26 cover story // 03.28.07-04.04.07 // NUVO

How do you sum up 30years of Indianapolis’ richmusical culture in less

than 8,000 words? The undertak-ing became organic, growing ofits own accord, through windingbranches and roots off onegigantic tree of musical history.

If you were ever a 15-year-oldwith nothing better to do on aSaturday night than hang out infront of the Emerson Theater orPunk Rock Night at the MelodyInn, you’ll revel in this issue. Ifyou know where The SecretLocation is, you’re among theelite, and if you claim to havemet Rusty from the Birdmen ofAlcatraz, you’ve probably been afan of the local music scene formore than a few years.

One of the most universallyloved forms of art, music creates asense of community — of familyand artistic connection.Discovering highlights of Indy’smusical past (and future), NUVOencourages you to claim owner-ship of locally produced music andits ambitious purveyors. Onlythrough community support doesour creativity continue to thrive.

Beneath the drama and thepolitics of the music business,you’ll find people devoted totheir art. We will take youthrough some of the stories oflocal musicians over the past 30years and uncover where theirroots were planted and wheretheir branches have led them. Andfor those we were unable to men-tion at this time, we still want tohonor you. Please share your per-spectives and stories about Indy’scomplex musical past by e-mailingwherearetheynow@nuvo.net. Youcan hear some of the bands’music at www.nuvo.net and atwww.musicalfamilytree.com. Oursecond installment of this prod-uct will be published this fall, sowe’re happy to hear from you.Now, on with the stories!

WHERE ARETHEY NOW?

ARSON GARDENGenre: Indie rockwww.myspace.com/arsongardenwww.myspace.com/jamescombsmusicwww.myspace.com/aprilcombsmusicwww.myspace.com/theplushinteriors

If the measure of a band isbased on artistry, energetic showsand steady success, then ArsonGarden was the top band inCentral Indiana. James Combs onguitar and Joby Barnett on drumsstarted with a sound and a mutualappreciation for intricate rhythmsand breaking new ground. Theybuilt up the band with James’ sis-ter, April Combs, and bassist ClarkStarr. Their first gig in 1987 washeld at Second Story inBloomington, at the event knownas Er Night, and later that yearthey opened up for theReplacements at Alumni Hall.From then on, the band enjoyed aloyal following and a wild ride

along with guitarist MichaelMann, who joined while also play-ing in the Opiates.

“People in Bloomington at thattime were really interested inmusic,” James says. “Our earliestsongs received amazing feedback,and we had this instant connec-tion to the crowd.” Arson Garden’searly music (1988’s Arson Garden,produced by Paul Mahern, and1990’s Under Towers, recorded atPaisley Park by Tom Herbers) wasa unique blend of Midwesternguitars, poetic lyrics and adven-turous rhythmic arrangements.

Frequent touring, better recorddeals, a Peel Session performance,a slot at Lollapalooza and airing avideo on MTV’s 120 Minutes soonbuilt the band’s self-confidenceand international notoriety.

April recalls a Red Hot ChiliPeppers performance giving herbigger ideas about her stage pres-

TINA BARBIERIGenre: Indie rockwww.nuvo.net/band/uvula

Tina Barbieri has been around the block a few times,musically speaking. Between Bloomington and Indy, thevocalist and bassist is best known for her stints in theindie-rock cover band Situation Grey and one-timemajor label hopefuls Mysteries of Life. Interestinglyenough, it was neither of those two bands she sites aspersonal favorites.

“I had the most fun in Uvula,” Barbieri says of theSonic Youth-esque band she founded in the late ’90s.“Fabric too,” she adds, referring to the tripped-outelectronic band. “Fabric was great because I actuallyhad input.”

When asked about her involvement in Mysteries ofLife, the “lots of free sushi” when they were beingwined and dined by RCA records seemed to be a fondmemory. “Our A&R guy was awesome; there was justno support from the label. They just really droppedthe ball, like the single they chose to put out [‘GoingThrough the Motions’]. It’s a good song, but of all thesongs on that record ... they could’ve done more.”

In the midst of major label chaos with Mysteries ofLife, Barbieri had a tough choice to make with herother projects Uvula and Fabric. Ultimately, the lattertwo won, and she quit Mysteries. Even though thegroup continued to tour in support of the albumsKeep a Secret and Come Clean, it was eventuallydropped from RCA and found a home on the NoNostalgia label with the 2001 release Distant Relatives.

Recently, Barbieri has been paying the bills as amassage therapist but is also working on a new pro-ject entitled Toulouse Toulouse with longtime friendand collaborator Chris Kupersmith (currently playingguitar for Gentleman Caller) and Jason Cavan (bassistfor You Will Die).

The project is a little more pop rock than some of herpast ventures, but the demos show promise, and it’s greatto know that such a talent is still contributing to our scene.

—Mel Duncan

ence. “The wilder I was and themore I jumped around, the bet-ter,” she says. “It was never aboutbeauty for me; it was always aboutart, performance and energy.Connecting to the audience ... Iloved it!”

As the band began rehearsalsfor Wisteria in 1991, the guitarsbecame a greater focus for them.According to James, he and Mannwere working on a song called“Pact,” during which they bothbegan writing intricate guitarparts and pushing the sound asfar as they could imagine it.

