OREGON MUSIC / MARCH 2000 SLOWRUPTURE LEGEND OF SWEATY HICKS LACKS LATE EIGHTIES JEFF LABANSKY photo Buko OREGON VENUE GUIDE 28 IF Sam Henry of Napalm Beach. photo David Wilds Page 2 - TWO LOUIES, March 2000 December 1979 to 1999 One Long Journey Through The Portland Music Scene By SP Clarke Part Four: The Late ‘80s Blixeth, who spoke often and broadly of big plans trouble finding lucrative gigs in their home town, After the wild roller coaster that was 1986, it for his acts, with lots of money for support. But despite having a hit album. The same could be said seemed only natural that 1987 would be a year of nothing ever came of the man’s talk and he quickly for Curtis Salgado and Paul DeLay, though they transition and retrenchment in the Portland mu- disappeared back into the woodwork from whence fared somewhat better in the Portland clubs. Local sic scene. Still, it was the year 1987 that saw the birth he came, venues were quickly being overtaken by a new en- and rapid growth of new bands that would later go Portland, often viewed as remote and ingenu- ergy that was emanating out of one club in par- on to flourish through the end of the decade and ous by the rest of the world, was the regular victim ticular. well into the ‘90s, becoming forces in the local scene of low-grade scams. Earlier in the decade a reptil- Satyricon, swinging into its fourth year of ex- for some time hence. ian charlatan huckster known as Carlo Trentadue istence, had spawned a vibrant alternative scene. It’s indeed strange to look back upon the typi- tried, on a several different occasions, to bilk a num- Besides offering the most varied of musical fare cal monthly music listings of 1987 to see the names ber of bands out of something, although his plans possible (nearly every band in town played there at of bands such as Slack, Dead Moon, the Obituar- were so poorly conceived and inanely executed that least once), perhaps paring Terry Robb and the Jack- ies, Killing Field, Nero’s Rome and the Dharma it was never entirely clear as to what his precise als one night, Cool’r and Ed and the Boats the next; Bums all starting the year in the traditional Wednes- intentions were or what it was he actually wanted— Satyricon offered inexperienced bands, of any sty- day “band on the rise” slot at Satyricon. It’s also as, typically, he would be trying to peddle some sort listic persuasion, the chance to play a set during interesting to note that nearly all of those bands of “product” in the local music stores at the same Monday’s “New Band Night.” Those that succeeded were plugged into weekend gigs by year’s end. time. or persisted long enough, graduated to Wednesdays, Still it was the old, reliable bands that com- Still, Trentadue talked of “contacts in LA” and with occasional opening slots on a Thursday or manded most of the headliner gigs. Familiar names “multi-album deals” frequently enough to frighten maybe even a weekend. such as Nu Shooz, Crazy 8s, the Dan Reed Network, off all but the most gullible of fledgling musicians. Owner George Tahouliotis, shrewdly tolerant Cool’r, John Koonce, Curtis Salgado, Paul Delay, And wildfire word of his corrupt status generally and tirelessly fair, became a figurehead in the alter- Steve Bradley and Badly Bradley, the Razorbacks and the Lloyd Jones Struggle remained the promi- nent figures on the scene. But a second tier of bands “With drummer Sam Henry and bassist Dave Dillinger, was quickly rising to the fore. Nu Shooz, riding the wave of success with their Newman was laying the foundation for the entire ‘86 album Poolside, released on Atlantic Records; a gold record in “I Can’t Wait” and a satisfactory fol- Grunge movement with the heavy, Hendrix-influenced low-up in the ballad “Point Of No Return,” garnered guitar sounds and dark lyrics of Napalm Beach” for themselves a Grammy nomination as “Best New Band Of 1985.” They then journeyed to Minneapo- spread with such rapidity that it is doubtful that he native community. His club, located in one of the lis to record their second album, Told You So, with ever succeeded at anything other than creating a worst sections of downtown Portland, served as a Prince producer David Z. slight stir— like an ill-wind blowing off a landfill. safe harbor for all disenfranchised artistic types. The Dan Reed Network weighed offers form Other spurious ventures of the sort cropped up Punks and jocks, artists and poseurs, regulars and Atlantic and Polydor, eventually choosing the lat- from time to time, but little, if any, serious damage gawkers, leather jackets and sport coats, jack boots