This little corner of the Interweb was framed-up and drywalled in large part because the place where I have been posting for the past several years seems to have picked up an infestation of fiduciary termites. So the time to branch out to wondrous new URLs is now. For the time being, everything that’s posted here will also be posted there. Except on Fridays.
For over three years, Fridays have been devoted to a feature I shamelessly stole from Tom Spurgeon’s “The Comics Reporter” site. I list five songs (or albums or something music-related) on a given topic and ask others to submit their own lists in the comments sections. It didn’t seem right to re-post that here. Nor did I want to leave this space forlorn and blank every Friday. Hence, “One for Friday.”
So here goes…
From 1988 to 1993, I was heavily involved with the college radio station at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, WWSP-90FM. Despite the fact that no portion of our state could claim to have a booming music scene, we were committed to giving airplay and attention to Wisconsin artists. Dairy Rock is what we called it. We always had The Bodeans and Violent Femmes to fall back on, but the intent was to champion little-heard artists. We were, after all, college radio.
One of the few that made a significant impact on our playlists was the Madison band The Weeds. Their first album, Windchill, was in rotation when I started at the radio station. A heavy slab of vinyl, Windchill was full of smart, blistering rock songs. Almost accidentally, the band was booked to play a show for us in the spring. I honestly remember very little about that gig. They brought an opening act that played their set while wearing football helmets and had one punk-styled song with lyrics that consisted entirely of repeating the name “Johnny.” Also, one of the members of The Weeds spent time comparing Chuck Taylor shoe repair methodologies with my friend Colin. They both agreed that Duct Tape was the best material to use.
Move forward to 1992. The Weeds released their second album, King Crow, on Boat Records. The were just enough of us around that fondly remembered the first record to pay extra attention to this one. We also sought the band out for another spring concert, specifically scheduled one week before the station’s annual trivia contest. The night before, we sponsored a “Midnight Movie” screening of Hal Hartley’s Simple Men, which was fortuitous because it gave us the perfect dance moves to bust out when The Weeds played their big hit off of King Crow. I’m not sure if the band even know it was their big hit, but it was the song that received the most spins on the radio station. As you might imagine, we were well-prepped by the local brew before launching into the aforementioned dance moves.
In honor of that bygone Saturday night, here’s the song that inspired our synchronized revelry.
(Disclaimer: This song is posted not to take money of hard-working musicians pockets. My online hunting has turned up nary a mention of The Weeds or King Crow across the Web than spans worldwide. Certainly, I can find no way to exchange American or foreign currency to procure the recording. I believe it is long out of print and entirely unavailable. You’d probably need to go to a used CD store in Madison to even have a hope of finding it, and the band wouldn’t get anything from that purchase anyway, except the warm satisfaction that someone is enjoying their music again. Apparently, a few of The Weeds are now in band called We Are Beatrice, which has been touted by the city’s independent weekly newspaper with the breathless proclamation “more importantly, they have matching shirts and hats.” If any of the fine gentlemen from The Weeds finds this post and asks me to remove the song, I will gladly do so. Also, if they find this, I want to thank you again from playing that “Every Rose Has Its Thorn/Skyway” medley the night of the second show. We know you didn’t really want to.)
January 9, 2009 at 3:29 pm
I’m intrigued to find out what type of thing you listened to in college.
January 9, 2009 at 8:48 pm
Lauren–there’s a pretty good chance that this feature will be dominated by that. Including, most likely, increasingly mortifying stories.
Well, I might try to avoid that second part.
January 14, 2009 at 10:36 am
Dang…and without even listening to it again, it’s suddenly stuck in my head. Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Cannot believe that was 17 years ago…we’re old.
January 14, 2009 at 10:37 am
Ha! I even mistyped my own name…THAT’S the kind of day I’m having!
January 14, 2009 at 12:06 pm
We are indeed old. Sometimes I try really hard to avoid thinking about how old these songs are. By the standards I adhered to in college, The Weeds are “classic rock.”
January 19, 2009 at 8:15 pm
Hey – a friend sent this link to me. Great memories of playing in Point. We always felt lucky to get a show up there. Thanks for the kind words. Let me know if you want a We Are Beatrice T-shirt…
January 20, 2009 at 10:23 pm
What a happy surprise to hear from you! I wish I could come out and see the new band play, but I’m now living in North Carolina and trips to see favorite Madison bands (or the later offshoots) are not in the cards these days.
I would love a shirt, though. You can email me at seeger23-at-yahoo.com and we’ll work out the details. Thanks.
And, seriously, thanks for playing that Poison/Replacements medley.
February 10, 2009 at 10:28 pm
I am certainly looking forward to the collegiate rememberances, as well as the chance to hear songs long forgotten! While i didn’t recall the Chuck discussion, i fondly (for me) remember the original medley and the badgering for the second. And dancing like a goof to this song, although not the same dance all the hip kids were doing those days.
And who can forget Rebel Waltz played between Muscle Car (yes, I remember their name–it was Elmore and I that hung with them for about 30 awkard seconds in the dressing room) and the Weeds.
February 11, 2009 at 10:51 am
Muscle Car! That’s right.
I remembered Rebel Waltz was on the bill of the first show after writing and posting. I guess I’ll just need to give them equal time in a future Onefor.
July 31, 2009 at 3:33 pm
Hey – all right! Thanks for the piece above and for the file. I’ve also noticed – with great dismay – the challenge of finding a mere mention of the Weeds in the Web. Great to finally run across this worthy feature. Saw a lotta Weeds shows in Madison in the late 80s. I can remember showing up to one in particular – at O’Kayz. Outside, that dingy store-front window was shaking in its frame. The band was playing … Nancy Sinatra! – before bustin’ into Cold Gin. Good times!
July 31, 2009 at 4:04 pm
I would have loved to see them in O’Kayz. Or the old Club De Wash.
Finding info about any of the old, great Madison bands is sadly difficult. Every once in a while I search fruitlessly for music, reminiscence, anything about Swamp Thing. “Trail of Bones” is one of the great lost songs of my college radio years.