Blind Melon’S Music Still Resound for Old and New Listeners As the Band Gets Ready to Play Again in Lafayette
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MORE THAN $130 IN COUPONS INSIDE TODAY! J CONLINE.COM JOURNAL & OURIER S UNDAY, DECEMBER 27, 201 5 l LAFA YETTE – WESTCLAFA YETTE l A GANNETT COMPANY Twenty years after the death of frontman Shannon Hoon, his image and Blind Melon’s music still resound for old and new listeners as the band gets ready to play again in Lafayette PROVIDED BY IUPUI One of the all-gender restroom signs that will be at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis. Bathroom politics amp up LGBT rights debate All-gender facilities may help ease awkward need Stephanie Wang [email protected] Kit Malone mentally mapped bath- rooms wherever she went, keeping track of single-occupancy facilities where it would be safe for her to go. As a transgender woman, she had reached a point in her transition from male to female where she started re- ceiving funny looks and under-the- CHORDS breath comments in men’s rest- rooms. Even when she wore just jeans and a T-shirt, her facial appear- ance and hairstyle didn’t fit in any- OF CHEMISTRY more. She felt unsafe, worried about men attacking her for looking too feminine. Still, she was nervous about using “It’s the Domenica Bongiovanni [email protected] See LGBT, Page 9A ultimate One day last spring, Brock Richert as an pulled into the Mobil gas station at Ferry Street and North Earl Avenue, windows artist to down, blaring Blind Melon’s “Change.” think that Having not given much thought to his song choice or stereo volume, what happened the art next surprised the artist, screen printer and graphic designer at Axiom551. that you’re People at the pump in front of him be- making is gan singing; others next to them hummed along. When Richert went inside, the cash- going to ier added her voice to the chorus. PHOTO PROVIDED/SHANNON HOON continue In what he called “one of those movie ABOVE: Filmmakers are creating a moments,” people who happened to be in documentary from hundreds of hours of film on, you the same place at the same time connected Shannon Hoon shot. This shot is from 1993. Making it in Miami know, past over one of the town’s favorite stars and PHOTO PROVIDED/DANNY CLINCH bands. TOP: Blind Melon now performs with lead Former Purdue, Mavs pitcher the Later on, Richert crystallized the expe- singer Travis Warren (second from left). gets early Christmas present rience in a Facebook post that garnered 79 lifespan of likes and four comments. It’s the same from the Marlins. Sports, 1D a record post that planted an idea in his friend Nate members — Christopher Thorn, Rogers Pientok’s mind. Stevens, Brad Smith and Glen Graham (of) a What if Blind Melon played on the ma- — will perform with singer Travis War- jor concert night that is New Year’s Eve?, ren, who joined the band in 2006. couple the co-owner at Lafayette Theater Twenty years after the death of La- years,” thought. fayette icon Shannon Hoon, interest in In September, the venue announced him and Blind Melon remains strong California fire CHRISTOPHER that Blind Melon would play two shows on THORN, guitarist Dec. 31and Jan. 1. Four of the five original See BLIND MELON, Page 4A 1,200 acres scrorched, scenic highway shut down for hours. USA TODAY, 1B INDEX Classified 1E Style 1C Opinions 10A Obituaries 10C Sports 1D Weather 12C $2.00 RETAIL A Gannett Newspaper, Copyright © 2015 JCONLINE.COM @JCONLINE FACEBOOK.COM/JOURNALANDCOURIER Volume 97, Number 361 4A Sunday, December 27, 2015 www.jconline.com • Journal & Courier PHOTOS BY JOHN TERHUNE/JOURNAL & COURIER Nel Hoon displays the jacket worn by her late son, Shannon Hoon, when he was in the local band Styff Kytten. IF YOU GO BLIND MELON » What: Blind Melon. With Miller on Continued from Page 1A Thursday and SpaceWords on Friday. » When: 8:45 p.m. Thursday and Friday with a bustling fan base. Stories about » Where: Lafayette Theater, 600 Main the former lead singer are swapped St. around a town where many knew him or » Cost: $50 Thursday, $30 Friday. $70 know someone who did. both nights Multiple online forums and social media pages unite fans nationally and in- THE DOCUMENTARY ternationally. Contributors post their memories, photos of Hoon, concert up- Those close to Shannon Hoon knew he dates, snippets of their own daily lives filmed just about everything during the and band members’ current projects. last five years of his life. He ended up They also discuss the Vigil — the grave- with more than 200 hours of footage side event that Nel Hoon led for 20 years that became