Their final album, The BelleStomp, should have launchedthem into the national indie-rockmainstream. When recording TheBelle Stomp, Arson Garden hadthe freedom to explore a lessbombastic new sound within thecontext of the full band. It was themost ambitious album the bandhad made, and with the emer-gence of new independent bandsinto international superstars, theworld seemed wide open to a cre-ative group of free thinkers with apowerful live show. “Prophetically,our record came out the weekKurt Cobain died,” James says.“Everything just seemed to kindof stop.”

—P.J. Christie

Highlights of Indy’s rich musical past … and future

� Music round table discussion at the MusicMill by Leslie Benson, Tim Barrett, Mitch Reeves andJenna Baker

� Radio Radio reunion show of The Pieces,Action Strasse and Those Young Lions March 17 byMitch Reeves

� Burn It Down and Ice Nine live video footage� Digital galleries of all the bands

/VIDEO /PHOTO

onnuvo.net

BY MEL DUNCAN, NORA SPITZNOGLE, JEFF NAPIER, MATTHEW SOCEY,P.J. CHRISTIE AND JEB BANNER; EDITED BY LESLIE BENSON

PHOTOS BY KRIS ARNOLD, GILES CLEMENT, JEFF BEDELAND MELONSHE

ABOVE SUBMITTED PHOTO

(Clockwise from top):Chris Kupersmith, TinaBarbieri, Scott EwingPHOTO BY GILES CLEMENT

Tina Barbieri (2007)

PHOTO BY DANIEL CORRIGAN

Press photo (circa 1990s)From front left:

Joby Barnett, James Combs,April Combs, Clark Starr and

Michael Mann

ARSON GARDEN

TINABARBIERI

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NUVO // 03.28.07-04.04.07 // cover story 27

BIRDMEN OF ALCATRAZGenre: Hard rock/rapwww.myspace.com/birdmenofalcatrazwww.myspace.com/mudkids

In the late ’80s, it seemed the combinationof rap and hard rock was limited to RunD.M.C./Aerosmith and then Anthrax/PublicEnemy. In Indianapolis, the Birdmen ofAlcatraz proved that you didn’t need a video orrecord contract to combine the two powers.

From 1989-1996, the Birdmen touredNorth America and represented the city’smusic scene. Singer Rusty Redenbacher (aka,That Dread-Locked Guy at Northside News)graduated from guest rapper to band singer.He was excited to be part of the experience.

“I had no idea how blessed I was. A lot ofpeople gave me legs,” Redenbacher says.“That band set us apart. When we first cameout, we were a little more funk-based. Wegot compared to the [Red Hot] ChiliPeppers. I would freestyle a lot.”

Before MySpace.com and the Internet,the band would spend hours at Kinko’sworking on flyers and posters for the mail-ing list. Then they hit the road.

“We usually went out for a week or two,”he says. “Sometimes a month. That got to beharder. It was all DIY shit. You play showsout of town and met other bands. Tradedshows with others. It was a real grind.”

The band took a “much needed break” in1996, and Redenbacher formed theMudkids in 1997. “We always try to gettogether when we can,” he says. “The musicwas so good. I still get good feelings.”

The Birdmen have resurfaced for one-off shows for special events, includingthe Midwest Music Summit and the clos-ing of the Patio.

“That Patio show; I paid for it. I was sosore,” Redenbacher says. “I’m not in thesame shape to do what I did in my 20s, butyou can’t cheat the audience. They’re expect-

BIG MF STICK Genre: Hip-hop/rockhttp://cdbaby.com/cd/madpoets

If you own Big MF Stick’s first album,Discombobulator, or the Ate Up compila-tion, you understand the power of“Parasite,” an instant classic. How could itnot be with the lyric “lookin for lovin’, but allI got was the crabs”?

In the mid to late ’90s bands, like Big MF,the Birdmen of Alcatraz, $ucka and X-Upplayed a style of music that wasn’t just rock,nor was it just hip-hop or funk. The stylebecame known as “rip hop,” an alternativeto the alternative. Jazzy grooves and lyricalflows would give way to distortion andscreams. It was a revolution of sorts, and itwas the first time some people really startedto pay attention to what was going on in thelocal music scene.

Big MF Stick was conventional in thesense of having a drummer, bassist and gui-tar player, but with three singers, the bandstood out. Johann, one of the vocalists andthe guy usually seen sporting a Pacers’ jer-sey on stage, chatted over a couple glassesof Blue Moon about how the band cametogether and how it eventually came apart.

“It would seem like there would havebeen more personality clashes with six peo-ple in the band,” Johann says. “But we allliked hip-hop, and we all liked metal so itjust came together.”

The band may have clicked, but clubowners weren’t as excited. “Having threesingers was a nightmare for the sound guy,”Johann laughs. In the band’s prime, the

other two vocalists were known as Papa Gand Evergreen the Eye.

Big MF Stick’s second album, 1997’sAttack of the Peanut Butter and Jelly People,was released to a beyond-capacity EmersonTheater crowd. “That might have been thebiggest crowd we played to,” Johann says.

After completing a few semi-successfultours, the band was road-weary, but theexcitement of homecoming shows wereenough to push them back into the studiofor what would have been the third album,A Horse Named Future Glue. Unfortunately,only three songs were recorded, and that wasbasically it for Big MF Stick.

“We were just bored and the songsweren’t coming as easy as they used to,”Johann says.

Because they just stopped playing, fansoutside the loop were left wondering whathappened. In late 2002, the band playedtwo more shows, a warm-up gig at Birdy’sBar & Grill and its final performance at theVogue.

