Scorgies

Kurt Wilkins of the Delta Rays and the Tinglers

What a show; everyone I’ve spoken to was totally blown away. I’m still firing on all cylinders, even a few that I didn’t even know I had anymore! I saw so many smiles Friday night, so many people genuinely happy to see each other.I only wish I could’ve stopped by Abilene to spend more time with everyone. But by that time my knees and feet were in need of hydrotherapy (too much dancing and bopping around trying to say hi to everyone!)

It’s hard to say without sounding too sappy, but one of the things I took away from my Scorgies days was a sense of community, I felt like I belonged there. Getting together with everyone at the German House re-affirmed that. While it’s been said that “you can never go back” that doesn’t mean you can’t have some fun trying to.

Ashley Black

At the end of the show, someone grabbed me and asked me “Did I hear you right, did you say this is was the first Scorgies reunion?” when I replied that I had indeed said that; she replied “good! That’s what I hoped you said!” All I can say is that if Tom, Vanessa, John and the hard working BopArts crew want to do this again, I’ll be on board!

Check out some more photos after the jump:

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I witnessed quite a few shows there. It was the place to be to hear original new music! The energy was high and the music was raw and exciting.  New Math was my favorite from back then.  Without new music, there can be no old music, music that we fall in love with and remember our whole lives. Music that gets into your soul, makes you feel alive!

I had the pleasure of working for Scorgie in the second phase of live music in the early 90s. It was a new feel and very exciting, but nothing can compare to the earlier phase. Scorgie would give ya the shirt off his back, if he still had it after a few tequilas and a rumble.
Thanks Tom Kohn for making last night happen.  It was AWESOME!

Thanks Don for everything!

Jon Dubner

The show was a blast. Long live Scorgies and thanks to all who pulled this thing together.

“International” tribute at the PCL Link Dump

Peace – John

Video courtesy johhnyuma

Just like in the old days, the infamous Scorgies videographers were in full force at the reunion. While Russ Lunn was shooting hi-def in the balcony, Ed Richter was taping from the stage and from the floor. Ed sent me this yesterday but, alas, I was too tired to post it.

Ed Richter and Peggi Fournier

Well kids it happened. Oh My God. NEW MATH Live. PERSONAL EFFECTS Live, THE PRESS TONES Live. If you read this Blog and you missed the show you really missed a part of Rochester’s recent History. Forget Renaissance Square. Forget the new Paetec office Bldg. None of that matters! History was made last night at the German House when the greatest reunion of Rochester’s legendary Bar & Club Scorgies happened. 400 plus friends shared a beautiful experience! The Music we loved, the friends we loved we all there.

Some personal friends: The Beardsley Sisters, Bob Martin, Gary Trainer, Peggy & Paul of course. Even an old girlfriend Roxanne showed up. Dick Storms, Dwayne Sherwood, Rock & Roll Joel and a guy we called Mark Mead. The whole cast of the movie showed up. Never knew this guy (Mark Mead) but everyone always talked about him.

The Beardsley Sisters

Here’s the best part we shot a multiple camera video of it all. With the grace of the gods it will be available soon. Special thanks to Russ Lunn for the master shots of the show. What Can I say? If you were alive and at Scorgies in 1982 and you were at the show last night you would understand my feelings.

ED RICHTER 11-22-08

(More photos after the jump)

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In 1985 Scorgie’s opened Yuk Yuk’s which later became Hiccups and then finally The Comedy Club at Scorgie’s.  The Funny Bone was our competition down the street and was never housed at 150 Andrews St…In 1993 – Scorge went back to music for one year – and in July of 1994 – we closed.  Thanks to everyone who made that reunion just a great “moment in time.”  We too now have closure and greatly appreciate Tom’s outstanding efforts in bringing this show and reunion to reality – what a blast from the past that was for all!  Thanks again to everyone.

as soon as i walked in to get in line i saw three people i recognized. the keith richards guy, the johhny ramone guy and some other guy i never knew the name of. they seemed to recognize me. the air was buzzing with a feeling like finding an old favorite shirt and having it still fit. it was awesome! I walked in and saw people i hadn’t seen in over fifteen years. a few i was nervous about but as soon as our eyes met it vanished.

we laughed and looked at photos of each others kids. some people had thier kids there. my daughter would sooner have slit her own throat than be a part of our pathetic past.  i got tears in my eyes several times looking around at the sheer joy of everybody there. the bands were awesome. that new math singer was easy on the eyes of this “older woman”.  when laben came out to sing riverview we instinctivley lined up to do the dance. i haven’t danced that much in a long time. i stayed out real late-past midnight! Abilene was cool but got too crowded for me. i got sober 11 years ago so i don’t really go to shows or bars much. the thought of a drink didn’t even occur to me as i basked in the stage light. my feet moved on thier own. i was dancing for joy.

