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Author
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Topic: Avalon Theatre/ Sonic Warp Gigs
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Felix Havoc
Punk Posts: 1629
Registered: Sep 2000
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posted 03-15-2001 08:22 AM
   
This was brought up elsewhere I believe but I feel it deserved its own thread. Is anyone from the Sonic Warp collective among us? The two guys I knew well were Mark Lockawich (sp?) and John Senham. The Avalon did quite a few gigs, must've been 1990 and 91. This all came to halt at the Oi Polloi show when two rival skinhead gangs (Baldies and MOB) decided to have a rumble in the parking lot a shots were fired. Freaked the hippy puppet theatre folks right out and they decreed no more live music. I live right around the corner from this place now and kinda know Kathy Foran the director of the theatre. I asked her if she would consider renting out the theatre for live music again. She rolled her eyes and said no. I think they were terrified of a lawsuit resulting from some kid getting injured (or shot). There were some pretty memorable shows at the Avalon. However, at the time punk was at a real low point and turn outs were pretty weak. Bands that would have drawn hundreds of people a few years earlier or later drew only a handfull. I think 8 people showed up for Econochrist. Funny considering how many people today wear that bands t shirts and such. Misery and White Zombie? Neurosis MDC/ Filth Toxic Reasons Oi Polloi Fugazi How huge would some of those shows be today? I remember playing that place, the stage and hall were huge. I love old theatres but, even a fair sized crowd made the place look empty. You really had to pack it to get the energy level up. I seem to remember the sound being real echoey too. IP: Logged |
Scotty
Punk Posts: 1848
Registered: Jun 2000
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posted 03-15-2001 09:15 AM
Black Spot and Neomort played there a couple of shows together back then..I think Misery may have been on one of those bills too. I always loved having those puppet show sets as a backdrop. Mark definitely was quite a character.. where is he now? IP: Logged |
Beving
Punk Posts: 1926
Registered: May 2000
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posted 03-16-2001 11:14 AM
Iron Fist opened up for Toxic Reasons when they played there, sometime around April 1 1989. 500 or so people showed up and a good time was had by all.
If I remember correctly the first big show alot of the Sonic Warp guys did was the UK Subs/Broken Bones show at the Cedar People's Center, 87-ish.
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Jason
Punk Posts: 125
Registered: Sep 2000
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posted 03-21-2001 03:49 PM
let's not forget who headlined that Econochrist show.....THE OFFSPRING, yup there were about 8 people at that show.....IP: Logged |
The Ambassador
Punk Posts: 333
Registered: Mar 2001
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posted 03-21-2001 08:27 PM
My roommate at the time, Jeff Spiegel, had a hand in booking that show through Kamala, I believe, so the bands ended up staying at our apartment. I didn't even go to the show because I had to work early (as a mailman). Much to my dismay, they were hooping and hollering later that evening. I stormed out of my room, looked around for my roommate, didn't see him and proceeded to yell at them to keep it down because I had to work in the morning as a MAILMAN, damnit. After my tirade, I spotted two familiar faces in the form of Spitball and Erika Grove, pointed at them and said "You're in charge!" I then proceeded to storm out of the room to baffled silence. Pretty sweet. I later formally met Econochrist and had a good laugh about the incident. That's right, I yell at rockstars. Watch out, you might be next... IP: Logged |
Felix Havoc
Punk Posts: 1629
Registered: Sep 2000
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posted 03-21-2001 09:15 PM
I remember when no one turned out to that show Mark L. called up the Profane House and pleaded that we come support the bands. We were really busy playing Warhammer, listening to Bolt Thrower and Napalm Death, and drinknig home brew. We didn't really know much about who this Offspring band was, but we were embarrassed to tell Mark we were just drinking and playing Warhammer so we said we were rushing to get the zine finished to make our deadline at the printers. IP: Logged |
dadaduck
Punk Posts: 886
Registered: Jun 2000
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posted 03-22-2001 11:27 AM
Ohmigod! Warhammer! Scary trip down memory lane...I saw two great shows at the Avalon: Fugazi in 1990, and Boiled In Lead w/ the 27 Various (who were terrible!) in 1989. Was MOB a Nazi skinhead gang? Or just your run-of-the-mill boot boys?
