Benefit For Todd featuring Giants Of Science, The Tusslers, Good Joe, Heathen, The Magnolias & Soul Asylum3/24/86 First Avenue w/John Ticket Price: $5.00
Todd was a local scenester. He was a rail thin punk rocker who was at just about every show in those days. At least most of the ones I was at, anyway.
Todd had been at a show at the Cabooze, I believe, when a stage diver landed on his neck and broke it. There were those who claimed that it was no accident, but you know how those kinds of stories can come up. Conspiracies everywhere.
Living the punk rock lifestyle left Todd with no insurance and lots of medical bills. So, friends arranged a benefit concert night to help him out. A benefit with a decent lineup of local acts.
My overall recollection is that it was a pretty good night for music. Although specific memories are rather limited.
I do recall Heathen. I didn’t like them. I’d seen them a couple times. They were a lousy, Goth, noise band. I remember nothing about Giants Of Science and The Tusslers.
Good Joe was a band I’d seen a few times, as well. They were a decent rockin’ three piece band. They had the peculiar habit of spitting on each other while playing. Very gross.
The Magnolias were an above average local band. They were mods and had an obvious Who influence, so, of course, I liked them. The first time I saw them was on a Club Degenerate night at First Avenue, they did 15 or 20 minute cameo performance and I was impressed. They never got much bigger than the local scene, but they had potential.
Now Soul Asylum, they did make it bigger than the local scene. But you knew that. I liked them, but they were never my favorite of the local groups that John and I had seen. They had some really good tunes and some very awkward tunes.
They were much better that night than they were when they opened for X (First Avenue 10/15/84). No annoying, show delaying guitar string breakages that night.
By the way, Todd was lucky. The injury he suffered didn’t leave any permanent damage. He was able to walk again.
Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians w/The Blue Up?3/26/86 First Avenue w/John Ticket Price: $6.00
Finally! After the great ice in the tea incident that saw us getting The Replacements instead of Robyn (First Avenue 7/1/85), we were getting our first chance to see the man of the surreal songs.
Robyn was great and soon became one of our favorites to see in concerts. Tight, funny and rockin’. His shows were always great.
I especially remember three things of that show: the three part harmony of ‘Uncorrected Personality Traits’, Robyn’s humorous stories between songs, and that Robyn blinks a lot. It was also apparent that the band was very much enjoying playing to us.
The Blue Up? was Ana Voog’s band and I don’t recall their set.
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