Last evening was a blast! I am so glad that I went. I was on the fence because I am not real proud of the way I have aged. If I hadn’t gone I would have seen pictures and been very upset. The bands did an awesome job. If I didn’t get tired so early I would have thought I was 19 again.  Thank you to everyone who made it all happen. When I figure out how to post pictures or who to send them to I will. I was great to see all the familiar faces!

Patti (Street) Steeb

Tonight we played the Scorgies Reunion, along with New Math and The Press Tones. And it was a blast. All three of us played our asses off. The Press Tones played first and just absolutely rocked the house. Jeff Laben of the Cliches got up and did Riverview Restaurant with them and it was just like being at Scorgies again. The Press Tones were in great form – tight, exciting and showcasing their songwriting prowess.

New Math was up next. They opened with We Walk Among You (at least that’s the way I remember it), and I was dumbstruck. The band sounded great musically, but when the vocals started I really had to look twice to see if it was Kevin Patrick singing. I mean, I knew it wasn’t, but the fellow that was up there REALLY channeled Kevin’s vocal sound, style, delivery and tenor. Scary, almost. But before New Math, The Targets, with Sue Metro, did a couple of songs. Lots of fun. I’ll confess that they were a time before I became part of the Scorgies scene, but is it ever too late to become a fan?

We (Personal Effects) hit the stage pretty close to 10. First of all, it felt just as relaxed and natural as it always did when we played. I don’t know what it is about this band, but I’ve never felt nervous playing with them – just excited and joyous. And tonight, that seemed to come through. We played one of the best sets we’ve ever played and it didn’t matter that it was 20 years later.

The one really cool thing is that, for me, it brought closure to a time that sort of never came to a proper end, but lets it remain timeless. Tonight, it was great to have the last gig we never had. Great to run into long-not-seen old friends. Great to still be able to rip it up and pull off a great set. Tonight it was clear – we are just a rock and roll band who really loves playing music together. Sure, we may play again as Personal Effects. But if we don’t, we just closed the perfect door.

Thanks to the entire community for the opportunity to do this – with special kudos to Tom Kohn, The Press Tones, New Math, the other members of Personal Effects (past and present), Duane Sherwood, Stan Merrill and everyone who came together to pull this off tonight.

- Bob

PS: I just wanna give a special thanks to Ken Frank who is the bass player in Personal Effects (and Margaret Explosion). He REALLY brings great bottom to both bands and we could not have done it without Ken.

Photos by Nicholas Gerber

There is one undeniable fact. Don Scorgie had enough instinct, guts and taste to provide a platform for all of this. The whole thing would not have happened in Rochester without him. I want to thank him.

I did a series of paintings called “Local Icons” in 1988 and included him but I want to thank him here for some of the best times of my life.

I sent Rob the link to this blog and since he won’t be able to make it [from Portland, OR] here were his comments:

“Andrij!
Cool story. I don’t know if you remember, the very last club the Squirrels played in Rochester was Scorgies in summer 1993. We played a wedding and Manhattan Square Park after that, but Scorgies was it. In fact, I may be wrong, but I think we were the last band, or one of the last bands, to pretty much play there at all. After that, it became Token Joe’s.
I still remember because we decided to toss out the set list and just go for it. We wound up improvising a lot and playing better than we probably ever did. I still remember making up some poetry rant about a Vietnam vet during “Heroine.”
When the gig was over, I remember we all looked at each other and said, “why didn’t we always play that way?” However, by then it was too late, and we had lost Jim and Brian, and Tony and Pete were on their way to Buddhahood world. It’s weird, we never reunited, which may be cool because they’re always sort of a letdown when they do happen. We’re one of those “you had to be there” bands.
Ah, the old days.
It was a great ride.
Rock on and have a pint on me!
rob”