There was some sort of incident during the Fugazi show as well. Ian Mackaye refused to go on stage until all of the troublemakers had been kicked out. I felt sorry for the bouncers. I remember reading a review of the show in the Twin Cities Reader that said something to the effect of "Does anyone remember punk?...Fugazi are the only punk band left..." ALmost went to that Misery / White Zombie show, and just about pissed my pants a few years later when White Zombie became the darlings of MTV. IP: Logged |
Scotty
Punk Posts: 1848
Registered: Jun 2000
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posted 03-22-2001 04:07 PM
That same weekend Black Spot did an instore with White Zombie at Let it Be (Loring Park locale).. We honestly could not tell if the bass player was a thin, fragile beautiful girl or a thin, fragile beautiful boy. "Hi, I'm Scott.. what's your name?" "Sean... " We didn't know for sure until months later, when they hit it bigger and started getting press. IP: Logged |
Felix Havoc
Punk Posts: 1629
Registered: Sep 2000
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posted 03-22-2001 07:09 PM
I didn't stick around for White Zombie, just saw Misery and left. The MOB are/were, uh, not really a Nazi group , but generally conservative/right wing I guess. I dunno I think most skinheads by definition are a little confused. Basically by that point the whole thing couild be easily viewed as a juvenile gang war between two groups of skinheads with a vauge left/right political excuse used to justify the shenanigans. Not to say there weren't realy problems with real Nazis in the past, but this particular period I think the politics were just an excuse. Almost all the MOB guys are still around, so you can ask them about it. IP: Logged |
VEGAS
Lil Punk Posts: 20
Registered: Mar 2001
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posted 03-28-2001 05:07 AM
sonic warp also put on a mudhoney show way back when,by the way mark married muffy(actually her name is elizabeth but she use to go by the terriable name of muffy)he was going to school last i talked to him,the wedding was a blast,if only trumble, paul that is,would have been less paul like,you know what i mean....god,that mudhoney show blew mw away....IP: Logged |
bgj
Punk Posts: 93
Registered: Apr 2000
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posted 04-12-2001 11:15 AM
Hey Scotty, I brought my sister to that Black Spot/Neo Mort show when she was 15 or 16. Although I waited a few years before I actually introduced her to Joe. Libido Boyz were the opening act. You guys rocked that night!
The Toxic Reasons show @ the Avalon was also fun. IP: Logged |
Scotty
Punk Posts: 1848
Registered: Jun 2000
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posted 04-12-2001 12:31 PM
What did your sister think of her future husband to be that night? I wonder if you would have told her.. "hey, you're gonna marry that guy" what would she have said? IP: Logged |
larrybob
Punk Posts: 51
Registered: Aug 2001
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posted 08-04-2001 08:37 PM
I believe Babes in Toyland played at the White Zombie gig also... I could have a faulty memory though. I saw the Fugazi show there, can't remember if I went to any others.IP: Logged |
jon senum
Punk Posts: 75
Registered: Aug 2001
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posted 08-04-2001 09:04 PM
Hey Felix you almost got my name right! Sonic Warp was started by Mark Lokowich and myself shortly after the UK Subs/Broken Bones/Misery show at the Peoples Center on the West Bank. First Ave was going to discontinue doing all ages shows so we decided to pick up the slack since so many of our friends were in bands and needed to have a venue. Paul and Phil Schwartzberg joined Mark and I shortly after the Toxic Reasons show. I would be doing a great disservice to our punk rock community to act as if the four of us were solely responsible for putting on the shows. Mark, Paul, Phil, and I put up the money, booked the bands and did the "official" PR. (By the way, none of us ever made even one cent off doing these shows. All monies went to expenses, the bands, and our sound person(s). At the risk of sounding pretentious, we REALLY did do it out of the love for our punk music scene and friends.)People like the Misery crew, just about everyone that became a part of the profane existence collective, gutter punks and members of most of the bands that played for us voluntarily worked their asses off.(The names are many and at some point I will try to name as many of them as I can.) Felix you were absolutely correct in your evaluation of the punk scene at the time, however every one who put effort into those shows, no matter what the turn out, really helped to lay the foundation for the glory years of our DIY movement that soon followed. I would love to sit down with you (or anyone else for that matter) over a few beers to rehash those days sometime. Just e-mail me at jsenum@mymailstation.com. I don't have the list of bands that played for us in front of me but I will try to name some: Toxic Reasons, MDC,Fugazi, DOA, Pussy Galore, White Zombie, Misery, The Offspring, Vampire Lesbos, Oi Polloi, Slapshot, Underdog, NoMeansNo, Filth, Three-Legged Dog, Babes in Toyland, Cows, The Bastards, Neomort, Mudhoney, Afghan Whigs, Bullet Lavolta, Negazione, The Funseekers, NOFX, Destroy (Sorry I didn't get to watch that one Felix, but I was busy dodging bullets outside), Alice Donut, Shudder to Think, Moral Crux, Dissent, I know I am missing alot of important bands. Maybe someday I will post a complete list. Obviously not all of our shows were hardcore punk rock, but some of our more mainstream shows helped pay for some hardcore shows we may not of had the cash to put on otherwise. I am currently a labor activist at United Parcel Service. I am the vice-chair of the MN Teamsters for a Democratic Union chapter. TDU is an organization that is trying to put the power of our union back in the hands of the rank and file and eliminate the corrupt mob influenced "old gaurd". I ran for Pres. of local 638 and only lost by 100 votes out of a local with 5000 members. Thanks for your interest and I hope to be hearing from some you punks soon.IP: Logged |
