Austin Fanzine Project

THE GREAT ROCK-N ROLL MASSACRE '94

It all started with the Motards/Drags/Fells show at Electric Lounge on 19 August. I got this crazy start and ended up going to the show with my now-roommate. When I showed up, Susan was there which was really weird cuz I took her to the bus station two days earlier and I didn't expect to see her again for a month or two. It turned out that she met up with this chick in Houston during her layover and ended up staying for a couple of days and spending all her money or something and coming right back home. So blah, blah, the show was great, the Motards were rowdy-imagine! and the Drags blew me away- I'd never heard/seen them before (partly cuz they're from Arizona)- and, of course the Fells were just beautiful. The only weird thing that happened was that CJ from the Drags jumped on me and then gave me a 7". Oh, and people kept asking Susan if we were sisters, a thing that hasn,t happened to us in a long time.

But then, on Sunday night, after being denied Susan's mom's car (a really plush Jeep-Trooper thing with a CD player and AC and all), we headed for San Antonio in my fucked up '73 Superbeetle, Ruth. Now, when I got Ruth a few years ago, I would drive her to Houston a lot to go visit my mommie, but she I haven't dared to take her out on the open road in some time. She performed beautifully! She really came through for me.

And after tons of confusion and a brick plate special from a Furr's Cafeteria in San Marcos, we got to Taco Land who had said over the phone that the Inhalants/Drags/Fells show was indeed happening there ..... 2

Well the show wasn't happening there when we arrived, nor was it planned. So we called Wacky's and they said that the show was going to be there. But, when we got there, no one was there and the guy, presumably Wacky himself, said he hadn't heard from any of the bands since Wednesday. "But," he said, "we got dollar Shiner Bocks tonight." So we thought we'd take a break before driving home, and luckily, the bands showed up.

Turned out there were only a few locals there and they were extremely questionable-not punk or rock. The dollar beer soon lubricated the mostly Austin crowd and the show got off to a great start. I already loved watching the Inhalants and now they've got Dana ex-Hormone on drums so they're doublecool. Then the Drags got on stage and kicked ass and this time CJ just threw a 7" at me. Then it all fell apart- no pun needed- and the Fells fucking went to hell in front of us all. It was insane nad by the end no one was playing their own instruments or anything and people were getting on the stage and Heath was under a ladder in back of the stage nursing wounds, I suppose and everyone was drunk and CJ was on stage and people were screaming and hitting things and some guy kept falling on me no matter where I moved.

And through it all two little Mexican boys kept trying to sell people roses for 2 bucks each and everytime they did you could see the person think "Hmmm, that's two beers....nah"

Afterward someone put on that new Johnny Cash record which sounded really weird after what had just happened, but it was better than that fucking Bjork record that I keep fucking hearing everywhere I go even before the show that night. And everybody kinda sat around and looked stunned. And the bar ran out of beer.

HANDY ADDRESSES --> [mollusk diagram]

Get all the Fells and Drags 7"s.

For music lovers:

NEEDLE EXPRESS 785-A Rockville Avenue Rockville, MD 20852

RIDERS IN THE SKY INTERNATIONAL BUCKAROO CLUB PO BOX 121134 NASHVILLE, TN 37212-1134

ESTRUS RECORDS PO BOX 2125 Bellingham, WA 98227-2125

RRRecords 151 Paige St. Lowell, MA 01852

WRITE FAN LETTERS

For zine lovers:

BUST PO Box 319, Ansonia Station New York, NY 10023

GRAND ROYALE PO Box 26689 Los Angeles, CA 90026

YELLOW SUBMARINE/UNCLE JUNKY PO Box 81 Elmira, NY 14902-0081

* LIVE ACTION SHOWS * --->

The San Antonio scene is lookin' promisin'. I was last there for the Makers/Drags show at Tacoland on ___ November. I never would have known about the show if it wasn't for a telephone tip I had passed along to me, which is something that is quite a problem: there is very little publicity for SA shows here, and vice-versa. That Texas show list that was happening for a while was great, but I haven't seen one in a while (but that may very well be my fault- that I haven't seen one, that is).

Other than that, however, there are all those great bands down there that we all know about- the Sons, Big Drag, Dropouts... But the key is that there are actually some people down there, I think. I really hope they get somethin' goin' cause pretty soon, this town's gonna fill up and we're all gonna have to go into exile, so we might as well go ahead and try to prime our closest alternative now.

Anyway, the show was fun. The Makers were kinda mediocre, but I liked them much better than at their lame show in Austin. Great background music, but they just bore me live. The Drags are always great to see, though and friendly to boot.

During the break between the Drags and the Makers sets, Susan espied Heath of Satans fame meanderin' down the street next to Tacoland with a 40 or somethin'. Turns out, a group of fellow Austinites was hangin' out weighing their options (cover was kinda high), so we had a welcome break from the Tacoland crowd.

But the trip is always worth it- San Antonio is just far enough from Austin to make it feel like you've gotten away, but close enough that you know you can be in your own bed within two hours. And you just can't beat the feelin' of standin' in the street out behind the Pearl brewery and knowin' they make shitty beer, but it's cheap and you don't care.

Letters

[image of coffee percolator and steaming mug with spoon]

Dear Jennifer LaSuprema (Geek Zine) and Jennifer (The Roommate),

9-22-94

Yesterday I picked up Geek Weekly at Sound Exchange and I am so excited for you. I think that it's completely admirable that some cool girl got off her ass and put something together. I hope your getting good responses (this being one).

Anyway, I was only visiting Austin yesterday, I actually live in San Marcos (aprox. 20 min South) but I don't even feel like I live here either. I just moved from Fresno, California with my family. And I'm going crazy! I very much like Austin, I think good things are happening there, but I'm having a bitch of a time sniffing it all out. So, if you hear of something try to let me know, and vice is the verse.

I have never heard of Motards/Drags/or Fells But you spoke highly or them and I'll be sure to check em out. You also mentioned Emo's, and I've only been there a few times but I want to make it there more often, starting with next weeks 7 year bitch. They're so good, did you see they're last show? Some fuckin idiot sprayed pepper mase in the pit and they had to leave the stage for a few minutes but they came back on and just kicked ass.

Alright, I wrote you. Usually I would just think of what a good idea writing you would be, but today is different. So, I'll keep my eyes open for the next Geek Weekly and I hope to year back from you.

Yours, Tracy

Hey all you out-o-towners: check out the things to do page in this issue or ask anyone (underscored twice) with a tatoo (sic) they're definitely cool. yeah especially if it's of some skull & roses or, like, a crown of thorns or something