Atlanta Show Lists: April 1996 - August 1997

Scott MC (Chapman Park, Portrait, etc.) recently sent me some archived show lists from when these things would be regularly printed and pasted on the walls of your local eating establishments, record stores, and what have you. There are some great shows on this list, some that I remember well, and some I don't remember at all or completely missed. Please send me your comments and other show lists you might have, as I plan to compile a database of these sometime down the road. I have included some of my own comments below as well.

April 13, 1996 - the hal al Shedad, the Forty-Two, Freemasonry, Barrel at BLT’s

April 23, 1996 – The hal al shedad, Wheeljack, Year Zero, Tenth Muted Capper, Legendary Thundermug at Emory ex-frathouse (benefit for Empty the Shelters)

James: This was the show that was videotaped by Phil Dwyer, and he used video stills from this show for the cover of our first album.

April 27, 1996 – Inkwell (last show), Order of Importance, Reversal of Man, The new ex-Prevail band (maybe) at The Driver Dome (compilation 7” release show)

James: Joe Myers has uploaded Inkwell footage from this show on Youtube.

May 17, 1996 – Damad, In/Humanity, Quadiliacha, The Forty-Two, Tank 18, Das Kriminal, Asshole Parade at BLT’s

James: I believe this was the last Mathis Hunter appearance on bass for Quadiliacha, but I could be wrong.

June 3, 1996 – Franklin, Ethyl Meserve, Huasipungo, The Year Zero at The I-Defy House

June 7, 1996 - Promise Ring, Hot Water Music, Fat Day, In/Humanity, The End of the Century Party at The Driver Dome

James: I believe this was Promise Ring's first Atlanta show, and what a lineup!

June 8, 1996 - Cease, Emnity, Necrolust, Outbreak at The I-Defy House

June 8, 1996 - Quadiliacha, The Forty-Two, The Martin Family at BLT’s

June 14, 1996 - Karate, The hal al Shedad at the Driver Dome

James: I have no recollection of this show - did it ever happen?

June 16, 1996 - Act of Faith (last show) at The Point (Matinee Show)

June 16, 1996 - Assuck, Man is the Bastard, Heretical Response, Social Infestation, Tank 18 at BLT’s

James: This was a great show, I left Atlanta from this show and drove to San Diego, and then Austin for the Olympics summer.

June 17, 1996 - Man Afraid, Republic of Freedom Fighters (ex-Breakwater), Life Among Ruin (first show) at The I-Defy House

June 22, 1996 - Some band that is ex-Native Nod (Van Pelt?) at The Driver Dome

June 26, 1996 - Ex-Ignota, One Way, Rainchild, Serotonin at The I-Defy House

June 30, 1996 – Ascension, Outbreak at The I-Defy House

July 4, 1996 - Still Life, Born & Razed, Water Monitor at The I-Defy House

July 8, 1996 - Rye Coalition at The I-Defy House

July 9, 1996 - Reversal of Man, Anasarca, Piebald, Pecola, Rinse, Palatka at The I-Defy House

July 12, 1996 – FYP, Mission to Murder at The I-Defy House

July 16, 1996 – Puritan, Outbreak at The I-Defy House

August 10, 1996 - Seeing Red, Torches to Rome, Palatka at The I-Defy House

James: I heard this show was amazing.

August 16, 1996 – Hourglass, New Day Rising at The I-Defy House

August 20, 1996 – SevenYearsWar, Grey Before My Eyes at The Driver Dome

December 13, 1996 - Hal al Shedad (album release), Autonomy vs Shame, Thin White Dukes at the Driver Dome

James: This was the release show for the first Hal album (white cover).

December 14, 1996 - Serotonin at the I-Defy House

December 20, 1996 - Govern, Asshole Parade, Heretical Response at the I-Defy House

December 21, 1996 - Fuckface, MFR, Ripchord, The Perpetual Psiamechy Theorem at the I-Defy House

James: Roswell hits the scene.

