"Stevo" Jensen RIP
Reader Submitted reports: Former Vandals lead singer Steven "Stevo" Jensen passed away at his home on the island of Maui last weekend due to causes as yet unknown. Jensen sang for the Vandals from 1980 through 1984, appearing on the band's first two full-lengths, Peace Through Vandalism and When In Rome Do As The Vandals before being replaced by current vocalist Dave Quackenbush.
Guitarist Jan Nils Ackermann had the following to say: "First as his friend and then as his bandmate, I noticed that whoever met Stevo was touched by his unique sense of humor and talent for entertaining. Trust me...there was nothing he wouldn't do for a laugh. I was constantly surprised and entertained by Stevo, even at our own shows. Stevo was a great friend and an outstanding entertainer. Anybody who came to our shows knew that.
"The Vandals of the Stevo years (1980-84) stood for nothing more than having a good time and poking a little fun at such a serious and confusing world. Stevo's Vandals had no dogma, no agenda, no anger, and no greed... Stevo was an inspiration to me and was always our friend...always. On behalf of myself and Vandals bassist Steve "Human" Pfauter, we extend our sincere condolences to Stevo's parents and family.Long Live Stevo...Anarchy Burgers for everyone!" http://stevojensen.com/index.html
Punk Rock Is Dead
(Blabbermouth) Former MISFITS frontman Michale Graves has announced the following dates in support of his recently released CD on Horror High Records, "Punk Rock Is Dead":
Sep. 02 - Middle Village, NY - Red Zone
Sep. 07 - Nashville, TN - Hair Of The Dog
Sep. 08 - Atlanta, GA - Mulligans
Sep. 09 - Savannah, GA - The Jinx
Sep. 10 - Miami, FL - Kaffe Krystal
There were only 13 people at the start of the show, but that didn't stop Wives frontman Dean Spunt from doing what comes naturally at the Hi-Dive on Tuesday. The self-proclaimed informal mayor of Los Angeles and Seth Green stunt double got down to his skinny skivvies just a few noisy songs into a liberating salvo of bombastic, hilarious chain-saw rock. With an intentional static through-line playing throughout, the near-naked Spunt even took a detour into the men's room while guitarist Randy Randall crowd-surfed, sans crowd. (And I would swear he was sort-of sampling Stevie Nick's "Edge of Seventeen.") The all-too-brief breakneck set, opening the Magicyclops CD re-
release party and Devo afterparty, climaxed with Randall lodging two guitars in the Hi-Dive's ceiling light tree as Spunt conducted a performance-art re-dressing. The set blissfully fulfilled the punkers' mantra, "I'm much too young to be unimportant." sors