On today's episode of the Golden 90's we'll be exploring the remarkable phenomenon know as the opening band. The post modern music lovers of the 90's were known to turn their noses up and on a rare occasion actually 'Boo' the opening band off stage. While writing my thesis on Hydroponics and the cultivation of indoor tomatoes I was lucky enough to witness some really great opening bands and some that were heckled off the stage later became favorites of mine. Who you ask? Well I'll tell you, The Melvins for one I've seen leave the stage in a tsunami of spit and jeers multiple times when they were opening for Primus and Smashing Pumpkins. Jon Spencers Blues Explosion was another just before the Beastie Boys, looking back on that I am ashamed not because I was booing, but because I wasn't paying attention until the band was getting hit with a barrage of debris. Oh I've been the one taunting, like at DV8 when Orgy opened up for Love and Rockets. I was the only one in the sold out show screaming at Orgy till my throat was sore to flip the tape and just play Blue Monday and get off the stage. A fan near me told me "Shut up this is America nobody wants to hear it asshole." Sometimes it amazes me what dudes in those flaming shirts will say.
In 1997 my favorite band was Built to Spill, I couldn't get enough of them. A few years earlier we'd witnessed the glory of BtS at Spanky's and that night Decomposers were the opening band; Chopper looked simply amazing in his leather g-string. That night I started to really like Decomposers but was still too excited to see BtS to really remember much more then the sexy attire of the opening band. BtS really blew us away and it wasn't just from Dug catching his amp on fire and having to borrow a Fender from the opening band. I couldn't wait to see them again. When they finally came back to town in '97 once again Decomposers were opening but so was a band called Modest Mouse. My friends and I all laughed at that name, hey the 90's were a different time. That night, oh that night, Sunday May 4th 1997 at The Bar and Grill down on 8th south. I showed up to catch a little more of Choppers glitter, then came Modest Mouse. Right now you're probably thinking I'm going to tell you about how they kicked so much ass and became my favorite and you should have been there back before they were all cool and popular right? WRONG! Modest Mouse really, really SUCKED that night. When Isaac started "singing" a lot of folks started to laugh and shake their heads. My oh my did they suck, the only thing we could do was go outside and wait for them to get off the stage. Their sound was like a cheese grater on my ears. Too bad there wasn't a taco stand at the Sears back then or I'da spent an hour out there shotgunning some asadas. When they finally left the stage the bar started to cheer, everyone crowded around the stage thirsty for some sweet Built to Spill.
Dug once again showed us some magic, but he played all the songs off the new album that wasn't even out yet. It was good but you know when you want to hear the old stuff they never will play it and you end up getting drunk and pissed off and vow never to listen to that band again, yeah I'm talking to you Bachman Turner Overdrive worst state fair ever! Anyways after every song people would yell out 'Car' and it started with Dug shrugging it off, then saying "we don't know any songs about cars". By the end of the show every time the song would get yelled it looked like we were punching him in the mouth. Don't get me wrong the show was really good, but they only played 3 songs that weren't off Perfect From Now On and every song off that album is 5 minutes or longer so the show was done in under an hour. They were closing with Untrustable which was the only song anyone had heard off the new album, pretty great song, I was so happy just grooving to the ending jam. Then the worst thing that could possibly happen did. Dug passed his guitar over to Isaac, then one by one BtS left the stage giving their instruments to Modest Mouse and let them finish the song. I feared the worst, after sitting through them already once tonight they were going to ruin the encore? It wasn't ruined, Isaac didn't "sing" and they actually played a pretty cool ending to the song, but still BtS didn't get back on stage, they didn't do a true encore, it was a downer. For months all I could do was hate Modest Mouse, I never wanted to hear them again.
A year and a half later Built to Spill came back and played the DV8, once again a great show and I even met Dug by the payphone and asked him if I could record the show. He said, "Sure" and told the door guy to let me back in after I went and got a tape out of my truck. After the show I got backstage and talked to Dug for a couple minutes asking if he wanted a copy of the show. He replied "No, I didn't like our performance tonight, but this week Modest Mouse is coming to Salt Lake. Could you record that show and send me a copy?" WHAT? "They're my favorite band" he told me. I was in shock, but I said no problem I'd get it recorded. Which I did and sent off a copy but I didn't pay any attention that night to Modest Mouse and about 4 months after the show I was out fishing with a friend of mine and he was looking through my tapes and pulled out the Modest Mouse show. He'd never heard them, and I'd never listened to that show, so we gave it a try. The music was playing but we were standing next to a river not paying any attention till we got ready to drive home, right when we got in the truck Isaac sang "Freeze your blood and then stab it into me" from Night on the Sun, we both started laughing. Rewind, play, listen, laughter. Oh man this band is great; we rewound the entire show and listened to it on the way home and both of us decided we were going to go out and buy a Modest Mouse album that week.
So you see kids sometimes bands have off nights, or maybe they just need more practice or it could be they just sucked in their early years. Give opening bands a second chance and you might find a gem, except for Orgy - fuck that band I hope they never leave Temecula.
Circus Brown
Not a Side Show
10pm - 1am
KRCL 90.9 FM krcl.org
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