Rising from the ashes, Johann, drummerA-dub and vocalist Papa G recorded analbum and played shows under the nameMad Poets Society, a straight-up hip-hopband with live drums and programmedsynth. The last show was part of the 2004Midwest Music Summit.

Big MF may be gone but it’s not forgotten.“Man, there’s always someone coming up andsaying, ‘Weren’t you in that band?’ I’m happythat we did something, ya know, left ourmark,” Johann says. “Everything about thatwhole band was just an accident that worked.”

—Mel Duncan

FILE PHOTO

RustyRedenbacher

(right) ofBirdmen of

Alcatraz and theMudkids

continued on page 28

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28 cover story // 03.28.07-04.04.07 // NUVO

ing that kind of shit from the Birdmen.”Fellow Birdman Richard “Dino” Codalata

says he still gets feedback from Birdmen fans.“We still hear about it daily,” he says. “A

lot of bands playing now are saying howmuch we influenced them.”

Codalata says he’s ready to perform liveagain with his band, Stepchildren, featuringsinger Lucinda Russell. “We do real old Heartand Fleetwood Mac stuff,” he says. “I’ve hadto put everything on hold for three and a halfyears, and that’s all about to change.”

Codalata is adding guitar to Redenbacher’sdark new Lazarus project, and the two willcollaborate on a future funk project.

The Indianapolis music scene family treeis bound to wind around the Birdmen ofAlcatraz. When you least expect it, or whenyou need it most, don’t be surprised if theband soars again, even if it’s for one nightand for the right cause.

“I love the fuckin’ Birdmen, dude. I gotnothing but hugs and smiles to them,”Redenbacher says. “I love those dudes.”

—Matthew Socey

BLAKE BABIESGenre: Indie rockwww.blakebabies.comhttp://members.aol.com/autobeatnik/www.some-girls.comwww.flatearthrecords.com/jps/

Read the full interviews with John Strohm andFreda Love on NUVO.net.

The Blake Babies were born on the cuspof the indie rock explosion. Allen Ginsbergbequeathed their name, a reference toEnglish poet William Blake, when theyasked him to name their band following areading at Harvard.

The Blake Babies released a string of suc-cessful albums and EPs on MammothRecords in the late 1980s and early ’90s. WithJuliana Hatfield on bass and vocals, John

Strohm on guitar and vocals and Freda Loveon drums, the band was a college radio dar-ling and gathered a respectable fan basearound the world.

Strohm and Love were high school sweet-hearts while growing up in Bloomington,Ind. Although Love started out with violin,she eventually found the drums at age 17,with the help of Strohm, who was alreadyplaying and touring as a drummer in localpunk bands. In 1986, when they were fresh-men at the Berklee College of Music inBoston, Mass., they ran into Hatfield.Strohm recalls, “Freda and I thought Julianalooked like someone we should be in a bandwith,” he says. “[It] turned out she thoughtthe same about us.” Within a month, thenew band had a full set’s worth of material.

Early on, the Blake Babies adopted theDIY attitude of the Indiana punk scene. “Wedidn’t think anything of playing in a usedclothing store,” Love says, “or putting outour own first record and selling it ourselvesthrough 20 different distributors.” When theband’s success began drawing interest fromlabels, Strohm’s experience with the indus-try helped them navigate the waters andscore a deal with Mammoth Records, basedout of North Carolina. The relationship wassuccessful enough for the label to releasefuture projects, including Antenna, Hatfieldand Velo Deluxe records.

As the band’s success grew, so did thepressures within the group. Hatfield andStrohm didn’t always share the same visionfor the band’s future, which eventually ledto its breakup in 1991. Looking back, herecalls his only real regret: “We were offeredthe first leg as main support on Nirvana’sNevermind tour,” he says. “The band wasbreaking up, and we just couldn’t get ittogether. We were huge Nirvana fans fromBleach, but at the time, it just seemed likeanother tour.”

After finding success in various solo andgroup projects, the trio reunited in 1999until 2001, with the help of sometimesbandmate Evan Dando, to record and tourbehind God Bless the Blake Babies. Both thetour and album were met with approval byfans and critics of the band. The project andtour were seen as a one-off by the band andthey have no plans to re-unite in the fore-seeable future.

All members of the Blake Babies remainactive musicians. Love recently moved toEngland with her husband Jake Smith andtheir two sons. Love and Smith’s band, theMysteries of Life, recently released its fourthfull-length album, Beginning to Move.Strohm is now an entertainment lawyer inBirmingham, Ala., and is married with twochildren. He is planning his third solorelease in spring of 2007, titled EverydayLife. Hatfield continues to write and recordmusic, as well as actively tour. Her bandwith Love, Some Girls, recently released itssecond album, Crushing Love.

—Jeb Banner

CHOOCH AND THEENCHANTERSGenre: Soulwww.mariekennedy.com

In 1977, Jim “Chooch” Kennedy wasworking on a song when a couple of friendssat in on the recording. One thing led toanother, and Chooch and the Enchanterswere born.

The original members consisted ofKennedy (guitar, harmonica and leadvocals), Fred Yde (keyboard and trumpet),

Dan Pachyinski (bass), Don Weddle(drums), Paul Puntenney (pedal steel) andMike Brady (saxophone). Kennedy nolonger plays with that lineup. “Some got realjobs, some retired, some moved on andsome died,” he says. “I could tell you lots ofstories about the band and its escapades,but it might be better left unsaid and onlyremembered by those present. We had acouple of successes and a hell of a lot of fun.”

