Discuss.

seaweed was pretty good......they rode that wave like many did....but they had talent   

I didn't mind Seaweed

They were doing benefit shows to keep this place open and it just did not pan out.  These places are like moles though.....one will pop up again somewhere soon when a person(s) get motivated to do it.  Harder to do it now with the more hard ass insurance, fire, health codes you are to adhere to.  If I had a million $ I would do it.

Yeah, there's a place like that in every town, if you're lucky. 

It is great to have a venue (other than a bar or large "concert" venue) that hosts "underground" punk shows. Those places always have a hard time staying open (due to lack of money) and are usually kind of cruddy in atmosphere (due to lack of money). 

I grew up near Flint, and there has always been a decent scene for that type of thing there. It has changed names over the years, but the venue has been called Flint Local 432. It is a great all-ages venue downtown that is quite large and has hosted many local and touring bands over the years. 

My band happens to be playing there again (for the first time in a long time) this coming weekend and we are really looking forward to getting "back to our roots". 

Here is the link: http://www.flintlocal432.com/

By the way, this is KK Dirty Money, same guy as in the previous posts. I just happen to be replying to this via my other band's GPHO account. So, Ungodly 77s and KK Dirty Money are the same guy, just different bands, FYI...

Yes it is.....and did not get dirtied up by becoming too popular.....wish it was just a little more popular just enough to get some other bands to stop by and a little better PA....and the plumbing in the bathrooms always sucked....hahaha.

Cool, thanks! 

It sounds like it was quite the place. I am sorry I never heard about it. 

But, that is the way of the cool underground venue, right? 

ChemoMonk said:

http://icepickmuskegon.com/wp/

http://icepickmuskegon.com/wp/

Cool. Yeah, here in the greater Detroit area, we don't really hear much of what is going on in other parts of the state. We know there are things going on in Lansing and Kalamazoo (I live in Ann Arbor and, even though the scene here is good in comparison to most parts of the state, it still isn't very thrilling, considering this is the home of the MC5 and Stooges). But, I know that cool things can happen anywhere, as long as there are a motivated few, many cool things can happen. I am just surprised I've never heard of Ice Pick. 

Ice Pick is (was...just closed recently even though have had a few benefit shows to try to keep it open) one of the oldest punk venues in the country.  This side of the state is always an after thought.....most bands play Detroit or the college towns of Lansing, Ann Arbor or K-Zoo and maybe.....will make it this far west if they had time or needed some extra cash on their way to South Bend or Chicago. Probably some of the well knows who actually made it through were MDC, DOA, and Black Flag.  Lot of local stuff.....Jim Jones and the Kool-Aid Kids.  It was fun for us small town kids to go there.  Most people from my little town that went there regularly ended up moving to NY or Chicago after High School...so it had an impact.

Even though it is an old post, we can still keep the discussion going. 

I have been playing shows in Michigan for years, and I remember the Reptile House. I never played there because I was on the other side of the state and I just couldn't get a show lined up there before they closed. But I heard good things about that place, which, for a small punk club three hours away, is pretty impressive that the good news was traveling across the state like that.

I've never heard of the Ice Pick, but like I said, I wasn't anywhere near that side of the state (I was always around the Detroit area).

The Best Shows I saw were Mudhoney and Skin Yard.  Both at OK Hotel.  Also really dug Love Battery.  Saw Nirvana's infamous April 1991 show at the OK also....I am on the YouTube video briefly....but it was too crazy.....too many cameras and people going nuts because they got signed by Geffen and getting ready to blow up.  I left Washington 3 days later....and have never been back. 

This is an Old Ass post I am relying too....but oh well.  There was a Reptile House in Grand Rapids, MI in the mid to late 80's.  There was also the Ice Pick in Muskegon which had a lot of great punk acts also.  Ice Pick was a bit more Guerrilla.....BYOB....all ages.

Andy Seven said:

Yeah, I played Kalamazoo at The Reptile House. Now that's one wild club back in the day.

always thought Blood Circus was really good.

