09/18/2024
Thirty years ago last night (9/17/1994) was a pivotal evening for north Alabama punk rock, or at least for my experience of it.
The show, dubbed “Lotsapunklosers,” took place at the outdoor gazebo at the Jaycee’s Fairgrounds in Huntsville and featured The Peeps, Sh*tboy From Outerspace, Property, The Jawas, Puddle and Themack.
Funds collected from the $5 cover charge went toward pressing the Nation Of Kids 7” compilation (“Incest Is Best”) which came out sometime in early ’95, showcasing all six bands that had been on this bill. It remains an excellent snapshot of that moment in the scene.
Were you there that night? Say hello in the comments!
Not only was it Themack’s first show, it was also my first show performing with *any* band. I was seventeen. I couldn’t tell you whether the set went over well, how we were received, or how many people bought our newly-recorded tape — all I remember is being full of adrenaline, and the rest is pretty hazy. But everybody’s gotta make their first attempt, and that was mine.
Themack included my two closest friends at the time, Matt (guitar, vocals, not on IG) and David (bass, ), along with yours truly (drums, vocals). I met M & D two years prior at a Catholic youth convention - of all places — and by this point we were super tight, with a shared language of sarcastic inside jokes. It shows up in full force on the aforementioned 17-song tape that we recorded a few weeks before the show.
Somehow that tape hasn’t made it online in the past 30 years, so now seems like a good a time as ever to get it out there. https://themack.bandcamp.com/album/the-tape
The three of us are planning to convene soon for an oral history of the band, and there will be more Bandcamp releases of our later studio recordings, coinciding with the dates in ’94 and ’95 when they were recorded. If you’re interested in any of this, follow Themack on Bandcamp and there will be more updates coming! Word to your mother.