One of the first local bands to play theVogue, Chooch and the Enchanters sharedthe marquee with Tammy Wynette. Whilethe band often played the Patio, Crazy Al’sand the Ritz, Kennedy’s most memorablegig was during the blizzard of 1978 when theband performed live on WNAP with AdamSmasher. “Just to get everyone there was areal chore, but we all got there with the helpof four-wheel drive vehicles and persever-ance. The show was great and it is a hoot tolisten to 30 years later,” he says.

“Very happily married” with a 12-year-oldson who can sing, Chooch Kennedy is stillplaying music for a living. “I have sung inLas Vegas; you might hear my voice on a Bob& Tom Show song, on a commercial or hearme in a supper club.”

—Nora Spitznogle

DATURA SEEDSGenre: Indie rockwww.musicalfamilytree.com/bands/datura_seeds

When the Zero Boys imploded in the mid1980s, musician and producer Paul Mahernkept himself busy first with DandelionAbortion, a short-lived outfit that merged theZero Boys’ hardcore fury with a mish-mashof styles from a more angular approach, à laTelevision to Sonic Youth-meets-Jello Biafranoise. One of its songs, “Stab ’Em,” could’veeven been on a Devo record.

However, while working with Jonee Questat Indy’s Hit City recording studio, a highschool girl named Lee Cuthbert brought inher band to record, and as Mahern puts it, “Ifell in love with her personality and song-writing skills and asked her to join us.”Having already cut a few demos with Questand a Linn 9000 drum machine, theyrecruited a drummer named Tom Downsand thus formed the Datura Seeds.

Mahern’s flower child persona came tothe forefront as the band created powerfulpop masterpieces that ranked as some ofthe best stuff coming out of Indiana at thattime. The band’s sole album, Who Do YouWant it to Be?, created a minor nationalbuzz due to the strength of tunes like “HalfAsleep” and the infectious “S&P ’69.”

BLAKEBABIES

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ABOVE PHOTO BY JEFF BEDEL

Freda Love (2005)

BELOW SUBMITTED PHOTO

Left to right: Freda Love, John P.Strohm, Juliana Hatfield

PHOTO BY MELONSHE

Syria and PaulMahern

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PAULMAHERN

“Birdmen” continued from page 27

NUVO // 03.28.07-04.04.07 // cover story 29

Unfortunately, the ensemble only lasted a fewyears. Towards the end, after his band, Jot, broke up,Vess Ruhtenberg joined, and shortly thereafter, hefollowed Mahern as he reformed the Zero Boys. Thechemistry between the two carried over to the ZeroBoys’ third album, Heimlich Maneuver, which fea-tured artwork by Quest, who went on to become oneof Indianapolis’ premier sound engineers. Cuthbertwent on to moderate acclaim as a member of theGentle Readers.

“I haven’t seen Tom in years,” Mahern says. “Leehas a furnishings store in Atlanta, Jonee is still in Indydoing his Questy thing, Vess is a Lemonhead, amongother things, and I am meditating somewhere.”

When asked if a reunion or reissue of the band’srecordings were a possibility in the near future, Mahernturns coy, simply stating “Anything is possible.”

—Jeff Napier

THE LATE SHOWGenre: Popwww.thelabelmusicgroup.com

The first incarnation of the Late Show began in1972, when four North Central High School studentsformed a band. Mark Cutsinger, Kevin Kimberlin,Don Main and Mark Moran performed under theband name Clayburn. They played originals andmusic from the 1960s.

The musicians moved to New York City in late 1974and officially became the Late Show. Kimberlin leftthe band a year later, but stayed in NYC, where he stilllives. The band continued to play with the other threecore members.

By 1979, the Late Show was back in Indianapolis,Rick Clayton and Scott Fletcher played with them,and Chris Pyle replaced Cutsinger as the drummer.

A popular Indianapolis and regional band, the LateShow often performed at the Patio and the Vogue.Pyle remembers a favorite show in 1982. “We got alast minute gig opening for the Pretenders on theirfirst U.S. tour, in Columbus, Ohio. We took the slot forthe exposure and did not know what to expect,” hesays. “The place was packed, and no one had any ideawho we were. People were going crazy over us. Wehad to quit playing encores so the Pretenders couldtake the stage.”

The band underwent a few name changes (Recordioand Rock House) and stopped playing in 1991.

Moran is still playing music. He brought the LateShow back in 2006 (he is the only original member),and the band performs nearly every weekend.Cutsinger is still working full-time as a drummer; he

toured and recorded in Europe last autumn. Mainowns and manages Puccini’s Smiling Teeth Pizza.Pyle is a session drummer, plays with several bandsand is a nationally acclaimed illustrator.

—Nora Spitznogle

DALE LAWRENCEGenre: Punk

If Dale Lawrence had done nothing else with hislife, he could have hung his hat on fronting Indiana’sfirst punk band, the Gizmos. The kids and scenestersthat talk now about “boring Indiana” should appreci-ate life in Bloomington, circa 1979. With no localmusic scene to speak of, and certainly no other punkbands around to play shows with, the Gizmos, alongwith Purdue’s Dow Jones and the Industrials, eventu-ally got a following around Indiana. But in a placewhere even the Ramones (with whom the Gizmosplayed) weren’t understood, the group packed up andtook off to NYC. That didn’t exactly pan out either, andthe band broke up soon after.

Thankfully, Lawrence still had it in him, though forhis next venture, he chose a different path in the formof Right to Left, a groundbreaking alternative bandthat became the Vulgar Boatmen.