Felix Havoc
Punk Posts: 1629
Registered: Sep 2000
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posted 08-05-2001 10:29 AM
Great to see you posting John. Some of my flyers from the Sonic Warp shows are archived on this site in the "Felix Havoc Flyer Archive" thread, with more to follow I think. I see Phil at Bob's now and then, but what ever happened to Mark? I think it should be noted that right after the Sonic Warp thing burned out the next generation of punk started off with Extreme Noise and the Studio of the Stars. Now that everyone involved with the Studio of the Stars, Bombshelter etc. is burned out I think it's high time the torch was passed to another generation who will start a gig collective and do all ages shows in this town in the Sonic Warp tradition. IP: Logged |
YerMom
Punk Posts: 656
Registered: May 2001
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posted 08-12-2001 02:40 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Felix Havoc:
I didn't stick around for White Zombie, just saw Misery and left.
You and everybody else. I was one of about 8 people left for White Zombie. I remember all this smoke and lights and flashpots, thinking that a band finally has a little production value and there's no one here to see it. The only reason I was because my girlfriend at the time (anyone know Carol Tearman?) was friends with on of the Sonic Warp guys, a big guy with long hair. Zombie was pretty cool. IP: Logged |
Beving
Punk Posts: 1926
Registered: May 2000
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posted 08-12-2001 05:12 PM
I saw Zombie a few years earlier when they did the in-store at Let It Be... at least I think I was there.IP: Logged |
Felix Havoc
Punk Posts: 1629
Registered: Sep 2000
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posted 08-13-2001 06:43 PM
Now that White Zombie are famous and get played on the radio I still wouldn't hang around to see them. I still go see Misery every time they play though. IP: Logged |
jon senum
Punk Posts: 75
Registered: Aug 2001
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posted 09-19-2001 11:14 AM
Hey there were a lot of bands that I didn't particularly care for that played for us. But part of the mission of any production company should be to offer a variety of music. A lot of the more mainstream bands made money so we could put on more hardcore shows. More than a few times I have been told that we turned some people on to "punk rock" who may otherwise have continued there marginal suburban existence listening to "Flock of Seagulls" or "Haircut 100". Now talk about saving a few lives!!!! Anyway whether you like their music or not Rob Zombie, the Offspring and others all proved to be great people and I am happy that we gave them a venue to play.IP: Logged |
Felix Havoc
Punk Posts: 1629
Registered: Sep 2000
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posted 09-20-2001 07:24 PM
At the Bombshelter and Studio of the Stars I helped set up shows for a lot of bands I didn't like either just for the money (to support more underground acts) or because the bands were nice people and trying to do their thing independently. If I were to go back into booking I think the first call I'd make outside the punk world would be to underground hip hop dudes like Rhymesayers Collective. Gotta say though, I still don't like White Zombie very much. IP: Logged |
jon senum
Punk Posts: 75
Registered: Aug 2001
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posted 09-21-2001 01:17 PM
OK! OK! White Zombie sucked! Rob knew so as well. I heard he bought the tapes back for "Make Them Die Slowly" & "Soul Crusher" so he could keep the rest of the world safe. Just a rumor. I was looking in some of our old promo files doing the "what could we have possibly been thinking" thing. I pulled out the Offspring promo pack. Believe it or not they had MRR, Flipside, and probably another dozen or so zines convinced that they were as punk as fuck. Hey it was a fun show, but punk rock? PLEASE!!IP: Logged |
troll
Punk Posts: 258
Registered: Jan 2002
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posted 01-31-2002 09:20 AM
quote:
Originally posted by jon senum:
Hey there were a lot of bands that I didn't particularly care for that played for us. But part of the mission of any production company should be to offer a variety of music. A lot of the more mainstream bands made money so we could put on more hardcore shows. More than a few times I have been told that we turned some people on to "punk rock" who may otherwise have continued there marginal suburban existence listening to "Flock of Seagulls" or "Haircut 100". Now talk about saving a few lives!!!! Anyway whether you like their music or not Rob Zombie, the Offspring and others all proved to be great people and I am happy that we gave them a venue to play.