ter, while Reed protégés RIA entertained proposals was ever visited upon the Portland musical com- and Nikes— all commingled in a highly charged from Geffen and Warner Brothers. At first, Cool’r munity by these counterfeit promoters. atmosphere of danger and beer. But it was a heady appeared set to sign with A&M, then seemed to Crazy 8s continued their independent success, ambiance, to be sure. settle with Epic for an album deal, before abruptly touring endlessly. They crisscrossed the country It was in Satyricon, where anything was likely switching back to A&M again. The Miracle Work- incessantly, converting students at every college to happen, that something usually did. The volatile ers, decade-long underground favorites, migrated campus along the way to their Ska/Funk sound. But mix of patrons was nothing, in comparison to the to LA after signing with the indie Moxie label. Ini- a lot of the Blues acts were relegated to the White often disparate natures of the performers. The Jack- tially, the Razorbacks— who were altering their Eagle, with occasional nights at Key Largo, the Dan- als were one of the top drawing bands at the club. sound from Rockabilly toward a tougher, R&B delion Pub and Last Hurrah. They might share the bill with the Razorbacks or style— then John Koonce, became ensnared by the The bands remained vastly popular. The Ra- mysterious Central Oregon “timber baron” Tim zorbacks were a huge draw in Seattle, yet had Continued on page 4 TWO LOUIES, March 2000 - Page 3 Pig Champion of Poison Idea. photo Buko Chris and the band. It was a marriage made if not quality. Profoundly gorgeous, she bore a passing in heaven, at least in High Times. Celt proceeded resemblance to Marilyn Monroe, but with more of to produce a long line of recordings for one or the a European look. Still, she was a young woman be- other of the two manifestations, beginning with sieged by demons. Napalm’s Monster, released mid-1987. Her early days as lead vocalist with the band Celt’s Polish heritage served as an excellent were drunken primal therapy sessions, wherein she Continued from page 3 the Terry Robb Band or headline an evening with “But the scene at Satyricon involved far more musical factions lesser known bands or touring National acts. Ei- ther way, they pretty much owned the Satyricon than the aforementioned. Bands with a surlier motif also held stage whenever they played. forth. The wholly sarcastic musings of Poison Idea— The same could be said of Chris Newman’s Napalm Beach; as well as their new alter-ego band featuring the mythically menacing likes of vocalist Jerry A, Sno-Bud and the Flower People. While, with drum- mer Sam Henry and bassist Dave Dillinger, guitarist Pig Champion and drummer Thee Slayer Hippie.” Newman was laying the foundation for the entire Grunge movement with the heavy, Hendrix-influ- entré into Europe for Newman and the boys. That would shriek, rant and scream, as guitarist Rob enced guitar sounds and dark lyrics of Napalm European connection served Napalm/Sno-Bud and Landoll would lead the rhythm section through a Beach— they explored Chris’ more playful side with several other bands quite well in the years to come. high-powered onslaught. On any given evening, Sno-Bud, whose only lyrical subject, with perhaps Through Celt’s encouragement, Newman also cre- Monica was as likely to jump off the stage to punch one exception, was weed. The joys, the woes, the ated several comic books, which helped to expose out some lout in the audience as she was to simply highs, the lows, the love, the need for weed, glori- his abundant talents as a cartoonist, as well as fur- slither down the mic-stand into a limp lump of ous weed. ther his reputation as a true renaissance man. drunkenly exhausted mush. But the raw-nerved Local promoter and musician Jan Celt was in The Obituaries were already developing a brilliance in her occasional focused performance, the midst of building a roster for his newly formed reputation by the end of 1986. By 1987 the band flashed glimpses of the magic she could conjure. Flying Heart label, from which he had recently re- was a force to be reckoned with; as well as a wreck Hockey loving Bruins fan, Rob Landoll, a leased an album by his own Soul revue, the Esquires. to be forced with. Portland had never seen, nor may street-savvy transplant from the tough side of Bos- The Napalm/Sno-Bud catalog seemed as particu- never see again the likes of the enormously talented ton, was the anchor and guardian protector of the larly well-suited for Celt as Flying Heart did for and confused Monica Nelson.