scenes. I see some of the newer pop-punk bands, not many of them really excite me and none of 'em can really hold a candle to Screeching Weasel or Mr. T Experience or The Muffs back in the day. So, I get inspired to show 'em how it's done properly."

Hayes is currently fronting The Jabbers, G.G. Allin's first band. The Queers' current lineup consists of King on vocals and guitar, The Bugs' Dangerous Dave on bass and backup vocals and Ryan from the Atom Age on drums.

At 7 p.m. Sunday, October 5, The Queers will be rolling through Urbana, stopping to play a show at The IMC, 202 S. Broadway, with The Independents, Roberta Sparrow and Dizzy Chair Time. Admission is $10.