28 May 2008

Weaselfest '08: Back Where He Belongs

It must have been around 1987 when people first started talking about the smartassed and hilarious Maximum Rocknroll scene reports emanating from Chicago and authored by a kid calling himself Ben Weasel. He combined a passionate belief in the music that he and his friends were making with a mercilessly skewering of Chicago punk rock's sacred cows, and before long it would be a rare copy of MRR that didn't contain at least one or two letters praising or (more often) denouncing the irascible Mr. Weasel.

I first met Ben in 1988 when he brought his band Screeching Weasel to Berkeley to play with Operation Ivy at Gilman Street. He was staying at Matt and Lint's house, and I'd barely walked in the door when he baited me into an argument, something which admittedly didn't take much effort in those days. It was probably something to do with the relative superiority of California vs. Chicago and/or his opinion that despite my punk rock trappings, I was too much of a mushbrained, sproutheaded hippie at heart, and it was an argument that would continue in one form or another over much of the following decade.

Screeching Weasel were not yet in their prime, but there was something special enough about them that I immediately wanted to put out records by them. But as it happened, their latest record was already set to come out on another label, and though we talked about it when they came back to California the following year, the band broke up before anything could come of it.

By now I'd become a huge Screeching Weasel fan, but between the breakup and the fact that despite their album selling quite well, he had very little to show it, Ben was pretty discouraged with the band. During the next couple years, we kept in touch by phone and talked a lot about what he might do next. I urged him to reunite Screeching Weasel in some form or another; Ben was of the opinion that it would be better to start fresh with a whole new band called the Gore Gore Girls.

Finally in 1991 Screeching Weasel was reborn and came to San Francisco to record My Brain Hurts. It wouldn't be their biggest-selling album, not by a long shot, but it was an absolutely seminal moment, not just for the band and for Lookout Records, but also for a whole generation (or two) of pop-punk bands. People argue to this day whether My Brain Hurts is the best Weasel album (Anthem For A New Tomorrow is the most frequently cited alternative), but few would deny how vital it was. Sales exceeded any expectations either the label or the band had had, and Ben, who'd written or co-written virtually everything the band had done, and who ran the S.S. Screeching Weasel as a very tight ship indeed, was for the first time faced with the semi-plausible prospect of making a decent career out of music.

For the next few years it was onward and upward. Each successive Screeching Weasel album met with instant success - at least by the pre-Dookie standards of what was still a relatively underground scene, the shows were getting bigger and bigger, and apart from the band, Ben was gaining a reputation as a powerful and incisive writer through his columns in MRR and other magazines.

And this is where I'd like to be able to say that everyone lived happily after, but it wasn't going to be quite that simple. As he began to reveal in his columns, Ben was suffering from increasing anxiety about playing shows and the pressures of being, at least within the relatively insular punk scene, more or less a superstar. At times, he said, it was difficult enough just to leave his house to journey to the corner store, let alone appear on stage before hundreds or thousands of maniacal fans.

It was during that same time that Ben and I began to fall out, our long-running but mostly good-natured arguments finally escalating into a vicious feud that lasted ten years and during which we never spoke directly to each other, though we did occasionally trade insults and accusations via the media. Although I didn't keep up as closely as I once had with his music and writing, I never stopped being a fan and never stopped listening to my Weasel records during those years.

When we finally met again at last year's Insubordination Fest in Baltimore, where Ben was giving a rare performance and resurrecting a number of Screeching Weasel classics, it was almost as though the bad years had never happened. Almost, I say, because Ben still felt conflicted about the whole idea of playing music for people. Actually, it wasn't so much the playing music part that bothered him - backed up by two of today's most exciting pop-punk bands, the Guts and the Steinways, and welcomed back by an adoring and rapturous crowd, Ben thoroughly enjoyed the experience. But within days the backbiting and criticism, often from people who weren't even there, started bubbling up through the internet, and on at least a couple occasions, Ben told me that he was pretty sure he was finished with playing music and was ready to move on to some other way of life.

