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KELLY HOGAN
IN MOTION
1996 has been the year of
Kelly Hogan in motion. The
former Jody Grind-er spent the
first part of the year touring
with the Rock*a*teens, then
recording and releasing her
critically acclaimed solo
record, The Whistle Only Dogs
Can Hear, an album of torch-
song and feedback, tragic
make-out music for the ’90s.
Hogan then split the fall
between an abbreviated solo
tour and yet more studio time,
this time with the
Rock*a*teens.
After their album was in
the can, Hogan, who had par
ticipated in both 1995 Jesus
Christ Superstar revivals at
Theatre in the Square and
South By Southwest, returned
to the stage for rehearsals for a
series of Christmas shows in
Atlanta. And Hogan has still
found time to keep sane via her
day job of painting houses with
fellow bandmates in the metro
area (and blames Martha
Stewart for the recent trend in
yellow-colored homes).
“Yeah, ’96 has been kinda wild and busy and crazy,” Hogan
says. “But it’s all been busy in the good sense of the word. I
spent so much rime on the road last year that 1 m looking
forward to being a civilian for a little while, she says, laugh
ing. “I’m just going to take January off.”
But with 27 performances of the Theatrical Outfit’s “Ap
palachian Christmas Homecoming” scheduled through
Christmas Eve, Hogan is admittedly caught up in the Christ
mas season, which has her musing on the spirits of Christmas
past, present and future.
“My favorite Christmas present,” Hogan says, “was from
when 1 was a kid and my parents gave me one of those old
record players with the latch top cover and die handle on the
side. That, along with some 45s by Buck Owens, the Monkees
and the Sesame Street muppets. Man, I wore those records out.”
Hogan’s favorite gifts ha-e also been of a personal musi
cal nature as well. “1 usua give friends compilation tapes of
songs that I am working on or
haven’t released — sort of an
ultimate insider fan club type
of thing.”
This year, her brother has
already given Hogan a special
gift: a round trip ticket to Chi
cago, which Hogan plans to
use to scout out the area be
fore moving there sometime
in the middle of next year.
“I just want to live some
where else for a while,” Hogan
says, “and the audiences in
Chicago have been pretty re
ceptive the times I’ve played
there. 1 like Chicago. It has
the size without the ‘tude of
New York that makes you
want to punch someone in
the face. 1 just don’t want to
lose my dog in the snow.”
But the change of scenery
is not without its costs, which
has not been lost on the ex
citedly scared Hogan. “ fhe
only bad thing about mov
ing,” she says, “is that it means
I’ll have to leave the
Rock*a*teens at some point,
which sorta stinks because they’re a really great band.
But Hogan still has a few tricks up her sleeve before clear
ing out of town. In February, the Rock*a*teens will release
their second album, Cry, on Daemon Records, and a month
later Hogan will head out on the road with the band for a
farewell tour/tum of sorts. “I sure hope it won’t be billed as
such,” Hogan says. “Besides, I’m probably the most expend
able member of the band, y’know, just another guitarist.
It won’t be un.il after the tour and the 716-mile reloca
tion that Hogan hopes to start working on her own new record.
“Despite everything else that’s been going on, I’ve written
four songs already," she says, “and I know some playing people
and musical contacts in Chicago. Besides, every time I go up
there somebody either offers me a job as a cocktail waitress or
as a lounge singer [laughs] — so we’ll just see what happens.”
Dave Basham
Come catch a Kelly Hogan sob show at the High Hat Friday,
Dec. 20, before she’s going, going, gone.
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240 N. Lumpkin St. / 546-4742 J
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Pool Tables, Dart Boards,
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BEER OF THE WEEK:
Red Mountain Draft $5.75 pitchers
“The Queer and Famous Baby Ivan.'
1 had to ask about the name.
“The Queer and Famous' comes from a Hunter S. Thompson book,
and 'Baby Ivan' was the name of my ex-wife's dog,' said Q.F.B.I. bassist
Russ Hicks with a laugh. No one could agree on one name or the other,
so Q.F.B.I. was a workable compromise.
The band started around this time last year, praying with different line
ups (one including a female vocalist, actually) until the current line-up —
Mike Parke, (guitar, vocals), Russ Hicks (bass, backing vox), and Jeff
Cummings (drums, backing vocals) — was in place around February.
Towards the end of that month, a five-song demo was recorded out at
Rxk Central Studios, incorporating pop elements into music a good deal
heavier than that of most pop bands. Think Superchunk, Weezer, Jawbox
and you’re not too far off the mark
“We're actually a lot different than that now,' Parker said. 'We still
play those songs, but they've changed a lot over that period. [From the
demo tape] you compared us to Jawbox one time.
“We had never heard them before,' Hicks said. So I went out and
bought the CD and thought, That's cool."
“I think [since the demo was recorded] the songwriting has gotten
better - more dynamic,' said Parker, the band's main songwriter.
“You would say that!’ Hicks added.
r 8, i
“Back then,' Parker said, “guitar writing was pretty much new to me.
I feel like we’re just now getting to where we’re tight.'
Seeing as how Q.F.B.I. has amassed upwards of 30 songs since
February, the band hopes to record a full-length CD beginning in the
next month. I asked if we had missed anything in the interview.
“We're a fun bunch of guys,' Hicks assured me.
“And we put on a kilier live show," Parker said, smiling.
“I wouldn't know," Hicks said wryly “I haven t seen us
Marc Pilvinsky
The Queer & Famous Baby Ivan plays the Roadhouse Thursaay. Dec. 19.
Optional.
New Year’s Eve,
featuring a champagne toast and live music
by Swing Street, and specials all night long
from our wide selection of sparkling wines.
Call for details.
613-0095
459 E. Clayton Street
(Across from [unkman's.)
tke
Winery