I'm very curious if there's a way to unvault the original messageboard thread forum for those of us who are original garagepunk.com members. When garagepunk.com first came out it was just the real music lovers of those particular genres (i.e. garage, surf, psych, rockabilly, greasy RnB, Killed By Death era punk, etc) as the web was newer and it was only folks who spent all their time/money in record stores or libraries for that golden new discovery, not the cut/paste your new identity by pinning to one's chest pages of another music lover's taste for show and recognition. This is the way it's done now, but the purity of that time, i.e., the 90s-early 2000s garagepunk revival scene really lacked pretense and I miss it for that. You loved what you lived and it was all new when you shared it with others on the beginnings of internet. After myspace finally imploded, I could really just give a shit about resupplying it all on Facebook.  I don't pine for the "good ole days" or try to relive (like some still do), just appreciate a place in time and would love to see it.  Now, we have to deal with reality of 1984 with it's Internet ghosts and phonies, a complete lack of respect for human privacy, and every exploitation measure of all that was once relics and aspects of your REAL life. I'd love to see my old threads and goofiness. It was fun and brought people together. The moderators/web curators cared and didn't let things get out of hand. The 90s/early 2000s douchebag indie rock scene absolutely sucked balls (IMHO) and I have to laugh when folks my (genX'ers) age consider that punk... precisely the reason we all turned to the more nostalgic rock sounds. Any thoughts?

BOY.....This is a lot to take in . It's odd that people are already  talking about the 90's in a nostalgic manner. They say if you remember the 60's , you were'nt there. I say , if you remember The 80's , yu did'nt want to be there... In the 80's , there was a real drought for Garage sounds , unless , I guess you lived in LA.  We had a real scene going , in Chicago , in the late 80's. Of course , there were five of us. It was exciting , at first , when the 90's Garage clusterfuck got underway , but a lot of those bands could'nt play , and relied on non - 60's oriented musical patterns. The old fucks with attitude (Cynics , Fleshtones, Woggles , Gories , etc.) are still with us.   It just seemed ,more and more , like a designer trend , not something communities are built on.

Wow the inherent cockiness! Where you on the original garagepunk thread BTW? Actually, I lived in St. Louis, MO and I'm well acqainted with the originator of this "hotdog stand", Kopper, whom I saw at all the shows (chiefly because he put a lot of them on as well as had an excellent radio show called The Wayback Machine) and to say the bands used non-60s oriented musical patterns (when I saw plenty Farfisas, Hammond B3s, Gretches, and vintage amps), ETC!!! or to say they couldn't play is quite the grandiose brushstroke there. I saw ALL those bands, ie. Cynics, Fleshtones, Woggles, Gories, Man or Astroman, The Mummies, The A-Bones, Teengenerate, etc., that it's no feather in my cap just a life lived and time/place happened. My specific comment being if you read carefullly was "I don't pine for the "good ole days" or try to relive (like some still do), just appreciate a place in time and would love to see it." ....."It" being reissueing the original garagepunk.com thread to see a relic of the past that, sorry pal, I was indeed a part of.  Where you?? Because the retro-Garage of the 90s actually began in 80s, note when Get Hip! Records actually started was 1986, Sympathy for the Record Industry in 1988, Estrus Records started in 1990.... both Goner Records and Crypt Records started in 1983.  Actually, those record labels are from places on the East and West Coast mainly, so they were way ahead of us midwesterners. If you view an era as a "designer trend" then perhaps it wasn't real to you.  Did you ever go to Cavestomp or any of the weekenders?, was that something "trendy" to do? or did you genuinely like the music at the time?

Lutz Vipinderwoman , I was'nt on the GPHO from the very start , because I was'nt on the internet, yet. I first joined , around 2008.  I was'nt knocking the Hideout , then or now , and I said nothing about or against Kopp , either.  It's entirely believable that St. Louis has /had a more "Solid" garage scene than Chicago. Gonn played there , I know. I also know that would have never happened , here (Though I tried to make it happen a few years ago.).   I'm not putting down your local bands , if most of them had the right gear , and the right attitude , that's great. It just  so happens, here in Chicago , even our best Garage or Garage - oriented bands of the past 25+years got very little local support. But , I've seen other bands that were terrible , and , generally , they've been very well - liked , in spite of having virtually no 60's influence at all. This is what passes for "GARAGE',  here. There is'nt much interest for this kind of music , from local or national acts.

THERE ARE EXCEPTIONS , of course , The Gories sold out a two night stand ( I opened the first night.) , it was their first attempt at a two - nighter since reforming. But , when I first saw them , here , in 1990 , I was the only person in front of the stage , while the rest of the crowd were cowering in the very back. In recent years , I've seen The Fleshtones (Whom I first saw in 1984 , and I may have missed three times , since.),  Cynics (Whom I've missed probably twice in 28 years.)  and The Woggles (With whom I've been friends for many years. I've missed them once since about '94 , only because I was playing on a Norton Records/Hurricane Sandy relief benefit show.) , all these bands and others who deserve better , I've seen play for 30 - 50 people at times.  I've seen all the bands you mentioned either two or three , or several , times , with  the exception of The Mummies.

I followed labels like Get Hip , Sympathy , and Goner, Crypt (Though I was only a fan of some of their new bands.), from the late 80's on. Also Voxx/Bomp and Midnight before them. We still owe Greg Shaw a debt . When most people talk about the 90's Garage movement , they mainly mean Estrus. I followed them , too , but , with the exception of The Brood,Woggles ,Waste Kings and maybe a couple of others , I'm not so into 'em , now , but , they got things done.

I've been into this stuff since 1980. I did go to THE CAVESTOMP THREE YEAR IN A ROW. Same for The Ponderosa Stomp.  Others , like The Vegas ROCKAROUND , I did at least once. I've always been very supportive of the original Garage bands. Moreso than most. I've interviewed several , and even become friends with quite a few of them.  Cavestomp , to their credit , also procured current and 80's era bands that delivered the goods.only seen a couple . So , no , I DON'T THINK IT IS , OR WAS , A TRENDY THING AT ALL. BUT , IT BECAME MORE OF A BANDWAGON - HOPPING THING , LATER. But , that could all change.

.... I DID'NT INTERPRET YOUR ORIGINAL COMMENT AS BEING NOSTALGIC , BUT , IT'S GREAT TO HAVE ZINES , WEBSITES , AND THE LIKE , TO REFER TO A TIME THAT WAS DIFFERENT , NOT NECESSARILY BETTER , THAN NOW. CHICAGO JUST DOES'NT HAVE THE SUPPORT SYSTEM FOR THE REAL STUFF , LIKE DETROIT , SAN FRANCISCO , ATLANTA , AND , I BELIEVE YOU WHEN YOU SAY , ST. LOUIS. I've done my bit to get the word out. I've DJ'ed , promoted shows, played out , written articles. I don't knock others , if they're just getting into this stuff , now. Why would I?    I was'nt trying to be cocky. I genuinely enjoy this music , as anyone who knows me will attest.

 I'm not here to argue with anyone. I could get on Facebook if that's what I was after. I was just trying to offer you some feedback Take care , John.