The story of the Vulgar Boatmen, to this day, standsas one of the most interesting arrangements in rock’n’ roll history. Two bands, two cities, one name: theIndianapolis version that Lawrence fronted and theGainesville, Fla., version fronted by professor andscholar Robert Ray. The two met at IU. “I was anundergrad, and Robert was a grad student helpingteach a course I was taking — as fate would have it —on song lyrics,” Lawrence says. “We became friends,though neither of us were in bands at the time anddidn’t start writing together until much later.”

The plan wasn’t to create two separate, yet identi-cal bands. “As Robert and I wrote more together, thetwo bands’ repertoires started mirroring each other,”Lawrence says. “When it came time to make analbum, it just made sense to pool everybody and callthe whole thing the Vulgar Boatmen.”

The albums, 1990’s You and Your Sister and its fol-low-up, Please Panic, released in ’92, were met withlocal praise and caught the attention of music criticsnationwide. The band’s sound came from its respec-tive geographic locations. East Coast art-rock metwith Southern R&B — with punk, country and folkthrown in the mix. The tours were handled primarilyby the Indy lineup, though a handful of shows sawthe two incarnations blend together on stage.

When the band was signed to Warner Brothers’U.K. division, its third album, Opposite Sex, wasreleased in Europe. This led to interest from Elektra, adivision of Warner, but the president of that label cutthe Boatmen from its roster before Opposite Sexcould be released stateside, thus ending the VulgarBoatmen’s major label hopes.

It was a situation that Lawrence says is all too com-mon. “Signing with a major either makes things real-ly go or, more often, kills them,” he says.

Since the band’s three albums are out of print, aself-released compilation, entitled Wide Awake,showcases Ray and Lawrence’s favorite cuts fromtheir career. It is available on the No Nostalgia label.

While the Gainesville incarnation has all butstopped playing, Lawrence and company still playaround and were seen last year at Locals Only for theMidwest Music Summit.

—Mel Duncan

In Tufty’s shoesRock icon remembers local music “firsts”

BY JEFF NAPIER • MUSIC@NUVO.NET

David “Tufty” Clough has been one of Indy’s shining beacons in thelocal rock scene for the better part of three decades. He has been thebass player in Toxic Reasons, the Zero Boys and Bigger Than Elvis. Hisfluid, yet blindingly fast bass lines made up the cornerstone of all thesegroups. That unique sound (as well as his Liverpudian accent and gre-garious personality) has made him one of the most recognized andrespected figures in town.

Tufty also helped start the alternative Future Shock store in BroadRipple and slowly built it into one of the most successful and long-livedindependent businesses in the village. More recently, he has built hisFountain Square nightclub, Radio Radio, into one of the hippest roomsin town, acting as sort of Indianapolis Knitting Factory, bringing a widerange of eccentric bands to town while hosting several “firsts” — regu-larly adding video and movies to the mix and making Radio Radio anon-smoking venue.

NUVO: Was it hard at first to bal-ance your ambitions as a busi-nessman with that of a rock androll bass player?D.C.: Yes, and it still is. Part of mewants to be the artistic musicianand just concentrate on the cre-ative side of things, and the otherpart of me wants the security ofbeing financially stable and inde-pendent.NUVO: What is your fondestmusical memory?D.C.: The first time we went to L.A.with the Zero Boys. We playedwith the Dead Kennedys andMinor Threat. There were about3,000 people there. The intensityof the crowd and the reception wegot was overwhelming after play-ing to just a few people inIndianapolis.NUVO: Of all the bands you’veplayed in, which one are you mostproud of?D.C.: I would say the Zero Boys,because I got goose bumps whenwe recorded Vicious Circle. I stillget chills to this day when I hear orplay that record.NUVO: Bruce Stuckey, PaulMahern and Danny Thompson areall strong frontmen you’ve playedmusic with. What have you learnedfrom these guys, and have you everhad the desire to front a band?D.C.: It’s a tough job being the

spokesperson for a band. I sangfour or five songs a night in ToxicReasons, and that was enough forme. I wouldn’t want to put peoplethrough anymore than that.NUVO: Do you have any regrets?D.C.: Having the Toxic Reasonsguys talk me into joining Toxics,quitting the Zero Boys and spend-ing 10 years of my life in a vanwhen I should have put that ener-gy into the Zero Boys — wherethere was a lot more potential forsuccess.NUVO: What lessons have youlearned from running RadioRadio?D.C.: Running a club is a lot hard-er than I thought it would be. It’shard to make everyone happy. It’sa tricky balance between being abusinessman and being an artist.Sometimes I get it right and some-times I don’t.NUVO: What future plans do youhave? D.C.: I don’t know. The last coupleof years, I have been studyingfilmmaking, so I’d like to dosomething with that. Danny and Ihave been talking about takingBigger Than Elvis to Europe. We’vehad more people ask about ZeroBoys shows. Who knows? Maybewe’ll sell everything, Roni and Iwill get married and we’ll move toHawaii. �

VESSRUHTENBERG

PHOTO BY MELONSHE

Vess of the Zero Boys andthe Datura Seeds

DALELAWRENCE

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SUBMITTED PHOTO

The Gizmos’ Dale Lawrence and

Billy Nightshade, 1979

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SUBMITTED PHOTORIGHT PHOTO BY RONI DONALDSON

David “Tufty” Clough of ToxicReasons and the Zero Boys

DALE “TUFTY” CLOUGH

30 cover story // 03.28.07-04.04.07 // NUVO

THE WHY STOREGenre: Pop

The Why Store was started in thelate 1980s at Ball State Universityin Muncie, Ind., by students ChrisShaffer and Michael David Smith.With local drummer GregGardner, they played a few gigs asEmerald City. Adding CharlieBushor on drums, Gardner moved

to bass, and the band changed itsname to the Why Store. In record-ing Welcome to the Why Store in1993, it officially added keyboardplayer Jeff Pedersen to completethe lineup.