December 26, 1996 - Assuck, Hot Water Music, Reversal of Man, Rentamerica, Early Grace, Quadiliacha, Tres Kids, Portrait at the South West Community Cultural Center

December 27, 1996 - Ascension, Catharsis, Kilara at the Buford Civic Center

December 29, 1996 - Torn Apart, Faultline at the Godless Red

January 1, 1997 - Rye Coalition and hal al Shedad at The I-Defy House

James: We wrote a new song for this one. I remember Rye were already a 4-piece by this time, and they were touring under the Hesawduhkaet LP, but they still played some of their earlier stuff.

January 1, 1997 - Morning Again at the Buford Civic Center

January 4, 1997 - Roswell, Rinse at the I-Defy House

January 6, 1997 - 400 Years, Young Pioneers, Rainer Maria, Van Pelt, hal al Shedad at The Driver Dome

January 10, 1997 - Franklin, hal al Shedad at the I-Defy House (?)

James: I believe this was at the I-Defy, I seem to remember playing a show with Franklin at the I-Defy.

January 11, 1997 - Sarin, Charles Demar, Regicide at the I-Defy House

April 18, 1997 – Spanakorzo, Wheeljack, Sweep the Leg of Johnny, Bughummer at 485 Robinson

April 19, 1997 - Botch, Ink & Dagger, NineIronSpitfire, 1134, Catharsis, Downpour at Buford Civic Center

April 21, 1997 - Rocket Fuel is the Key, Aslund at 485 Robinson

April 25, 1997 - The Hal al Shedad, Quadiliacha, Chapman Park at The Driver Dome (Last Driver Dome Show)

April 26, 1997 - Reversal of Man, Andromeda, Versailles, Portrait at Under The Couch

June 14, 1997 - Ire, Calabash Case, Quixote, Kossabone Red at the I-Defy House

June 15, 1997 - Spazz, His Hero is Gone, Damad, Social Infestation at C-11 Warehouse

June 16, 1997 - Serotonin, Piebald, Jesuit, Chapman Park at Under The Couch

June 17, 1997 - The Adversives, Cause at Frijoleros

June 20, 1997 - I Hate Myself, Nausicca, !!! at The I-Defy House

James: I believe this is the first !!! show in Atlanta.

June 23, 1997 - Rye Coalition, Aslund Constant, Chapman Park at 485 Robinson

June 24, 1997 - Coalesce, Cycle at Godless Red #2 (abandoned side of Godless Red House)

June 25, 1997 – Makara (members of jenny piccolo), ShahRazad, Wallside, Thoughts of Ionesco, Portrait at The I-Defy House

June 26, 1997 - Process is Dead, Chikara at The I-Defy House

June 27, 1997 - Bug Hummer (venue not known)

June 28, 1997 - Chalkline, Light, One Way at Buford Civic Center

June 29, 1997 - Hurl, Galanas::Cerdd at 7 Stages (?)

James: I have video of Galanas from this show. After their set, we went to Dottie's and saw the Monorchid play.

June 29, 1997 - Snapcase, Morning Again, Ex-Members Of, Bird of Ill Omen at Buford Civic Center

June 30, 1997 - Cave-In at The I-Defy House

July 3, 1997 - El Dopa, Rash of Beatings, Burned Up-Bled Dry, Heretical Response at The I-Defy House

July 4, 1997 - Asshole Parade, Suppression, Wheeljack, The Jackson X, Plague, Idi Amin at The I-Defy House

James: Jackson X was a goof hardcore/metal band by the Hal guys, but I wasn't involved with this one.

July 5, 1997 - Despair, Hatebreed, Spawn, Disbelief at Buford Civic Center

July 6, 1997 - Early Grace, Portrait at The I-Defy House

July 8, 1997 - Downpour, Handful of Dust, MFR at Buford Civic Center

July 9, 1997 - Land of the Wee Beasties, Chapman Park, Kossabone Red at The I-Defy House

July 10, 1997 - Braid, Joan of Arc, hal al Shedad, Euphone at Under The Couch

James: The hal and Euphone sets are posted here.