Press Tones - Not Any Older

The Press Tones played Scorgies 11,652 times. I think. It may have been more. The Pistoleros played Scorgies twice. Not sure, I can’t remember. The Crypt Kids didn’t play at Scorgies but we sure hung out there alot. I know ‘Open Season on Jim Freeze’ didn’t play Scorgies, I think Jim was banned from the bar at that point. The Folk Explosion may have played Scorgies, don’t remember. The Chinchillas played at Scorgies a few times when it reopened later on. We played downstairs in 1992 or 1993 and we had our CD release party for “Retro” upstairs in the bar. It 1999 or 2000 and they may have changed the name to ‘Token Joes’.

I don’t have any pictures from the early days. I was studying photography at school and I didn’t even carry around a camera. Oh well.

I met Richard Kaza at Scorgies. He managed The Press Tones and also brought in many national acts to the club. He opened and managed Idols and Freakazoid later on. It was great to see him when The Press Tones played at Abilene this past August.

At the Scorgies reunion show tomorrow I know I will see many people I haven’t seen in a long time, and I probably won’t remember them, but it should be an interesting evening.

Loving this blog. I really wish I could be at the show 11/21, but … can’t. It all started so innocently. My friend Rick Birch intro’d me to Scorgies and New Math back in the day, I don’t know, 1978 maybe? Big Daddy’s? Got to meet some of these music people in Roch. Old friend Danny Deutsch was a part of it. I remember a party where Kevin Patrick was promising to buy a new stylus for the host if he would just play “Volunteers of America” one time.

But then in late 79 or 80, I came back from Calif. and met Paul and Peggi and reconnected with Martin — whom I’d known since before he got his first Nehru jacket — and we started talking about songs and ideas. Next thing you know, we’re down in that basement six or seven days a week for most of the next two years. It was such a rich and rewarding time. We’d come up with ideas, work ‘em out together, add ‘em to a set list  and blast them out there. And people liked it! Eclectic, eccentric, Hi-Techs was a weird little rock n roll band, but the kids would dance, usually. We were together so much, it felt like family. And there were so many great friends in that crowd, in bands and the clubs and all the people around the whole “scene.” I’m tempted to name all these names, but that would be pointless. You’re mostly here.

So you look back 25 or 30 years to a little stretch you did between things — after college and California, before grad school, marriage and kids (and divorce) — and you think, that was special. That was a highlight. That was truly fine.

Zenon Pavlovych aka "King Farouk"

Long overdue! I asked Victor Tabinski who should write about Zenon, he referred me to Andy Tratch of the Urban Squirrels. Thanks, Victor!

Don’t know what to say about Zenon – how can one describe the man…

I knew him as a kid [we met being in Ukrainian Boy Scouts together back in '68] but had drifted apart by high school until I ran into him -  waiting in line to get into the Devo show [1st tour] at the Triangle Theater.

We caught upon things, compared musical tastes & next thing ya know we got our first apartment together on Wisconsin & Main St in the City…

The rest is history: we spent many years together rockin’ & rollin’, abusing ourselves, listening to great music, going to great shows, hanging out at great bars [Scorgie's included] with great friends, working with the Chesterfield Kings all over the country, being ski bums in Vermont, and just enjoying life at it’s best…

Zenon was my brother that I never had, could be the biggest asshole in the world, was always was willing to let you buy him a drink, would steal your drugs when you weren’t looking, and could be hell to live with/be around…but would give you the shirt off his back & loved you to death…

I can [barely] remember helping each other many a time up/down the spiral staircase by the bathrooms at Scorgie’s…We used to ride to all the bars to catch shows on my Kawasaki KZ400 [with Zenon wearing his brain-bucket helmet & clutching his beer]…I can even remember when Zenon had a stint DJing on Monday nights at the Penny Arcade [go figure]…

But most of all I remember Zenon’s “Lust for Life” [yes, just like the Iggy song]  and the fact that music was such a huge part of his life: I still have his albums & listen to them [even though they're way scratched because we were always out of sorts when we played them back then]…

We lost Zenon on the 4th of July weekend over 20 years ago -  fittingly he had gone down to NYC to visit friends & to see The Butthole Surfers: he never came back…

What a waste…what an asshole..what a Zenon move…

Long live the memory of Zenon Pavlovych: The Great High and Mighty Most Exalted Grand Mystical King Farouk!