The groove-pop sound was a bighit with fans. The “Whomheads,”the 8,000-member fan club, fol-lowed the band from gig to gig.The band signed to Way CoolMusic/MCA in 1995 and releasedThe Why Store. The single “Lack ofWater” landed the band on radioand the Conan O’Brien TV show.Shaffer’s favorite Why Store showtook place at Red Rocks with Ben

Harper, the Samples and Medeski,Martin and Wood. “There was afull moon that night and all of thehippies in Colorado were there tocelebrate,” he says. “It was magic.”

The band broke up in 2000 andhas played a few reunion showssince then. All have gone on toother musical projects. Shaffer’sfirst post-Why Store project,Shaffer Street, ended in 2004, andhe launched a solo career. Shaffer’slatest CD, Vim, was released thisJanuary. He continues to write and“play for his supper.” Smith is aPeavey guitar rep who plays withRich Hardesty. Gardner plays with

Zanna-Doo. Pederson lives inLouisville, Ky., and specializes inchildren’s education. Bushor pro-duces jingles with his father, SkeetBushor at Skeet’s Music, and playswith Carl Storie.

The Why Store’s music contin-ues to be heard on radio stationsworldwide. Shaffer recentlyreceived an e-mail from a pro-grammer in France requesting acopy of Vim to play with the rest ofthe Why Store catalogue.

—Nora Spitznogle

THE STRUGGLERSGenre: Blues/alt-country

The Strugglers started in a south of BroadRipple house in 1970 and did not break upuntil one of the members moved out oftown in 1985. The band had the same basiclineup for most of that time: ScottBallantine (guitar), Jack Clarke (harmoni-ca), Kevin Hughey (drums), Dave Langfitt(pedal steel), Joe Langfitt (bass) and StanleySmith (clarinet and vocals).

Ballantine remembers, “The Strugglersplayed everywhere there was to play — wewere on the bill with Les McCann the firstweekend the Vogue was open. We playedthe Patio, Crazy Al’s [and] Caesars’ Pub[later the Stone Mug],” he says. “All said wewere really a creature of the Hummingbirdand played there a lot — [having] warmedup for Mose Allison, Newgrass Revival, theDillards, Taj Mahal, Doc Watson, TownesVan Zandt and many more sort of famouspeople. We once played a stint at the Patiofor a year straight [six nights a week] whenGordon Atchinson owned it. DaveLetterman was a big fan and came in lateevery night after doing the weather onChannel 13.”

Smith’s favorite memories are of theCrazy Al’s gigs. “Sometimes we would playthe whole week,” Ballantine says. “Eachnight would get a little crazier than the last.I have tapes of some of those nights whenI’m brave enough to listen. We were a crazy

band for those times. We mixed Chicagoblues, Western swing, old rare countrytunes and some jazz.”

The band members insist they inventednewgrass (progressive bluegrass) in 1972 atUnion Grove in North Carolina. “Sam Bushwon’t admit it, I’m sure, but he stole thewhole idea from the lowly brain-addledStrugglers,” Ballantine says.

Ballantine plays several times a week as asolo guitarist with his jazz trio and with sev-eral bands (including The ReachAroundsand the Amy Lashley Band). He also ownsFunhouse Guitars and Records. Clarkeworks for the Marion County Board ofHeath and breaks out the harmonica.Hughey has a picture framing business andstill drums. Langfitt also owned Hit CityRecording. He sold that to Tim Brickley, andnow plays music with Randy King. Langfittworks at the Monroe County Library.

Smith moved to Austin, Texas, and playedmany years with the Asylum StreetSpankers. He is the leader of the JazzPharaohs. He has played in all but threestates, toured Europe five times, releasedhis first solo album in 2003 and touredJapan. He’s playing a full schedule in Austin.

The band recently reunited for Clarke’sbirthday. The show was full of old fanssinging along and dancing so hard the floorwas moving. The Strugglers still sound fan-tastic — even 37 years later.

—Nora Spitznogle

TOXIC REASONSGenre: Punk/hard rockwww.myspace.com/toxicreasons02

Toxic Reasons stands tall and proudalongside the Zero Boys as one of thebiggest, baddest and loudest hardcorebands from Indianapolis. From its begin-nings as a Dayton, Ohio, transplant playingstraight-up, old-school punk to its prime-time peak in the late ’80s as a hardcoremetal sensation, Toxic Reasons’ BruceStuckey has stuck it out.

“All I had was this band,” he says. “If any-body quit or left, I had to replace them. Ihad to keep Toxic Reasons going.”

Spend any time at all with Stuckey and youwill hear the most incredible stories — likethe time the band was stuck in Vancouver,Canada, living in Joey Shithead’s pad, andthe only thing they had to eat was a 100-pound bag of potatoes. Or you’ll hear aboutthe time they opened a rabid Dead Kennedy’sgig in San Francisco, Calif., and nearly stolethe show. The stories go on and on.

