by "Jcarr" (jcarr)
Published 05/25/2017 at 10:54
by "Jcarr" (jcarr)
Published 05/25/2017 at 10:54
Tags: musiclopnik
STARS: 1
!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!
"PotbellyJoe and 42 others" (potbellyjoe)
05/25/2017 at 11:27, STARS: 1
I grew up in Kalamazoo when these guys hit it big in 96, I was turning 15 that summer, but hung out with a few of my friends’ older siblings who would take us to concerts.
If you thought the country had heard too much of “the Freshman” imagine having them be local heroes (the same time Jeter was becoming a hometown hero, 1996 was a good year for Kalamazoo)
Anyways. WGRD in Grand Rapids has a summer concert that they promoted every year and in 96 (IIRC) they had the local bands come and play, the headliner being the Verve Pipe. So Mustard Plug, an irreverent third-wave ska band from GR plays earlier in the day and gets the place going pretty well, they were always fun in concert and among their closing pieces is “The Freshman” ska style. It was borderline hilarious, everyone knew the words so it was
pretty
ruckus at that point. Well, Brian Vander Ark apparently didn’t like that his hit, and a highly personal story at that, was being, in his mind, mocked. So when they came on stage they gave the crowd a little chiding before playing the set.
I had been to at least 3 other Verve Pipe concerts up to that point, each one a little larger than the prior, but this was the show that proved to me that they were “bigger than small town” in their minds too.
I still play Villains on the commute at least 3 times a month. Great album. And I love
Photograph
, but I especially like
Real.
!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!
"Jcarr" (jcarr)
05/25/2017 at 11:30, STARS: 0
I wonder if they still feel bigger than small town.
"PotbellyJoe and 42 others" (potbellyjoe)
05/25/2017 at 11:32, STARS: 0
No idea. Never met them, haha. You?
"Jcarr" (jcarr)
05/25/2017 at 11:33, STARS: 0
I haven’t.