What are your favorite albums or songs by Deniz Tek (Radio Birdman) or John Brannon (Laughing Hyenas, Negative Approach, Easy Action)?

Do you have any stories of memories of these bands? They have been around a while and are pretty well-respected in their circles.

Last Tuesday night, I had the pleasure of seeing a couple Michigan rock stalwarts do a rare performance at a local underground punk venue called The 3rd Death Star in Ann Arbor, Mi.: Deniz Tek (of Radio Birdman fame, also toured with Scott Morgan and many others) and Easy Action (featuring John Brannon of The Laughing Hyenas and Negative Approach).  It was an all-around beautiful night spent seeing some kick-ass live music with fellow music lovers.

Tek was touring in support of his latest album, while also playing his new custom signature model Epiphone epiphone guitar.

Both Brannon and Tek are from Ann Arbor, so their roots run deep. It was like a rock and roll family reunion, as many local veteran rockers from the area, most of which were all old friends, all showed up and hung out, enjoying excellent local rock as an audience member instead of from the stage.

The Godoy Twins filled out Tek's band, playing drums and bass guitar.

The little venue is the perfect punk rock spot: part house party, part venue, all grass roots, but way better than hanging out at a bar. Plus it is right downtown, so most people can walk to it, and it is only a few hundred yards from a liquor store (Tek even shared stories about how, as a child, he'd ride his bike to the very same store and buy comics and candy).  If you are ever touring through the area, definitely try out 3rd Death Star. The people that run it are experienced and legit, and they are willing to work with touring bands, setting up the show any night of the week, while supplying local support.  The place is well-run, totally DIY, features a great "punk style" PA system, vintage arcade games, etc.

Check out a link to the 3rd Death Star here (as well as a few photos from the show): https://www.facebook.com/3rdDeathStar

Check out this really interesting article by a local Ypsilanti blogger which explains John Brannon's experience that connects John Belushi, Saturday Night Live, Fear, Necros, and Minor Threat: http://markmaynard.com/2010/06/john-brannon-in-the-metro-times-and-on-snl/

See also: http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2010/06/09/uneasy-action-john-brannon-is-now-flipping-burgers

Tek write-up in Rolling Stone: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/blogs/alternate-take/oz-rock-legend-deniz-tek-of-radio-birdman-burns-on-the-bowery-20120523

Jarmusch? Really?! I heard about the show , but , not the DVD. yEAH, DAN IS A FRIEND OF MINE FROM WAY BACK...I DID'NT WANT TO SOUND LIKE I WAS BRAGGING , HA HA. ONLY ONE OF US HAS A RIGHT TO BRAG , AND IF YOU'VE SEEN "PLASTERCASTER " ,YOU KNOW WHICH ONE THAT IS !  I'm in it, too, briefly , talking to Dan , before Cynthia "Pops the question.". The Dan and The Darleans 45 is good , minimal BFTG type Garage. Yeah , Dan came up here and played a Country Blues set with a friend. No promotion , no mikes or amps.
 
KK Dirty Money & Las Drogas said:

Very cool! I lived in the Ann Arbor area at the time of the blackout, so I was driving to the venue when I heard about the cancellation of the show on the radio. I just wound up continuing to drive further up into Northern Michigan where there was power and hanging out up there, doing some boating and such with family, for a few days until the power came back.

All the local rockers, both "big" and "small", were present at the Stooges reunion. It was a great place to be ("scene, see, and be seen" if you know what I mean...) 

A couple years back, the Iggy and the Stooges played a special Ron Asheton tribute show at the Michigan Theater in downtown Ann Arbor (later made into a DVD documentary), filmed by Jim Jarmusch and featuring guests such as Henry Rollins and Deniz Tek on guitar. It was an Ann Arbor musical homecoming of sorts. Thankfully, Deniz Tek appears to be in good health and is still rockin' strong.

Rasmussen as well as Dan Kroha can be seen "around town" quite frequently, performing or hanging out at shows. Dan plays out regularly. His newest band, called Dan and the Darleans is actually really cool and it is pretty easy to catch them playing pretty much anywhere around town from very small free shows in the lobby of the Majestic Theater to bigger stages opening for national acts.  

Very cool! I lived in the Ann Arbor area at the time of the blackout, so I was driving to the venue when I heard about the cancellation of the show on the radio. I just wound up continuing to drive further up into Northern Michigan where there was power and hanging out up there, doing some boating and such with family, for a few days until the power came back.

All the local rockers, both "big" and "small", were present at the Stooges reunion. It was a great place to be ("scene, see, and be seen" if you know what I mean...) 

A couple years back, the Iggy and the Stooges played a special Ron Asheton tribute show at the Michigan Theater in downtown Ann Arbor (later made into a DVD documentary), filmed by Jim Jarmusch and featuring guests such as Henry Rollins and Deniz Tek on guitar. It was an Ann Arbor musical homecoming of sorts. Thankfully, Deniz Tek appears to be in good health and is still rockin' strong.

Rasmussen as well as Dan Kroha can be seen "around town" quite frequently, performing or hanging out at shows. Dan plays out regularly. His newest band, called Dan and the Darleans is actually really cool and it is pretty easy to catch them playing pretty much anywhere around town from very small free shows in the lobby of the Majestic Theater to bigger stages opening for national acts.  

i did'nt hear anything about Scott Morgan , that's awful. I knew about Scott Asheton having to drop out ,temporarily , from the touring Stooges due to health reasons. I know some of his friends , and they're sworn to secrecy. I think he would have been approachable enough , but , as I say , he had family with him , and about two seconds before he got up to leave. I did'nt want to be THAT person , glomming onto him when he wants to be alone.