Nowadays, even though Stuckey hasfound a calling as a chef in one of the top

restaurants in town, and after battling thearthritis in his hands for years, he still can’tlet go of Toxic Reasons. “This group of guysis probably the best group I had in a long,long time,” he says of his new bandmates,guitarist Kurt Harley, bassist JasonPizzleman and the group’s original drum-mer, J.J. Pearson. “We get in a room togeth-er and it’s like, almost effortless.”

Toxic Reasons is planning to reissue theclassic Kill By Remote Control album for thefirst time on CD as the group heads toEurope for four show dates early this spring,and new songs are continuously posted onthe Web. Plans also include making most ofthe band’s music available for download.

“With J.J. back in the band drummingand singing a lot more, we are doing moreof the old-school stuff,” Harley says. “Now,when you come to a Toxic Reasons show,you get to experience everything the bandmeans and has meant … We’re still doingthis because nobody’s killed us yet!”

—Jeff Napier

ROADMASTERGenre: Rock

Roadmaster can trace its musical familytree back to 1967 when Asher “AdamSmasher” Benrubi met Michael Read whileattending Shortridge High School. With theaddition of Rob Swaynie, they formed thewidely popular college band Pure Funk. By1971, the lineup included Rick Benick (gui-tar), Toby Myers (bass) and Stephen Riley(drums).

After Pure Funk evolved to Roadmaster,Todd Rungren, front man for Utopia, invit-ed the band to New York to record a demo.That led to a contract with Indianapolislabel Village Records and the release in 1976of the self-titled album. When Benrubi leftthe band, Steve McNally took over leadvocal duties. The band added cover tunesby J. Geils Band and Utopia to the R&Bmusic they were currently playing.

Riley left the band in 1977 and BobbyJohns took over on drums. By the time the

second album was recorded, VillageRecords had become a subsidiary ofMercury. The summer of 1979, Roadmastertoured as the opening band for Pat Traversand Blue Oyster Cult. It was often includedon the bills of huge outdoor shows on its offdays. One of Myers’ favorite memories isfrom a Columbus, Ohio, show. Touring in aWinnebago, that day the band went frombeing stuck in traffic (with “Drivin Ivan”Solomon behind the wheel) to opening forthe Cars, Cheap Trick, Eddie Money andTodd Rungren in front of 75,000 people. “Itwas blazing hot, and our set was roaringand the crowd loved it,” Myers says.

The band dissolved in the early ’80s andin 1989 played a local mini-reunion tour.McNally passed away in 1998. “We all missMac,” Myers says. “His voice was truly oneof a kind.” Benrubi is now a St. Louis, Mo.,morning radio personality and fronts theband Smash. Johns lives in Florida andworks with children. Read continues to playmusic, currently with Zanna-Doo and Ribsand Bone, also writing scores for video pro-jects. Benick played with Grand Ole Oprystar Hal Ketchum.

While Benick lives in Nashville, Tenn.,rumor has it he’s moving back to Indiana.Myers played for John Mellencamp until1999. He now plays with his band NoNet. AtNashville West, his studio, Myers recordsother bands and works on his own music.

—Nora Spitznogle

TOXICREASONS

PHOTO BY MELONSHE

Bruce Stuckey of the ToxicReasons

ROADMASTER

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PHOTO BY ANNIE CARSON

Chris Shaffer

THE WHY STORE

NUVO // 03.28.07-04.04.07 // cover story 31

JOHN ZEPSGenre: Hard rock/metal

If there were one guitarist todefine rock music in Indianapolis,it would have to be John Zeps. Theman can shred. His unmistakablesound varies from fast, squealingsolos to odd-time signaturecrunches. He may be best knownfor his work with Burn It Down, apolitical hardcore band that couldraise a crowd up like few this townhas seen. After releasing 2000’s Letthe Dead Bury the Dead, an albumthat transcended two-minutethrashers and gave way to epicmetal anthems, the band hung it up— save for a reunion show in 2005.

What few may know is just howmany bands this guy has been in,most of which had a deep impactand have helped to influence thehard rock sound coming out of Indy.

Zeps took up guitar at age 12,and without ever having formaltraining, was soon tearing upbasements and pissing off parentswho wished they never boughttheir kids instruments. “I cut myteeth on hard rock and metal fromthe ’70s,” he says. “A few earlyinfluences were Randy Rhoads,

Yngwie Malmsteen and [SonicYouth’s] Thurston Moore.”

After graduating from Ben DavisHigh School came a career movethat would allow Zeps to practiceat night and play gigs on the week-end: Tracks Records. However, hemay have felt a little burnt outafter a decade of running thecounter and playing in severalbands. “I almost moved to SanFrancisco with friends but stayedto own a record store,” he says ofbuying the store in 2000 andchanging the name to VibesMusic, located across from theCastleton Square Mall.

Zeps’ latest band, ActionStrasse, is a little more laid-backthan previous outings. “It’s defi-nitely got more of an indie rockfeel to it,” he says. You can alsocatch him playing out withLukewarm Bodies (At Best) andAmongst the Swarm.

After years of playing, touring,recording and then of course theday job, do you think Zeps is satis-fied? “Never,” he says. “I always tryto reinvent myself and keep every-one guessing what I’ll do next.”

—Mel Duncan

THE ZERO BOYSGenre: Punk/hard rockwww.zeroboys.net

Vicious Circle may just prove tobe the most influential album everto come out of Indiana. More than25 years after Indianapolis hard-core punkers the Zero Boysreleased this landmark album ofMidwestern punk fury, the albumstill sells copies and is nearly uni-versally revered due to its innova-tive (at the time) mix of JohnnyThunder’s swagger with the moremilitant West Coast sound.