I went to Scorgie’s on my birthday in 1985; a friend had recommended that I check out this new group in town, The Colorblind James Experience….he described them as “a bit different” and that I would enjoy the fact that they used vibes; since I was (and still am) a Tuned Percussion player, that was a big plus.

We arrived a bit early, and found out that there was an opening group called STARSHIP BEER! I thought, “Yeah, what a far-out name” but just how far out this group was I just did not know at the time; their set started out quiet enough, but grew in intensity, and their assault was unrelenting!! Imagine elements of Pere Ubu co-mingling with The Sun Ra Arkestra, creating this throbbing maelstrom of sound and you might get just a hint at how unruly it was….most people just left the room and escaped upstairs, but I and a few other brave listeners STAYED and revelled in the sonic din that was emanating from downstairs; as the set progressed, members of Colorblind James joined in on the rumblings, then after what seemed a small eternity (which in reality was about 45 minutes in total) the “Sonic Ritual” stopped.

After a suitable break, the Colorblind James Experience came out and knocked my socks off for the first time, the first of the many many times they would do so…….later on, I found out that Starship Beer ACTUALLY HAD A RECORD, and it was called “Nut Music As Free As The Squirrels!”  Needless to say, the title does not disappoint! But groups like them & Rochester’s own HEALTH AND BEAUTY would inspire me to go from merely mucking about at home and seek out other like-minded music nuts to work with (they know who they are); years later, Phil Marshall kindly supplied me with a tape of Starship Beer’s set from that very first show….it was intriguing to hear it again, but it kinda paled in comparison with Actually Being There!

Just a few years back the prestigious ATAVISTIC RECORDS re-issued the Starship Beer album as part of their “Unheard Music” series!

Was it Just another night of Music at Scorgie’s?   I DON’T THINK SO!!!!!

Mike Rae

p.s. hey Phil it’d be great to hear that CBJE show again someday!!

The Raunchettes

Smell the band—live the legend was their motto, the legendary four who emerged from a long shadow cast by the Antoinettes to become Upstate’s best-known girl punk band. Fueled by Salvatore’s pizza and cheap beer, they got cheered on so many late nights at Schatzee’s after they had their debut at Scorgies on a night when the Antoinettes were no-shows. (Although they had already played one gig in Cortlandt, that didn’t count.) Sonic produced by Stiv Bators, who broke lead singer Betsy’s heart for the final time after he was tragically hit by a car in Paris, their best-known hit remains Slaughter the Pig. Along with Original Sin, Girls in the Garage, a thrashed-out version of My Boyfriend’s Back plus a dozen original songs, their double-header with Personal Effects at Scorgies seemed kind of unlikely, even for us—their biggest groupies. But if to my pathetic teenage mind PE’s Bring Out the Jazz versus Betsy’s He’s a Rebel seemed an odd contrast, it was really no different than hearing 10,000 Maniacs on the same bill as the Violent Femmes. The excitement of seeing the Raunchettes repeatedly work their magic at Scorgies—the same place we worthless 15-year-olds (with fake IDs depicting us as age 22) caught the legendary Cramps, Fear, and finally Suicidal Tendencies (“punkers slamming” in the next day’s Times-Union)—was totally unforgettable. They threw stuff. They spit. They yelled. The audience was largely irrelevant to them; abuse only made them stronger as they’d already become used to every kind of loser harrassing them. Their first Scorgies show was a victory, the penultimate triumph over Backstreets and all the other rotten venues they would play from Albany to Buffalo. Joan Raunchette moved away to Boston and Janice Raunchette split, but somehow new members GiGi and Geolyn didn’t match the karmic power of an Irondequoit native. Regardless of whether you had the cassette bootlegs, the Bomp! The Raunchettes EP or Dave Anderson’s Jargon Records The Raunchettes Scrapbook LP, the Raunchettes had an amazing raw power. We groupies caught up with Betsy a few years later in Van Nuys, California, but it didn’t seem the same. You can take the punk chick out of Rochester, but the L.A. fish pond proved too elusive. Even to this day I proudly own a smelly, faded Raunchettes t-shirt with a safety pin through Betsy’s face, still convinced they will be rediscovered by Maximum Rock-n-Roll and a new generation of worthless teenage punks.

blaster aging gracefully – click photo for context

We made a list of our gigs as Personal Effects by referencing the dates on the stack of old posters and cassette tapes. Hard to believe we played Scorgies over seventy times and counting. I wish we’d had a blog back then to keep track of it all.