I was at that Stooges show in '03 in Clarkston. The show that DID and the show that did'nt happen....When we got to town , peple were saying the power was out at the facility. We did'nt know HOW MUCH power was out , in the US and Canada....Someone said "Have'nt you been listening to the radio?". I said "Do I look like I listen to the radio?!". There was a "Wake" at the Quickie Mart (Maybe you were there.). I felt bad , because I was meeting people from New York , New Jersey , etc. , who could'nt just come back when the show was rescheduled. But , what a great show it was. Everybody was ON.     But , yeah , I met Gary Rasmussen there, and the Guitarist from The Mutants , whose name escapes me. But , I'd met him , earlier , when he and his Son were playing in Elvis Hitler. Dan Kroha was there , too , and I saw about 100 Fred "Sonic " Smith T-shirts.

Yes, his show is currently on the road. You can find the details online pretty easily. Yes, the Godoy Twins are a great backing band for him (and they have their own interesting story in itself). 

@John Battles: those are great stories you're sharing. Yes, those guys are all fairly approachable. At least around here (but I live in their home turf, so it is easy to run into these guys any old night of the week or at a local rock show, usually at the Blind Pig in Ann Arbor). They aren't the friendliest guys around, but still cool nonetheless. Rock Action is still doing some things here and there. Unfortunately, Scott Morgan has been in failing health lately (the last time I saw him, he looked like death warmed over...). 

I was at that same Clarkston, MI show at what was then called Pine Knob; now it is called DTE Energy Ampitheater (during the Stooges reunion tour, summer of '03; had to be rescheduled due to the huge brownout/blackout across the states). It was a great time. 

Deniz just played at the Quarry House Tavern in Silver Spring, MD w/ my band The Stents (also w/ Jake Starr & The Delicious Fullness.) The venue sounds similar. It was a little underground (literally) club with a ceiling that was maybe 6'5" tops. Great crowd and Deniz (plus the Godoy Twins) were super cool dudes. It was kinda surreal to see him in such an intimate setting. He sounded fantastic!

Retraction: I meant to say , I almost met Scott Asheton in 2010. he had some family and friends with him , so , I did'nt want to disturb him ("The Wrath of ROCK!" haha.). I waited to see if he had a free moment , but , he was getting up to go backstage , stilll wearing his shades in the dark , and I'm going hamina hamina hamina....I know some folks who know him , and say he's a down to earth cat . 

Thanks for sharing the great story.  I saw Tek when he was touring with Radio Birdman back in the summer of 2007. Great show!  Is Tek taking this show on the road? 

yES , i MET YOUR FRIEND. In fact , I rode with him and the Bassist on a shuttle bus. The club hired a bus to pick people up at a couple of bars , and take them to the show , but , it was a new place , then , and they were advertising - challenged. THAT WAS SOME FOOT - IN - ASS DETROIT ROCK 'N'ROLL! They did'nt act deterred by such a small turnout. They did some Rationals , Radio Birdman and some solo Rob Tyner songs , as well as Morgan's newer Powertrane material. There is a video on You Tube of an earlier POWERTRANE SHOW i WAS AT , Empty Bottle , Chicago. That's when I met Scott , but I saw him twice with Scott Asheton and Gary Rasmussen , but later Scot's Pirates and Powertrane were much better. I met Rasmussen at the Stooges show in '03 in Clarkeston , Michigan. I even had a chance to meet Rock Action , IN 2000 , BUT HE WAS GETTING UP TO GO BACK STAGE , AND I WAS A BIT INTIMIDATED BY HIM....i'M USUALLY NOT , but its Scott ""The Bad Motherfucker" Asheton.

Cool! Thanks for sharing your story. That is interesting: the show in which you saw Tek, Morgan, and Gillespie on one stage is the tour that my personal friend, Al King, drummed for them (he and I were in a couple Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti bands together, The Ungodly 77s and The Devil Elvis Show). He was pretty stoked to be drummer behind such a lineup of local legends. 

IT'S EMBARASSING , I DON'T THINK I HAVE ANY OF DENIZ TEK'S SOLO MATERIAL , except for one single. I could be mistaken , tho'.  I have that Dodge Main CD (Morgan , Tek and Wayne Kramer.) , and the live Powertrane CD with Tek and Ron Asheton. I saw Radio Birdman on their first reunion tour of the states , but , it was oversold to a dangerous level , and it was mid - Summer , and the venue had no A.C.  IF I'D BEEN 21 AT THE TIME , I guess I would'nt have cared , but , it was brutal. So , when they came back a year later , to the same venue , ALSO MID - SUMMER , I TOOK A PASS.  THEY WERE GREAT , THOUGH. Never got into their reunion LP , much. Wanted to love it. Tek scarcely even seems to be ON it.

A few years later , Powertrane played here. The front line was Scott Morgan , Bobby Gillespie (Mitch Ryder , Rob Tyner.) and Tek. It was BAD ASS ! Ask any of the 12 other people who showed.

I saw The Laughing Hyaenas , once , too. Sorry , I was'nt digging it at all , but , that's just me....