With an appearance in therecent American hardcore docu-mentary and with all the bandmembers involved in pretty muchevery corner of the local musicscene, the Zero Boys is about asactive today as it ever was, albeitin different, varied ways. Althoughoriginal guitarist Terry Hollywooddied a few years ago, the mach IIversion of the band with VessRuhtenberg in Hollywood’s slothas been well-received, selling outone-off gigs across the country.

Bassist David “Tufty” Clough isco-owner of Future Shock and alsoowns Radio Radio. DrummerMark Cutsinger plays in at leastthree bands at any one time.Ruhtenberg is touring behindEvan Dando in the Lemonheadsand has joined up with formerMajhas alumni in the killer localgroup Action Strasse. Lead vocalistPaul Mahern has worked in thestudio with everybody from theWhy Store to Iggy Pop and cur-rently operates the White Ark,where he’s working with Red LightDriver, Kaiser Cartel and SloppySeconds. He also practices andteaches Kundalini yoga.

Mahern sees little differencebetween yoga practice and punkrock. “When Iggy sings, ‘Rawpower got a healin’ hand, rawpower can destroy a man, rawpower is more than soul, it’s got ason called rock and roll,’ he is talk-ing about that same life force thatis Kundalini,” he says.

Ruhtenberg was almost giddywith the excitement of a couplerecent gigs: one with theLemonheads at the Vogue inFebruary and a January gig atSpin with Action Strasse. OfAction Strasse, he declares, “TheStrasse! Das ist mein lieblings-gruppe!” which, roughly translat-ed, means, “The Strasse! That ismy favorite band!”

Look for a Zero Boys show ortwo this year.

—Jeff Napier

Live music is back at the venueformally known as the Patio. Forwhatever reason, there’s still a lit-tle bit of resistance to the conceptof Indy’s new Spin Nightclub(www.myspace.com/spinindy)from local scenesters. It’s almost asif your significant other left, onlyto come back expecting all to be asit was before. I know. I felt it toobefore I stepped back into thevenue formally known as the Patio.

But once inside, it was likegoing back to my boyhood bed-room. All the psychic energy wasstill there, and soon, if generalmanager Gideon Navarro has hisway, we will forgive and forget allabout this rock and roll queen’sstint with cigar-smoking conserv-atives who wanted to hear badBilly Joel songs.

Through the years, the Patiowas a steadfast pillar within theIndianapolis rock community.Bands like Nirvana, Tad andSmashing Pumpkins played therebefore anyone knew who theywere. Local bands like theRastabilly Rebels, Toxic Reasonsand Birdmen of Alcatraz built upthe biggest part of their respectivelegends through barnstormingperformances at the club. For thebetter part of two decades, any-body who wanted to be anybody inrock music in this town had to playthe Patio. Then, at the end of 2005,it was suddenly announced thatthe Patio was closing to be turnedinto a piano bar known as Rouge.

It was a seismic shock on a scalewith the closing of CBGB in NewYork. Hundreds, if not thousands,of local music fans came out topay their respects during the lastfew shows, and with a final perfor-mance by Otis Gibbs, the club wasno more. Enter Navarro, whoworked at the Patio from 1992–’95as a doorman and waiter beforemoving over to the Vogue. InMarch of last year, he became gen-eral manager at Rouge. “That wasa little painful,” he says. However,within a matter of months, the

piano bar fizzled out, and Navarroimmediately tried to get live rockback into the room. A few ups anddowns followed as he was fired,the bar was sold and the newowner, Todd Johnson, rehiredNavarro as the general manager ofthe newly rechristened SpinNightclub.

I spoke to Navarro when Irecently visited the club. It was myfirst time back since the Patio’sclosing. A positive, upbeat guywho genuinely loves music,Navarro showed me how he hadput the old graffiti-covered wallsback up in the band room (man,the stories that little room couldtell!) and told me of plans to paintthe place back to black — a morerock ’n’ roll color. But mainly, hewas excited to bring live rockmusic back to Broad Ripple on aregular basis with the leadershipof Johnson.

“Indy needs a boost to its musicscene,” Navarro says. “There aredance places all over. I am hopingto help in creating resurgence inthe live music scene in Indy. ”

Even though he says he wants tobring back that old Patio “feel” tothe bar, he wants to do somethingwith a different “Spin.” His modusoperandi seems to follow whatmade the room so successful inthe past: inviting hip, breakingnational touring bands, cultivat-ing the crop of local originalbands and giving them a chanceto build an audience.

Right now, Navarro’s biggesthurdle is getting the message outto those heart-broken souls whofeel betrayed by the Patio’s short-lived dalliance with commercial-ism. “This is a great rock and rollroom,” Navarro says. “It’s still thesame as it ever was; it just has anew name. I thank everyone thathas given Spin Nightclub achance. But if you still can’t getyourself to come into the ‘oldPatio,’ at least get off your butt andsupport the bands trying to keeplive music going in Indy!” �

A new Spin on a legendary barInspiring Broad Ripple

BY JEFF NAPIER • MUSIC@NUVO.NETJOHN ZEPS

PHOTO BY GILES CLEMENT

John Zeps, owner of Vibes Music

SUBMITTED PHOTO

David “Tufty” Clough,Terry Howe, Paul Mahern

and Mark Cutsinger

THE ZERO BOYS

PHOTO BY MELONSHE

Gideon Navarro generalmanager of Spin

Nightclub

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