a type of visual diary, said at Dayton Cemetery to celebrate her photographer and filmmaker Danny son’s life and music. The video camera that Shannon Hoon used to document the last few years of his life. Clinch. No one can pinpoint exactly what Now, Clinch said he and a team are about Blind Melon — a band with a rela- putting together a documentary told tively small output that achieved a high which liked what they heard. around similar descriptions. With his from Hoon’s point of view, hoping to level of fame decades ago — has stuck The group signed with Capitol Rec- captivating on-stage persona came a show the singer’s intelligence and to with fans and catches on with new listen- ords, but it took some time to hit it big. sense that he sympathized with listeners. open the door for people to rediscover ers. Finally, “No Rain” exploded, its iconic YouTube clips of Blind Melon’s shows Blind Melon’s music. Clinch called the The best fans and the musicians can bee girl music video dominating MTV, display an energetic Hoon kicking, singer a smart filmmaker who told do is point to an amalgamation of pieces: and the 1992 self-titled album went qua- jumping and dancing. Prato, who saw the good stories. Hoon recorded current Shannon Hoon’s lasting charisma and re- druple platinum. band live about five times, said Hoon events, including the O.J. Simpson trial latability, his tragic death, a sound that After touring intensely, Blind Melon gave off an unpredictable vibe — nothing and the attack of figure skater Nancy many find ahead of its time, introspec- settled down to write second album seemed preplanned as the singer let the Kerrigan, he said. tive lyrics and a loyal core fan base. “Soup,” which was released in 1995. The music dictate his body movements. Other shots include Hoon’s bandmates, album pivoted from the free-flowing, His distinctive tenor voice and raw, songwriting and life on the road. These +++ springy “No Rain” vibe into a darker, pure delivery of lyrics also captivated returning ideas helped dictate the Hoon made a mark on those who knew more challenging sound for listeners. fans. documentary’s organization. him early. Growing up in Greater La- Thorn said the focus was on creating “(There are) a few different flavors of “What happens is themes start to show fayette, his personality stood out. Guitar- lasting art that was different from the hit Shannon Hoon, you know,” said Sean Pat- themselves ... you could tell how his ist Michael Kelsey remembers being in- song. But album sales were less than ex- rick MacDonald, a fan who lives in Mari- brain was working, why he was filming trigued by him when the two attended pected, and a now-famous review in Roll- etta, Georgia, and owns a company that certain things, what story he was trying Wainwright Junior High School. ing Stone poured cold water over the rec- manufactures simulation equipment. to tell,” Clinch said. “I remember when I was in junior ord. “There was the angry version; there was “I don’t know how much I am on there high having the feeling that this is a per- Throughout the tours and recording the sweet and melodic version. And because he was so sneaky about film- son who’s probably not going to live long sessions, the musicians — especially there’s just a lot of things in between ing,” said Shannon Hoon’s mother, Nel ... because he burned so brightly on the Shannon — indulged in drugs, according there. I don’t know — I think it’s the pow- Hoon. way he lived life,” Kelsey said. “That’s to “A Devil on One Shoulder and an An- er that he had and the command of the A Kickstarter campaign earlier this year how he lived, you know, which is proba- gel on the Other: The Story of Shannon song.” raised more than $100,000 toward the bly the equivalent of like four lifetimes Hoon and Blind Melon” by Greg Prato. Prato, a music journalist and book au- project. While co-director Colleen for the rest of us.” The singer had started using recreation- thor, recounts an instance in 1993 at the Hennessy said no release date is set, a Hoon’s competitive streak and natu- ally in Lafayette, but his addiction grew, now-defunct Sparks in Deer Park, New rough cut will be done around the end ral talent helped shape him into a star and he kept relapsing into the habit even York, where people were crowd surfing of this year. Fans can keep up with the athlete at McCutcheon High School. after getting help. in a packed venue, knocking audience documentary’s progress by following “If he was going to do something, he On Oct. 21, 1995, only a few months af- members in the head. Hoon asked them Shannon Hoon Film on Facebook.