July 11, 1997 - Agothocles, Necrolust, Hot Water Music (Venue Unknown)

July 11, 1997 - Hail Mary (Venue Unknown)

July 12, 1997 - Ink & Dagger, Metroschifter, the Perpetual Sciamachy Theorem,the Michal Douglas at Sprockets (?)

James: Was this the infamous Ink & Dagger Sprockets show?

July 15, 1997 - Harvest at Buford Civic Center

July 17, 1997 - Indecision, Silent Majority at The Godless Red #2

July 21, 1997 - Brother's Keeper, Downpour, Day of Suffering, Heretical Response (Venue Unknown)

July 21, 1997 - The Party of Helicopters, Armstrong Secret 9 at Under the Couch (?)

James: I think Hal played this one as well. I remember playing with POH at UTC.

July 25, 1997 - Cole (ex Glendale) (Venue Unknown)

July 25, 1997 – Joyce (ex Inkwell, Car vs. Driver), V-Reverse (ex 8 Bark) at Frijoleros

James: Frijoleros was a weird place to see a show at this time. I also remember seeing Impossible Five (pre-Dead Meadow) around this time here.

July 28, 1997 - Sleepytime Trio, Drift, BugHummer, Chapman Park at The I-Defy House

July 29, 1997 - Pink Collar Jobs, Rustweiler, Busy Backson at The I-Defy House

July 30, 1997 - Battery, Ten Yard Fight, Eyelid at The Buford Civic Center

August 4, 1997 - Prevail (Venue Unknown)

August 5, 1997 - The Sorts, Mark Sullivan (ex-Kingface) and Joyce at Under the Couch

August 11, 1997 - Lustre King, The 90 Day Men, hal al Shedad at The I-Defy House

August 13, 1997 - Sum of All Fears, Drowning Room at Buford Civic Center

August 17, 1997 - Stretch Armstrong at Buford Civic Center

August 18, 1997 - Assuck, Dragbody at C-11 Warehouse

August 21, 1997 - Logical Nonsense, Damad, 4 Hour Fogger at C-11 Warehouse

Legend:
(Just in case you wanted to remember where these places were)

I DEFY house: take 75/85 to the 10th St. exit. Go west on 10th St. for 3/4 of a mile and turn right on to Center St. the house is a few blocks down at 1055 Center St. call (404)875-2271 for more info.

Godless Red #2: (this is in the abandoned side of the godless red) take 75/85 to 10th st. exit. go west on 10th. turn right at the Papa John's onto State St. go left on Calhoun St. the godless red is a few blocks up on the left.404 892 0757 for more info

Buford Civic Center: from atlanta take 85 N to 985 N. Get off at exit 1 and turn left on Buford Dr. Then turn right on Buford Hwy. Then turn left on Hill Rd (at citgo). Then turn left into the parking lot.

485 Robinson: take 75/85 to I 20 east and get off at the Boulevard/Zoo Atlanta exit. Turn right on to Boulevard. Drive past the park and turn right on Robinson. The house is about a quarter mile down on the left at 485 Robinson.

Under the Couch on the GA Tech campus: take 75/85 to 14th street exit. go west on 14th street for a little over a mile and turn left on Hemphill. Follow Hemphill until it dead ends and turn right on Ferst. Take the next right onto 6th St. 6th dead ends, turn right. make the next left and UTC will be on your left. drive around the block and park in the parking deck if you like

C-11 warehouse: from 75/85 take I-20 West to the Lee St. exit. At the light take a left on Lee St and follow it and then take a left onto Ralph David Abernathy. Make a right onto Murphy or Murray St (it is the 2nd light). Make a left into the first warehouse complex. It is in the C-11 warehouse.

Frijolero's: take 75/85 to the 10th/14th st. exit. Go down to 10th St and go East on 10th. Go through a few lights and turn left on Peachtree. Frijolero's will be on your immediate right so go to the next street, turn right, and park in the back.

Driver Dome: take 75/85 to I-20 east and get off at the Boulevard/Zoo Atlanta exit. Turn right on to Boulevard. At the next light turn left on to Berne. Turn right on to Vernon, and then left on to Mercer. The house is on the left. Call (404) MARS-127 for info.