Fast forward to May 25, 2008, and Ben strode confidently - and, from all appearances, happily - onto the stage in front of a sold-out crowd at Reggie's Rock Club on Chicago's South Side. The audience was going mental before he could say a word, and after thanking them for coming and explaining a little about the set he was going to play, he launched into "Acknowledge," the declaration and cri de coeur that had heralded Ben's turn toward the personal and introspective on the Weasel album Emo: "I am alive, I am here, I am now, I acknowledge the fact of my life."

Almost 20 years to the day after I first saw Screeching Weasel in California, I felt like I was watching Ben's triumphant homecoming. It had to be especially poignant for him, looking out at a fanatical crowd, members of which had come from a dozen or more states and a couple other countries to witness this moment, and knowing that he was doing so in the town where it had all started and where, face it, he hadn't always received such unanimous approbation. "When's the last time you saw Screeching Weasel?" I asked Patrick Hynes, my longstanding friend and partner in Lookout Records, who'd come out from California for the show.

"1993 at Gilman Street," he unhesitatingly told me, and I knew instantly which show he was talking about, because I'd been there too. Before we could say another word, Ben and the band tore into "Dingbat," the opening song from 1988's Boogada Boogada Boogada, the years fell away, and we along with everybody in the house were going crazy. There was barely a pause for breath before "Cindy's On Methadone" from My Brain Hurts, and there was no longer any doubt that this was going to be a truly magical experience.

Not surprisingly, the classics from the early 90s got the biggest response, and it would have been easy for Ben to put together a set of nothing but "greatest hits" (though perhaps at the risk of a few cardiac arrests among the no-longer-quite-so-young segment of the audience). But he seemed determined to provide an overview of his entire career, including tracks from last year's well-received solo effort These Ones Are Bitter and some Riverdales songs from the upcoming re-release of Phase 3. It all flowed together beautifully, and the pacing made it all the more effective when he unleashed some of my (and, I suspect, quite a few other people's) all time favorites like "What We Hate," "Teenage Freakshow," and, in one of the very few times I've actually seen it performed live (I was fortunate enough to be there when it was first recorded), "The Science Of Myth."

I've always been a My Brain Hurts man myself, but Anthem is a close second, and there was an ample helping of songs from it as well: "Peter Brady," "I'm Gonna Strangle You," and one of my personal favorites, "Falling Apart." After a brief interlude in which Mamma Weasel, Erika Crumbly, Weasel Radio's Owen Murphy, Matt Lame and several others took over the stage to hurl 500 donuts at the audience (don't ask; like many of the things being shouted back and forth and even the backdrop of a wizened old sailor on the USS Intrepid, it's a bit of a PPMB in-joke), Ben wrapped up what he later acknowledged as "the longest show I've ever played in my life" with a blinding five-song encore that finished with "Cool Kids" and had everyone in the room feeling like they were one.

I'm a big fan of redemption narratives, and for me that was exactly what I was privileged to witness. It felt as though Ben's years in the wilderness were over, that at last he was at peace with his gifts as a singer, writer and performer, and was able to share in the joy that they've brought to so many people over the years. It often seems that the longest and hardest, but ultimately most rewarding road is the one that takes us back home to where we've belonged all along. It would be presumptuous of me to suggest that I know - or indeed have any idea - what the future holds for Ben in terms of his career, but I will note that he's already talking about doing a couple - maybe even three or four - more shows later this summer. Based on what I saw Sunday night, he'll never be short of an audience. Nor should he be. The man is a genius and a treasure. Long may he run.

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

Goddamn this is good writing. I enjoyed this. And will continue following your blog as I am new to this discovery.

PS. Thanks for the 90's.

Frederick said...

You are right on Larry. We drove up from Philly, 10 hours, and i'd do it once a month to see Ben! What a great show!! The whole weekend was great, even though i picked up some nasty virus. Ben is a punk God!

Anonymous said...

I live in Chicago, and it seemed like as soon as there was word of this show (even before it was posted on Ben's blog), it was already sold out.

Over the years, I've been at a few of the shows where SW played a short, unannounced set. They were always electric, and the whole thing was totally surreal. Not even in a nostalgic way, really. Just really great.