john,
the most vivid, (which isn't saying much), memory of the Sonic Warp shows, for me, was how hot it was at the FUGAZI show. Not to mention the agitated skinheads starting shit on the stage. What was the name of that bar accross the street? I remember you & Mark.
getting more personal now. How's the fishing out there. Still looking for the book of Barnaby Jones-isms. IP: Logged |
jon senum
Punk Posts: 75
Registered: Aug 2001
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posted 02-08-2002 03:04 PM
quote:
Originally posted by troll:
john,
the most vivid, (which isn't saying much), memory of the Sonic Warp shows, for me, was how hot it was at the FUGAZI show. Not to mention the agitated skinheads starting shit on the stage. What was the name of that bar accross the street? I remember you & Mark.
getting more personal now. How's the fishing out there. Still looking for the book of Barnaby Jones-isms.
Troll I can't e-mail you. What's up with that?? Yeah things got a little tense with the whole Sonic Warp crew towards the end. The only regret I have about doing the shows was that my friendship with Mark never really recovered after that. We certainly didn't become enemies but I feel like it cost me my best friend. The bar across the street was called Fernando's. What a great dive! Whenever we felt shitty about the turn out at one of our shows we only had to cross the street to see how bad it could really be. Fishing is great, it's been so warm here I could probably take the boat today in the middle of Feb. IP: Logged |
Felix Havoc
Punk Posts: 1629
Registered: Sep 2000
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posted 02-08-2002 10:39 PM
Yeah, Fernando's was a real dive. There were occasionally punk shows there, I saw the Quincy Punks there a few times. The owner had some "legal" trouble and had to close it. I tried to buy the place but the guy from the Mexican restaurant next door bought it, he's gonna tear it down and expand the restautrant. IP: Logged |
Jason
Punk Posts: 125
Registered: Sep 2000
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posted 02-11-2002 10:46 AM
Two of my most "punk rock embarassed for others" moments happened at Fernandos.
In 1986 (or '87) SOULSIDE was booked, they showed up, but only about 4 people showed to see them, I begged them to play, they didn't. damn.
10 or so years later me, Felix and Bill (we were on a "date") trudged down there to see a band who put a flier up at Extreme Noise, thought they were some new hardcore band. We were pretty much the only people there. The 3 of us at a table in the back...Hey Jon and other sonic warpee's any truth to the rumour that First Ave employees were busted ripping down sonic warp fliers? IP: Logged |
jon senum
Punk Posts: 75
Registered: Aug 2001
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posted 02-15-2002 01:02 PM
Yes, it's true that some FAE's (First Ave. Employees) were caught red handed pulling down our fliers. In fact we use to put some up on the theater across from the street and try to guess how long it would take Steve to send someone over to pull them down (we'd be watching from upstairs by the bar). When we started putting up fliers we were careful to only put up a few and NEVER covered (well maybe just a few accidentally) anyone elses. But when some FAE's declared war on our fliers we went to the "Cover anything that does or doesn't move" mode. Now please remember it was only a very few bad FAE's that participated in this. Most FAE's were our good freinds and would never have taken part in anything that could only hurt the music community. the other tactic was to tell people the show was at FA not the Avavlon, or that the band had decided to switch venues the days before or day of our shows.IP: Logged |
billy
Punk Posts: 505
Registered: Jan 2002
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posted 04-08-2002 10:45 AM
me and john spitball took it on the road with the scrods either right before or right after their show with mdc & filth.Did'nt go to the fugazi show cuz I dont like em now, and I did'nt like em then.IP: Logged |
jon senum
Punk Posts: 75
Registered: Aug 2001
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posted 04-10-2002 02:12 PM
WOW!!!!! Someone who admitted to NOT being at that show! I feel like I should have redone the books to find the extra 2000 that attended but obviously must not have paid!!IP: Logged |
billy
Punk Posts: 505
Registered: Jan 2002
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posted 04-10-2002 05:10 PM
haha!IP: Logged |
Felix Havoc
Punk Posts: 1629
Registered: Sep 2000
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posted 04-11-2002 02:02 PM
I didn't go to the Fugazi show either, I saw their first two or three shows when I lived in DC and it went over my head. Still does, sounds like college rock to me. IP: Logged |
billy
Punk Posts: 505
Registered: Jan 2002
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posted 04-11-2002 05:00 PM
yep.IP: Logged |
Scoot-core
Punk Posts: 264
Registered: Jan 2002
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posted 04-25-2002 09:52 AM
