yeah the Murder Junkies were fun! It was good punk rock, I enjoyed it. Merle on bass and Dino on drums are original members so they’ve been playing like 25 years, Paul the singer had a real presence, his voice was deeper than I thought it would be. I think he said he’s been in them 9 years-the biggest thrill for me was the guitarist Sonny-he’s been in ‘em off and on for 20 years and he could really play. But the atmosphere was just disgusting, it was in a strip mine shopping mall next to the cop barbershop (my barbershop actually). And it was like every hot topic punk in Marietta that wants to get down with the people and pretend to do something DIY wandered around when their band wasn’t playing. For every three guys there was one cute chick that just indicates these were bands where only one of ‘em had dating social skills. (there WAS a guy in a straw hat and overalls with a cardboard captain crunch purse which I had to admit was audacious). Merle said it was the "shittiest lineup of bands they ever played with" and it certainly was this plain sludge of sound, like a wall of tuneless mud. Every song sounded like a backwards version of wooly bully, all these jerkoff interchangeable and disposable weezer tribute bands. In between bands they danced to dead kennedys records like “peanuts” characters. It was a cartoon that affected a certain cynicism but was completely misunderstood. case in point: treeport were definitely the worst (but that’s their thing: they’re the worse) they don’t seem to understand that people in wheelchairs making muslim sand nigger jokes isn’t really IRONIC even after it was explained to me that he was in “character” and he was “pretending” to play a role. Well in this political climate, particularly in this specific “cultural” atmosphere that parodied all aspects of individuality, Swayze's is a place where thinking for yourself means a glow in the dark tattoo. And pretending to be racist makes as much sense as contending that so-called punk rock is entertainment; where the protagonist is somehow different than their “real” selves. And it wasn’t even funny. And who books six opening bands on a Thursday? The GEDs dipped in attitude wear thin. Actually the best opening band was the one whose battery died and they couldn't figure out how to get a jump. that was awesome! then the guy couldn't find his battery in the car. Oh yeah heckling them with the Murder Junkies was fun. (While this was going on the red Mohawk road manager Brandon was sleeping on TOP of the van. He looked like Snoopy.) Then like a roar from the deep Merle lost his temper. That was scary, even if I didn’t agree I would have agreed with Merle (he was right.) When Merle is furious everyone else should at least be indignant. The Murder Junkies played for a half hour because Ironside couldn’t figure out how to pace a show and since frankly so many people were in bands, there were like five paying customers so the guarantee was in question. Merle was thrilled screaming “these people don’t get it!” (Actually I chain smoked while gossiping and trading stories which is what I do best. I knew we should have gotten beer and gone to my house.) I was hoping they wouldn’t play but a nice couple drove 140 miles from Warner Robins and Mondo came up from Macon-so the “promoter” guilt trips Merle… when they were finally on stage an hour late with a long drive to St Pete ahead I counted 40 people. and it was this weird shirtless homoerotic mosh pit ballet. it was incredible the layers of cultural alienation, these people are an alternative to WHAT exactly. When Whitman dreamed of nation of poets he didn’t realize that it would decimate the audience because everyone would be too cool to PAY and go inside. but the Murder Junkies rocked they did, I enjoyed it. the guitar player Sonny is discussing retirement and I hope he doesn’t but if he does at least I got to see him. The singer Paul was mentioning that everyone in the audience was in a band on the guest list. I reminded him that there was one angry rock critic. “You didn’t pay either!” Damn right.
the Murder Junkies
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