Here is the download: Kid Boom Boom 8-Minute Album
I realize this picture is technically of The Close, Kid Boom Boom played this show as well (Halloween 2000 at C-11), and for some reason did not take any pictures of their set. Probably because I was so unbelievably floored by what was being thrown down by these guys. Tom Cheshire sang in Kid Boom Boom, and he also played the Vincent Price character in The Close's version of Michael Jackson's Thriller in the picture above.
Thanks to Russ Jackson, the guitarist of Kid Boom Boom, for sending me the recording. I'm not sure if this was intended to be a 7" or what, but it is really an opera of sorts that covers more ground in 8 minutes than most bands do in an entire 42 minute LP. I'm also not sure of their complete history, but I know that they played several times in 2000 and 2001, and I saw them at least twice during that period, and then they moved on to greener pastures. I could never tell if their songs were improvised or loosely written, but my bet leaning more on the improvisational side, as they could really feed off the energy (or lack thereof) from the crowd and make everyone look like fools. The only other recording I have of them is from the String Theory compilation, which feels like a more traditionally structured heavy rock tune, so maybe down the road they got some solid songs down and turned on the tape machine. If anyone has other songs from this recording, I would love to hear it. I also saw that they appeared on the Live at Eyedrum Volume 3 compilation, so I'm also looking for that recording if anyone has it in their collection.
So the band was very mysterious. Tom Cheshire from The Rent Boys, All Night Drug Prowling Wolves, etc. on lead vocals, Russ Jackson from Ansurbana, Crusher Destroyer on guitar and Dwayne Halstead on the drum kit. I remember Russ played an original issue Orange guitar head which sounded amazing, and had this great almost free jazz guitar style. It reminded me of the similarly chaotic San Diego Gravity scene (Antioch Arrow, Angel Hair, Heroin, etc.), which was not very prominent in this particular scene in Atlanta. Every time I saw them, they played less than 10 minutes a set, and were unbelievable.
Update: Russ Jackson is now playing in a band called Bald Eagle - they have one album put out by Gavin Frederick on his Earthshaking Rhythms label, and another coming out later this month.
Enjoy the recording, and as you may remember in my previous Rent Boys post, Kevin Spacey was a big fan of theirs and would come out to their shows in NYC. Anyhow, I asked for a picture, and Mike Shina (aka Vic Carrente) of The Rent Boys answered. Thanks!
Hell yes - KBB rocked my face off on multiple occasions. First time I saw them was completely by accident over at the old Eyedrum. I remember just standing there with my mouth hanging open like a fucking idiot while they absolutely destroyed the room.
ReplyDeleteI also remember a rumor from around that time that I thought was hilarious: I heard that members of KBB showed up to play a show at a club, grabbed all their band beers, and then split without playing. I imagine them doing so with big grins on their faces, laughing maniacally all the while.
Any truth to the story? Beats me, but it still cracks me up.
One correction, James. That show was in the back of C-10, not C-11. No shows were ever played in C-11 after the infamous "Kreamy 'Lectric Santa" incident [that I know of]. By the year 2000, Brooks and Dustan were already building a studio in the back of the warehouse, by the half-pipe, so there would have been no room for a show anyway.
ReplyDeleteAlso, from what I understand, Mr. Spacey 'loved' The Rent Boys in more ways than one.
;)
K
how on earth is that kevin spacey? has no one here seen the tour-d-force that was K-Pax? the man in that picture is a fraud! seriously, is that really supposed to be kevin spacey?
ReplyDeleteThe story about the beer is true. We were supposed to play the EARL with a Slint cover band (a Slint cover band?) Chuck P, Rondall Millhorn, and myself showed up and said we were going to play the show, even though Chuck and Rondal were not in the band. We walked backstage, took all the beer, and then went out front and heckled the Slint cover band. We took off on our BMX bikes. When we got all the way back to the West End I wrecked and broke my collar bone. Chuck and Rondal loaded me into Chucks car and took me to the emergency room. They basically pushed me through the front door and turned around and walked out. The nurse asked them if they we just going to leave me there. Rondal turned around and said JUST BECAUSE THERE IS A MAN ON THE PARTY TEAM DOWN, DOESNT MEAN YOU HAVE TO FORFEIT THE GAME! That is how that night went, true story. Russ Jackson
ReplyDeleteDude, I don't even care if that story is true or not,just that it is awesome. Fact or fiction, that's the story so far as I know it for all eternity.
ReplyDeleteI used to live in c-11 and had a van that barely ran. Kid Boom Boom was scheduled to play some sort of fake talk show gig. There was an audience but no camera and the host threw out mint patties to the audience. I was woken up by Russ or Tom (I don't remember) to drive them to the gig. In a short time we had accumulated Parking lot paul and Brian K. Russ was leaving for a trip to Greece the next day and had spent much of his time emptying echinacea pills and refilling them with something else for the flight leaving them to figure out their travel to the show until the last minute.
ReplyDeleteEveryone involved decided to try out the modified supplement pills and we were on our way to the show which was to take place in the backstage portion of a theater in the little five points area. Of course we ran out of gas just short of the destination. The giggling lot of us pushed the van into a parking space and after buying some fuel made the show in time. The host was a tall lanky kooky guy, after some forced comedy he introduced Kid Boom Boom and they played an amazing set that seemed unappreciated by a small and overwhelmed crowd. After wards he invited Tom up for an interview and it was hilarious to myself and Paul but again, not as appreciated by the crowd who did not understand Tom Speak. There were plenty of "zigga ziggas" and "grady hospitals". (Tom added dy or ty to the end of many words changing great to greaty then evolving to Grady Hospital in place of great. ex: How are you doing Tom? Grady Hospital!) That's about all I remember of that. We either ended up at the Earl or the Clairmont lounge.
that is kevin spacey and i think he tried to give tom a hj under that hat.
ReplyDeletebk
yes, spacey dug us. I did a shot of whiskey with him. then we fucked.
ReplyDelete