 

 I , personally , would'nt call Dead Moon "Grunge". They were around before the movement picked up any momentum , and , of course , Fred Cole has been performing and recording since the 60's. As Cole himself  described it , "We're not a Retro 60's band. We just like it raw , ragged and honest.".  I don't think Fred was down on the Grunge thing , but , none of those bands were mentioned in "Dirty Noise " his homage to the sound of The Great Northwest. But , that had nothing to do with the pitifully short segment they (And Girl Trouble.) garnered in "Hype !".  My friends and I were calling The Sonics , Link Wray , anything dirty - sounding like that from the past , "Grunge Rock" before it came to take on an entirely different meaning.  It's absurd that "Garage Fans" would'nt have accepted Dead Moon at Estrus Shock. Where did they think that   stuff came from? I think they got a better reception than Andrew describes , at The Cavestomp in 1999.
 
The Rex Arms said:

dead moon were a grunge band from portland.  you can find their 7" in jukeboxes there.

 

 

John Brannon, singer for Laughing Hyenas, has been playing more lately, too. He is fronting Negative Approach approach again (both of which are bands from my town). 

His voice sounds as good as ever.

Andy Seven said:

Speaking of Michigan, I also like The Laughing Hyenas, an amazing band.

Speaking of Michigan, I also like The Laughing Hyenas, an amazing band.

Trash Can School. We played around that period of time. Good times. 

KK Dirty Money said:

Yeah, unfortunately that place didn't last too long. That side of the state doesn't have too many cool rock venues (the West side seems to be more college rock and jam band oriented, whereas the garage and stuff like that hovers around Detroit.)

What band were you in that played there?

Andy Seven said:

Yeah, I played Kalamazoo at The Reptile House. Now that's one wild club back in the day.

Yeah, unfortunately that place didn't last too long. That side of the state doesn't have too many cool rock venues (the West side seems to be more college rock and jam band oriented, whereas the garage and stuff like that hovers around Detroit.)

What band were you in that played there?

Andy Seven said:

Yeah, I played Kalamazoo at The Reptile House. Now that's one wild club back in the day.

Yeah, I played Kalamazoo at The Reptile House. Now that's one wild club back in the day.

Cool, thanks for the response. If you're still interested in the God Bullies, they are actually based out of my hometown of Ypsilanti, MI (next to Ann Arbor, near Detroit). Mike Hard, the leader/singer of the band, lives in my neighborhood and still performs a bit. They are touring now as The Mike Hard Band (his band before that was Thrall), playing tunes from his back catalog as well as new stuff. My friend, Andy Furda (who also plays in a band with me) is Mike's guitarist. Mike still puts on one helluva weird show, getting super possessed and stuff. Just one of those FYI and small world things. 

Andy Seven said:

The Cows

Lubricated Goat (from Oz)

God Bullies

Don't know if Jesus Lizard qualifies as grunge, but they were pretty solid in my book.

And of course Babes In Toyland, Tad, and Boss Hog.

The Cows

Lubricated Goat (from Oz)

God Bullies

Don't know if Jesus Lizard qualifies as grunge, but they were pretty solid in my book.

And of course Babes In Toyland, Tad, and Boss Hog.

Have you checked out "Skullfuck" by UK band Walking Seeds on Probe Plus recs. I think this Lp fits into the whole Grunge thing & shows that it wasn't all coming out of Seattle, Si mon.

Mudhoney were ok but what  Leonardo said about The Kreuzen is totaly my point of view.I saw The Kreuzen end of the 80ies in a VERY small club in St.Pauli(Hamburg)-JESUS it was incredible....there were about 25 to 50 people(sold out!!!!!!!!!!) and these guye played a kind of music I never heard till this day-and I hear lots of differend stuff!!!!

I think SKIN YARD is a superb band,just here "PSYCHORIFLEPOWERHYPNOTIZED"-pure mania,even the cover of the single.GREAT!!!

But it`s very hard to define what "Grunge" is-I don`t think in those categories,because everyone has another definition of music.Some say "Soundgarden" or "A.I.C" is grunge-for me it`s just ROCK from Seattle.