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W/ HU66Y BEAR
Kepone have a debut album out on 1/4 (Quarterstick) Records called Ugly Dance.
It’s titled about right, because this grinding yet melodic stew Kepone stirs gets rather
acidic and ugly fast. This ‘noise’ is raw, prompt and, above all, competent
I’m not going to list the members and tell you what they do, because everyone
does that. They haven't been on MTV, so many of you wouldn't know them to begin
with. A possible enigma? I’m not going to reveal what they did in the past because
I wouldn't want you to form any preconceived notions about them. They haven't
seen much exposure in any of the larger, hip-laden ‘alternative’ bibles. That’s too
bad, because most out there have shoved so much ‘Dookie’ in their ears that
they're missing out.
Kepone demands your respect instantiy. It may leave a foul taste in your mouth,
but, try as you might, you cannot avoid them or deny them. I dont think denial is
part of their vocabulary and Ugly Dance is a tangible testament to that.
Kepone are damn good and thatts that. Nothing more needs to be said, be
cause Kepone are the here and now. They have come here to rock and now is your
chance.
John Mincemoyer
Kepone will open for Helmet at the 40 Watt Jan. 20.
FUNKOMATIC
It was some Friday night a little while ago
and the weather was miserable It was cold
and rain was relenttess It was the kind of
weather that a very old friend of mine used
to describe as "Good weather to stay inside
and make little tricycle motors” But instead
staying warm in my tiny apartment I found
myself in a noisy, downtown coffee house
I was there with six friends — no, make
that six brothers of sorts — who make up
the band Funkomafic We sat around a table
cluttered with glasses, mugs, lyric sheets
and some sort of clear noodle concoction
that was funky in its own right The band
and I talked cbout music, kinship, the beau
tiful brunette sitting at the table next to ours,
and the band's debut CD. Living On One '
Living On One. set to be released Jan
24. is a six-song disc that captures
Funkomatic's "fresh" sound Their music
grooves in a shake that booty kind of way
reflecting early influences, like George
Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic, to newer
beats, like hip-hop and rap
The band got together last year to play
covers around Athens and make a little
P-'
pocket change However, in just a couple
of months, the chemistry that existed be
tween the six individuals bonded them into
one really original band
It's a whole new level when you get jnto
your own thing, said guitarist Jason "the
mayor Solzmao Rehearsing playing covers
feels good and we all looked around and said
Yeah, this is happening ’ But you don't really
know until you start playing in front of people
and then you know you’re onto something"
The band truly was onto something The
crowds at their shovVs at the Half Moon had
gone from an average sized crowd to a packed
house in a few short months The next level was
to market the band's original funk
Funkomatic went into the studio in the fall
of last year Bringing six talented individuals,
each with different ideas into a studio didn't
impose any creative differences whatsoever In
fact, the members agree that when anyone
came up with a new concept, the other five got
info it very easily
"That's the beauty of it." said keyboardist
Chris "0" Gueen "It's six as one ”
Interplay enhcnceslhe gelling process that
sparked the band's creativity when making Liv
ing On One. according to Q No one tries to
stand out on the CD or in live performances as
the star attraction Jason added
[Living On One] was improvised in a live sort
of way" bassis' Sh tsl'oe $a d
Singer Terry "Sweet T" Weaver added
that the music on the CD "is like a conver
sation Once you hear a certain something,
everyone else knows what needs to be
added"
According to Funkomatic's manager.
Mark Luthi. the CD will be sold at the local
record stores in town (Wuxtry, Big Shot) and
possibly some national chains The band
has secured radio interviews with local sta
tions Bulldog 103 7 and 90 5. as well as
Augusta's Channel Z 95 1, and are work
ing on getting airplay on 99X in Atlanta
Daniel Reeves
Catch Funkomatic at the Atomic Music
Hall Thursday Jan 19 and their CD release
party at the ‘-‘alt Moon Pub Friday jan 27
FLAGPOLE
HELM
Helmet is like
Black Sabbath as seen
by the Cro-Mags, but
you know that already.