Unknown said...

Larry, I think this is an amazing write-up, and I hope it's viewed by all Weasel fans and fans of punk in general.

Knowing my remorseful side, I will regret for a long time being forced to sell my tickets for this show. I am insanely jealous of you (yet again) and anyone who was blessed enough to make it to this gig.

Anonymous said...

Larry I couldn't agree more with both your review as well as everything else you wrote. My buddy and I flew in from Seattle just like we did in '01 for "30 Minutes of Screeching Weasel"... simply mindblowing.

David SiaƱez said...

This should the liner notes from the next Ben Weasel album!!!.

Unknown said...

Not knowing Ben personally, but I sure as hell know he would probably make fun of me for saying this, but he is probably my biggest influence when it comes to music. Probably him and the Misfits. I think it is kinda sad that I have to keep my "pop-punk" guilty pleasure hiding in the closet like some crazy retarded uncle Eckley.

Great f'n story. Makes me wish I could have made it out there. Maybe next time (if there is one).

Anonymous said...

I flew in from Miami for the show and left the next morning. I've been working for various record labels for the past 8 years or so and I've seen many many shows...but this was one of the most special of my life. I had a shit-eating grin plastered across my mug the entire evening. Everything was perfect. The opening bands were killer. The venue was intimate and had perfect viewing opportunity (the ground actually declined to the stage so everyone could see past the people in front of them). No skinhead, shirtless, sweaty assholes. Beer was cheap & emotions were high. Ben is such a great performer and his banter w/ the crowd & introductions of the songs were priceless. His set list was perfect & obviously well thought out. I could've stayed another 2 hours and wouldn't have even looked at my watch. THANK YOU BEN WEASEL!! I WILL ALWAYS SING ALONG!

Anonymous said...

hell yeah, what a beautiful way to denote my 26th birthday.

-cristy road

William Patrick Wend said...

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squidproquo said...

This is a great review/memoir piece you wrote! I just started a blog titled, "Squid Pro Quo" where I reviewed the Weasel gig as well. It's not nearly as colorful as your review, but it's there if you want to read it along with a picture of me, you and Little Type. It was nice meeting you and I look forward to reading more of your great writing!

Anonymous said...

Great review. I've been following Screeching Weasel since '89, so maybe you can call me a late bloomer of sorts (by 2 years). I have always enjoyed their infectious performances and Ben's witty onstage rapport with the crowd. Some of the most memorable shows for me were the one's they used to play at the now defunct McGregor's club in Elmhurst. SW will forever be an integral part of Chitown punk rock. Here's hoping Mr. Foster ventures south on I94 more often to the epicenter of where it all started... and for those (including myself) who sadly missed this show.

Anonymous said...

Perfectly expressed. I drove up from Jacksonville, Fl because I was so lackadaisical about seeing bands like The Ramones or Joe Strummer live because I always figured they'd always be around. It leaves a sore, bitter spot of missed opportunity. I knew this is was not one to pass up, by any means!

Anonymous said...

Excellent write up. I too was at the show and it was nothing less than exceptional. My wife had been waiting 16 years to see Mr. Weasel perform live and said it was better than she could have ever imagined.

Dtrayer said...

Beautifully Written! I flew out from San Francisco to see the show. I stood my ground in the front row the entire concert. AMAZING! I was privileged enough to see 30 minuets of Screeching weasel at the House of Blues and I have to say, that show was nothing compared to 2008. Ben seemed to be happy to be on stage and we were all happy for him>

Anonymous said...

The man's a burned-out hack and a hasbeen. These Ones Are Bitter was shit. And I can't understand the asskissing that goes on with him in the punk scene.

Lindsay Hutton said...

There's always one that'll throw their toys outta the pram. Whining anonymously is neither big nor clever.

Anonymous said...

Awesome write-up. I will for-sure be linking to this for my network of SW/BW fans to read. i'm a late bloomer, you could say, that was very lucky to grab tickets for next month's show to see Ben. My friends and I made a pact around 97/98 to go wherever we had to - to see them/him live, and we have success! Thanks again Larry.