100th Post! Freemasonry Live Recordings and Rejection Letters

Here are the live recordings for download:

Freemasonry Live at WREK 1995-05

Freemasonry Live on WRAS 1995-03-18

Freemasonry Live on WSBF 1994

Freemasonry Live 1994-02-12

Of course, you can download everything by Freemasonry here.

I would like to thank Kip Thomas, of course, for all the great Freemasonry tapes he loaned me from his collection. As you might know, they were my favorite of our "friend bands" during the mid 1990's, and thankfully they actually turned on a tape recorder and put down some of this music for us to enjoy later on. The first show posted is from their last Live at WREK session, and includes two songs that were never otherwise recorded or released. One was called "OK to Forget", as announced by Sarge, but the other one is a mystery. It is funny that they were in a different style from the Sparring with the Varmit stuff, with Bruce also singing dual vocals with Sarge. For a minute, I didn't even know it was Freemasonry when I listened to the tape. Soon after this recording, Sarge was out to be replaced by Rick Moore and they continued as Galanas:Cerdd, but more on them later.

The Live on WRAS (Album 88) recording is also good late-period Freemasonry from the Georgia Music Show. Kip told me that in his opinion this was the best time they recorded on the air. Too bad the set was so short! I remember back then on Album 88, they used to have you play a song or two, and then do some interviewing, which was completely awkward, and then go back to playing some songs. The Live on WSBF in Clemson recording is not so good in quality, but my favorite era of Freemasonry to have a recording, so I had to include it. Lastly, the live show recording from February 12, 1994 is very early, but does include Bruce on second guitar. It must of been one of their first appearances with him. They actually play "Poolhall" from the first demo, which is a nice surprise. Can anyone tell me where this show took place?

And now on to the rejection letters. These were saved in Kip's files, and included postcards and letters from various labels that received copies of the Pool Hall demo tape in 1993.

Slap A Ham Records - Chris Dodge tells them that he is "not your passport out of demoland". Brilliant.



Shredder Records - Mel tells Kip that Freemasonry is too generic and unoriginal. I've never heard of Shredder records before - what non-generic, original music did they put out? I'll give them Jawbreaker, but that's about it.

No Idea Records - Var avoids the whole issue of whether or not to put out a Freemasonry record by trying to book a show instead with his band Bombshell. I love that guy!

Lookout Records - Patrick calls Kip, Chris and Marcus "Freemasons". Actually all of these letters refer to the guys in strange ways. That's what happens when you call your band Freemasonry.

Jade Tree Records - Tim tells the guys to put more money into recording and not packaging. Remember the days when having a professional looking demo was a detriment? There is also a Railhed shoutout in the letter as well. Classic Jade Tree. This might have been the best label for them overall, but unfortunately it was not to be. They did like Snowden 15 years later!

By the way - here is that great Freemasonry first demo package:

Allied Recordings - I guess this is John Yates' signature, but it was definitely during the time that Kip's old band, Fiddlehead, were having singles put out on this label.

So that is all for now. Supposedly Kip has some letters from Freemasons to him about his band, but that will have to be included another time.

Thanks for 100 great posts!

Third Season

Here are both demos for download: Third Season Studio Recordings

Here is a live show from 1990 (flyer included above): Third Season Live at Visions 1990-07-20

Third Season is a band that I knew first from "The View" compilation, and until a few months ago, the only song I ever heard of theirs was "Poison in the Water" from that tape. Luckily, Steve Wishart and Kip Thomas have provided both demo tapes they made as well as a live recording from Visions back in 1990, which I have included here.