The sound system there was one of the best of any club we played and the room sounded great. We had this General Electric blaster that we used to duct tape up to the top of the wooden column in front of the bar at Scorgies and it made some damn good tapes. Arpad transferred a few of the tapes to cd.

This thing was heavy, mostly steel, and it had separate tweeters and a solid bass output. It didn’t need any “Stereo Enhancer” setting. There were two mics in the upper corners of the front face and on top there were two good sized VU meters with separate knobs for input levels. I remember dropping it out of my bike basket and it is featured in a boat up in the 1000 Islands in Duane Sherwood’s video for “Nothing Lasts Forever“. We took it everywhere and eventually ran it into the ground.

Here is a version of Taana Gardner’s “Heartbeat” recorded live at the Peppermint Lounge on our blaster.

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Around the last year Scorgies was open I joined the “Beers of the World” club.  I believe if you drank 100 different beers from around the world in 100 days or less, you got a case of different beers from breweries around the planet. You also got your name on a plaque which was put up with all the other people who became members and drank the 100 beers. I remember being very bummed when someone pried my name plaque off the board. I never found out why it was taken or whoever took it. Now’s your chance to come clean!

I also remember one of my birthday’s on New Year’s Eve (not sure what year) when the Chesterfield Kings were playing in the basement.  Lead singer Greg Prevost somehow ended up on my shoulders and while carrying him all over the place he was pulling down the ceiling tiles (Scorgie loved this.) It was one of the most fun Birthdays I ever had.  It was a great bar and i miss it.

MUSIC TO REUNIONIZE BY:

New Math: Hot Sounds
Swing Set: You That I Want
The Insiders: Leave Me Alone
The BBBs: Tired Of Waiting (live at Penny Arcade, ’82)
The Fadeaways: Trust
The Young Idea: My Baby’s In Love
The Fugitives: Last Time (live)
The Ferrets: Play With Fire
Cousin Al & the New Generation: Zombie Twist
Invisible Party: Can’t Seem To Make You Mine (live at Scorgies, ’84)
The Raunchettes: Girls In The Garage
The Essentials: Wild Romance
Colorblind James Experience: First Day Of Spring (live at Jazzberry’s ’85)
Hi-Techs: A Woman’s Revenge
The Rumbles: Hourglass Reunion
New Math: Older Women

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46:51 length

You can also listen to Episode 1 of the Flower City Jukebox here:

Weekends by Scorgies

I see that on some of the posters (even a few I made) But I can’t remember why it was Weekends By Scorgies!

Anyone remember?

"Cousin" Al Voldman

The story starts on #10 Werner Park where Cousin Al was born in 1961 & Cousin Brian (who lived upstairs) was born in 1962.

Jump ahead to 1979 when Cousin Al introduces me to Scorgies! I already had my Brighton High School band “The Sonic Reducers” (at that point we had no idea who the Dead Boys were!, the name came from the Seattle Super Sonics basketball team!). The Sonic Reducers then turned into The Twisted Hearts With ex-Presstone Jimmy Freeze and then broke up.

"Cousin" Brian Goodman

I was jamming with Geoff & Bob Camel in the basement of a church on Main St circa 1981. At some point Al & I are down at the Charlotte beach and he sez I want to start a band and do surf music (and some garage songs).

Growing up Al would play me all kinds of music. He turned me on to Deep Purple Machine Head, Frank Zappa Overnight Sensation & Alice Cooper (one of Al’s favorites!!!). I remember one day visiting Al and he had played me a 8 track tape of a WCMF New Wave show that he had taped!

I remember hearing the Sex Pistols. Al got into the New Wave thing and would proceed to turn me onto Plastic Bertrand, B-52s and others! I was already a Ramones and a Jam fan. I agree to do the surf band with Al.

Al got the name Cousin Al because I would introduce him to my friends as Cousin Al.  So we now have a concept and need to get guys to play.