Some of you caught
them with Faith No
More at Legion Field
two years ago, or at the
first Sonic Sunday, or
headlining the Mas-
querade Music Park
last fall. In any case, you know who they are,
and knowing, ye shall be pummeled. I .'poke
recently with John Stanier, drummer
extraordinaire, and the conversaticn went
thusly:
Flagpole: I thought T-Ray’s production on
Betty [Helmet's newest record and sequel to the
monumental Meantime] was great.
John Stanier: Yeah, it was really good
working with him. He wasn't really a producer
producer, he really just got us stoked to play in
the first place. He’s never done a rock record
or anything, so he wasn’t like the typicai rock
producer telling us to do it over again. We’re
pretty much a self-producing band anyway.
FP: Have you been offered any opening
slots for, say, some cheesy metal band that
you’ve had to refuse?
Stanier: Urn, Megadeth like a million
times, that for one reason or another we
couldn’t do. Metallica, in Europe, but we were
already on tour and would’ve lost some huge
amount of money.
FP: I was just wondering if there were any
bands like, um, Jackyl, or some crappy band
that sees you guys and tries to tap into the al
ternative thing.
Stanier: Totally. What’s that band? Pride
and Glory; they wanted to open up for us.
We’ve actually played a couple festivals with
Jackyl, though. One in Italy; it was Pride and
Glory, Jackyl, Us, Huey Lewis, Whitesnake,
Sepultura and Aerosmith! It bombed. It was
really funny. We got to meet Huey Lewis; got
to watch Whitesnake — that was really scary.
FP: No doubt. Did you have a problem
with bootleggers in Italy?
Stanier: Yeah, but there’s nothing you can
do about it anyway. Ever. If it’s just a seven-
inch or something, it’s no big deal. What both
ers me is that now people, are making boodeg
shirts and will sell them right outside the
venue. There are all
these weird loophole
laws, so you can’t do
anything about it.
That kinda sucks
sometimes.
FP: I ’ve always
been impressed by who
Helmet brings along as
an opening band
(Quicksand, Sausage,
Kepone, Rollins, etc.). Do you make a con
scious effort to pull bands from the under
ground, or are they just bands you listen to
anyway?
Stanier: It’s both. For this last tour we
brought out Orange Nine Millimeter, Quick
sand, Sick of It All, Today Is the Day, Girls
Against Boys and some others. It’s really cool
to be in a position where we can bring bands
that we really like out with us and not have
somebody else say “OK, this band is coming
out with you.” When we headline we always
try to bring bands that we like out with us.
It’s also cool to do-a whole tour and just have
bands come out for a week or so. For one
thing it gives more people a chance, and for
another, it keeps the tour fresh. We get to
meet a lot of people that way.
Marc Pilvinsky
Helmet plays the 40 Watt Club Friday, Jan.
20, with Kepone opening. It won’t be pretty.
285 w. Washington St.
Athens, GA
Call 549-7871 for Show updates
Advance tickets on sale at
Big Shot Records & wuxtry on Baxter
wed. 18 - $3
Helium Kidz
(XTC Covers)
(DEVO Covers)
Thurs. 19 • $5
SNOWBALL
VERSUS
LATE NIGHT 80'S DISCO
W/ Ritchie D • $3
Frl. 20 • $10 Advance
KEPONE
DOORS OPEN 8 P.M.
LATE NIGHT DISCO
Michael Lachowskl • $3
sat. 21 • $5
Redneck GReece Deluxe
Mrs. Atkins
LATE NIGHT DISCO
ISAAC MCCALLA • $3
Mon. 23 • $2
Thurs. 26 • $5
JONAT
Lisa Majersky
LATE NIGHT 80'S DISCO
w/ Ritchie D • $3
CD RELEASE PARTY
The 3 [\ichai\d5
LATE NIGHT DISCO
MARC WALLACE • $3
Sat. 28 • $5 Advance
MAGMPOP
LATE NIGHT DISCO
HUCCV BEAR • $3