As you may know, Third Season was the band that the guys in Fiddlehead were in during their high school days, including Kip Thomas on drums (Fiddlehead, Freemasonry, Galanas Cerdd, Chocolate Kiss, Haricot Vert, The Forever War), Mike Haggerty on bass (Fiddlehead, John Brown) and Bruce Bohannon (Jumpstart, Fiddlehead, Freemasonry, Galanas Cerdd, Haricot Vert, Copa Vance, Monte Casino) on guitar. Instead of Geoey Cook, they had Jason Hall singing, which gave the band an entirely different feel. Steve Wishart, who gives his perspective below, and I both personally love his singing style, and thought he really added a great melodic element to their music. There was kind of a mid-period Dischord style to them, like the band Three or Soulside, that I really enjoy, and also a Morrissey/Michael Stipe element, which is really missing in the proto-emo music of the time. This Three/Senator Flux style was also along the lines of what Chocolate Kiss was trying to do later, and I remember Jason coming out to a lot of our early shows. So even though I never saw them play live, I think they are a great band of the 1989-1990 era, and especially considering they were in high school playing this stuff - it is really impressive.

Usually when I'm writing about a band that was before my time, I will contact old friends that have a history with the band and ask them to write something. My old bandmate from Car vs. Driver, Steve Wishart, has this to say about them:

I first meet Kip Thomas and Mike Haggerty at a Swiz, Shudder To Think, and After Words show at The Pit in the summer of 1989. I would see them regularly at shows over the next several months and chat with them a bit, but it wasn’t until early 1990 that I knew they even played in a band. My band at the time, Something To Prove, got invited to play a house show over in Dunwoody with Spiney Norman and a band called This. “This”, later better renamed Third Season, consisted of Kip Thomas on drums, Mike Haggerty on bass, Bruce Bohannon on guitar, and Jason (I forget his last name at the moment) on vocals. There are three things I remember about that show….1) My brother’s cheap cymbal kept flipping inside out during our set… 2) Jeff Ferguson yelling “Burning Thought”, a reference to the band he was in with Mike and Kip before as I would later learn…. and 3) This (Third Season) blew me away! James recently wrote about character building shows here recently, for me this Third Season show was one of those.

Third Season definitely took influence from the mid to late 80’s DC Dischord emo sound, but they put their own twist and uniqueness to it. They had a rich melodic powerful sound that was poppy at times and moody at others. Besides the well written songs and Bruce’s always amazing guitar playing, one of the features that stood out most about the band was the vocalist Jason. He had a soft almost feminine voice and did these really quirky dances while he was performing – some you could liken to a mime in a box. Not surprisingly, this didn’t make them very popular with the more macho hardcore crowd. As you can humorously hear on the live recording here at Visions, one of the more intellectual skinheads probably that hung around there at the time says into the recording mike “This band sucks.” But those of us who loved D.C. emo rejoiced at the existence of Third Season. And honestly, by the mid 90’s half the emo bands out there would have killed to have this type of sound and Jason as a vocalist as this style become even more prominent and popular.

I don’t know exactly how many shows Third Season played, but I know I saw every one they had in the Atlanta area – at house shows, Visions, Milo’s, etc. Their last show was on November 23, 1990, at the new Visions down off Buford Hwy. The original booking for the show was Crisis Under Control, Act of Faith, Chuckwagon (Craig from After Words new band), and my band Such As. Third Season showed up and asked if they could squeeze on to the bill and Such As obliged to give them some of our time. I remember them introducing several new songs at this show and that they were quite divergent from their previous stuff – much heavier and powerful. It’s clear that the band was heading into a new direction and they ultimately decided to ditch Jason for a vocalist that better fit their more aggressive and powerful sound. Just over a month later on December 30, 1990, at the Wreck Room - Kip, Bruce, and Mike introduced Fiddlehead to the scene with Geoey Cook replacing Jason on vocals.

Third Season, as well as Fiddlehead, were a big inspiration and influence to me. Unfortunately, not many people have had the opportunity to hear the brilliance of Third Season. For years I thought about putting these recordings out on Lunchbox so the rest of the world could finally hear this amazing band. Lack of finances and those that I did have going into current bands prevented that from ever happening. But here they are now for all to listen to and share, and hopefully some overdue respect for another great Atlanta band that never got its credit.

The Origins of the Mid 90s Roswell Scene - Ripchord, Pax 13 and The Strange Death (of Silas Deane)

Above: Lee Corum at Sprocket's
Below: David Axelrod in a garage

Today is a triple post of sorts.