Avalon theater shows made up a big part of my punk rock life. Lots of memories. Great shows. I took photos at many of those aforementioned shows: NOFX, Toxic Reasons, Underdog, Dead Silence, more I can't think of now. Not many good ones, but a few.Though it could feel sparse, I always appreciated having the space to move around. Made things comfortable. But I seem to remember the Fugazi show being packed. Some of the best memories from that time. Recently, I was just at the Avalon for a May Day workshop, and mentioned to one of the artists that there used to be big punk shows in the theater ten years ago. He was blown away. Side Note: Wasn't the Avalon a porno theater before the Heart of the Beast got the space? When a neighborhood friend and I told his dad that we were going off to see a show at the Avalon, he laughed and asked if we were old enough to see those sorts of films. Porn, Puppets, Punk rock. That space has seen some crazy shit. I wonder what it was before the Porn? IP: Logged |
Felix Havoc
Punk Posts: 1629
Registered: Sep 2000
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posted 04-25-2002 06:28 PM
It was indeed a movie theatre in the golden age of cinema (the 1930's and 40's) It's art deco facade dates from the late 30's I believe, although I'm pretty sure it was around before that. At one time it and the Franklin Theatre were quite popular when this was a more stable blue collar area. As the city crumbled in the 60's and 70's they were converted to porn theatres. The Franklin Theatere is much older, circa 1905, and is one of the oldest standing silent movie houses. IP: Logged |
Jack Butch
Punk Posts: 82
Registered: Sep 2001
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posted 04-26-2002 08:55 AM
I remember the MDC/FILTH show for sure. I thought it was cool the drummer of MDC had his kid with him on tour.I also remember the singer of Filth bitching at a guy by the name of Jacob for simulating gay anal sex with a friend of his in the middle of the dance floor. The Filth singer stopped to ask him his definition of punk rock. I was thining...who the fuck cares. It seemed rather pompous to me...I left me with the impression that he was implying there was a right and wrong definition of Punk Rock. Fuck all of that. MDC rocked nonetheless. Missed the Fugazi show. Damn I wish I would have just bitten the bullet and went...but I was a bit nervous about some of the local skins at the time and didn't think I'd make it home ok. So I chickened out and stayed home. Dammit all to hell. Missed fucking Toxic Reasons too. Dammit...now I'm pissed. IP: Logged |
nunsoup
Punk Posts: 433
Registered: Jan 2002
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posted 05-07-2002 03:50 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Jack Butch:
Dammit...now I'm pissed.
YOU'RE pissed? imagine how us youngins are feeling! IP: Logged |
Chris Filthy
Lil Punk Posts: 4
Registered: Jul 2002
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posted 07-06-2002 04:45 PM
I remember when I used to work at Alison’s restaurant in uptown with Mark and Jon and they were talking about Sonic warp. I would go to the meetings and they made me the official photographer. I have tons of pictures of nonmesnano, neomort and others. I will post them if people would like to see them! I look back at those days with a big smile it was cool to be part of something as dyi as that. What has happened since? Oh yea I thought the white zombie show rocked! But I also was high on something. Take care you old fucks.IP: Logged |
jon senum
Punk Posts: 75
Registered: Aug 2001
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posted 07-12-2002 07:58 AM
Hell Chris, I would like to see them even if no one else does!!! Please post or contact me.IP: Logged |
Chelsea40ozBondage
Punk Posts: 2284
Registered: May 2000
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posted 07-12-2002 11:33 AM
quote:
Originally posted by Jack Butch:
I thought it was cool the drummer of MDC had his kid with him on tour.
Oh!!! The only kid on tour with Al Schwitz when they moved me out here in 93, was his 16 y.o. girlfriend. We stopped at her parents' house in Colorado. They were very nice and made us sandwiches and gave us a thrmos of coffee, but she introduced Chris (ex Stikky), who was only 26, as her boyfriend instead of Al. He was more clean cut, always getting asked if he was the manager at gas stations and the like. Lenny from Filth will always have a special place in my heart. How I wish he hadn't moved to Barstool, CA.
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Felix Havoc
Punk Posts: 1629
Registered: Sep 2000
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posted 07-12-2002 05:48 PM
Al definately had his son, who was probably about 9 with him when they played here with Filth. IP: Logged |
Chelsea40ozBondage
Punk Posts: 2284
Registered: May 2000
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posted 07-12-2002 06:32 PM
I met his kid, and Dave's as well. I was just teasing in my previous post, but, yeah, Al was robbin the cradle.------------------
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