The first is Ripchord, here is the download: Ripchord 7"

The second is Pax 13, here is the download: Pax 13 Demo

The third is The Strange Death (of Silas Deene), here is the download: TSDOSD Tape

The idea for this post first started when Alex LaRoche sent me a recording of the Ripchord 7", and soon after Scott MC sent me the Pax 13 demo tape, and soon after that, Jordan Noel sent me a recording of The Strange Death (of Silas Deene). All three bands existed during the middle to late 90s in Roswell, Georgia, which is where I happened to live from 1986 to 1993.

Three bands from the northern suburbs of Atlanta, back where everything started for me, but several years later, after I was already over the hill. The idea for this post first started when Alex LaRoche sent me a recording of the Ripchord 7", and soon after Scott MC sent me the Pax 13 demo tape, and soon after that, Jordan Noel sent me a recording of The Strange Death (of Silas Deene). All three bands existed during the middle to late 90s in Roswell, Georgia, which is where I happened to live from 1986 to 1993. I didn't know these guys until the Kossabone Red and Chapterhall were fully up and running, but everybody has a beginning, and this is part of theirs. The guys in these bands are personally responsible for such later contributions to Atlanta/Athens music as Some Soviet Station, Mock Heroic (supposedly these pictures above are actually of them), Chapterhall, Paper Lions, Copa Vance, Home of the Wildcats, Gentleman Jesse and His Men, Teenage Methlab, Lay Down Mains, Breakheart Beat, Baryshnikov, Love It to Deth, Dream Girls, Little Francis, and many more that I'm forgetting. Please send comments with whatever stories and recollections you might have from these guys, they are a great group of kids and kept local music going in Atlanta during some pretty lean times.

Here is an overview of Ripchord and Pax 13, graciously provided by Scott MC from Concurrent Records/Portrait/Chapman Park:

Ripcord started out as a 3 piece - brothers Justin and Nick playing guitar and drums, respectively and Chris on bass. They all went to Roswell high school (but Justin might have been out of high school by then). I think it was Chris who gave a us a demo tape (or maybe their 7" (on legendary Crazy Man Records out of Roswell)). Gavin and I thought it was great so we booked them to play a show at the I DEFY (I have no idea who they played with). I think they later realized that there were a few other bands around the country called Ripcord so they changed their name to Kossabone Red. Right about the time of the name change Jesse joined the band. Jesse was in another band at the time called Pax 13 with his brother Lee on drums. I seem to recall Jeph playing with them for a minute as well. I think Nick got sick of doing the whole band thing and quit as drummer. That is when Jeph started to play with them. Nick never did another band after that but he is still around Atlanta going to the occasional show now and then.

Just to round out the post, Jordan Noel provided me an overview of his band with Lee Corum (Some Soviet Station, Copa Vance, Home of the Wildcats, Lay Down Mains):

The Strange Death (of Silas Deane) was a post-hardcore Atlanta band in the style of the San Diego / Three.One.G sound during the mid-late 90s. The 3-piece consisted of two members of the recently defunct hardcore band Between Shadows, Jordan Noel and David Bryan, and then Chapterhall drummer, Lee Corum. TSDOSD existed for only a brief moment in 1998 and never played a proper show (although one show had been set up at Sprockets and later cancelled). During summer 1998 the only semi "shows" took place when friends would come to rehearsals. Although only 3 songs were written most of the material the band played was an improvisation. Unfortunately, any rehearsal tapes documenting the improvisations (we're not talking jam sessions, we're talking noise and rock mayhem) have been lost in the shuffle of the past 11 years. BUT, there is still a rehearsal tape of the 3 written songs. The tape was recorded on a karaoke machine in Lee's parents basement.

TSDOSD Line-up:
David Bryan - guitar/vocals
Lee Corum - drums
Jordan Noel - bass/vocals

Thanks again to Alex, Scott and Jordan for the music and stories. Hopefully we didn't let too many skeletons out of the closet on this one.