The first line up wound be Al on vocals, Brian drums and backing vocals,  Steve Litvak guitar and Denis Jones Bass. This line up practiced in my Brighton basement for awhile. Al and I were chompin’ at the bit to play Scorgies or to play out in general! Only problem was Denis wasn’t into playing out and Steve wasn’t into the music. He was more a NY Dolls guy and also he dug the blues.

We find Cousin Chaz and Cousin Pete from ads that were posted at the Record Archive. Chaz had written a song called Surfin’ On The Barge Canal that he had played in a Pittsford High School talent contest. We go on to Play Scorgies, Schatzies, Ruth & Irvs Astrological Fish and Steak and a gig with The CADS at the Harley School!!!

We even made a Suoer 8 film with R.I.T. film student George Elieuw;  it was a Monkees meet Hard Days Night type of film! That was wild! The debut was as Schatzees,

We at some point hooked up with Stan The Man who then became Stan The MANager!

Stan sez “Brian that was your idea after a “happy puff” I think you liked the idea of “Stan the MANager” and you and Al came to the back room of the Archive and asked me” (back then, we would go out and “Check the tires, ” and that was always a “happy smoke” break!!!).

Stan got us on The Brian Bram TV show and did a lot more for the band like help with song ideas and booking gigs.

After I left to join the Insiders (circa 1983) the band went on to record a 45 and go through member changes )it was at The Cousin Al gig at Ruth & Irv’s gig were the Insiders approached me to join!).

The rest is history… (very fuzzy history!).

Cousin Brian Goodman

the summer of ‘82…MTV came to Rochester. We had never seen anything so cool. I came back from sophomore year at SUNY Fredonia to work at Kodak. This guy my sister, Beanie( a Scorgies regular) knew from St. John Fisher came and sat down at our table and announced we would be working together in Bldg 9. I remembered him from Halloween 81.  He had gone as some guy named rock and roll Joel and was totally rude. I hated him immediately. whatever…By June 18 we had shared our first kiss as he dropped me off after the Comateens show. We have been married for almost 20 years.

Anyhow-every night out started or ended at Scorgies that summer, and usually we never left. It was dark and woody. the other side never really got the same seasoning. It was too bright. I remember: George, Planet Claire, the Keith Richards guy, Luke Warm, Jimmy Jazz, doing the Riverview dance onstage with the Cliches, dancing to Radio Clash with Andi, Beanie and Affee downstairs, innumerable bathroom trips in various stages of intoxication, Angelo pouring beer on himself, Rudy Valentino using a drumstick on his guitar during a solo with the Majestics (that was later), Joe “king” Carrasco, the Press Tones. I remember being smushed in front of that tiny stage during a New Math show and thinking this is it, man. I didn’t think life could get any better. We were the coolest.

Aug 8 that summer Kelly Grant got killed by losing control of her car and hitting a tree on 490. We drove past the accident on our way home. I knew somebody had died. I found out the next day it was her. She had looked so pretty that night, standing in the amber light. she had on a striped blouse and knickers. People were waiting for her at her house for the “after Party”. It was a horrible week as we staggered through her wake and funeral. I still look for the tree every single time I drive 490. There is a cross there now. My daughter is named Kelly and she is 17.

"The Cliches are a fun band . . . a terrific dance band!" - Mary Cronin

By MIKE CIDONI

Three Fisher students, with one other musician from the dance band the Cliches, have gotten a little closer to stardom.

They were selected from about 130 bands to represent Rochester’s local musicians on WCMF’s second Homegrown album, a collection of one-track songs by 10 local bands, to be released around Thanksgiving, said Trip Reeb, program director for WCMF.

Seniors John Perevich, Geoff Proud and Jeff Laben comprise three-fourths of the Cliches. Drummer Tom Backus, 21, formerly of Berkeley, Calif. School of Music, completes the band -which makes “music that really isn’t punk or new wave, just dance music,” Laben said.

Cliches' Stickers

The Cliches formed in April of 1980 and first performed in public as an opening act for New Math in September of that year. They’ve since built such a steady following that they recently “opened for national stars The Ramones.

The Homegrown appearance will be the Cliches first “on vinyl” release.
“We did some recording last April at Sandcastle Studios that never got picked up; never made it out of the can,” Laben said.

WCMF is paying for all studio costs for recording the Homegrown track, which is being produced by PCI studio’s Todd Schaefer. Hi-Techs, Cheater, Stoney Creek, P.F. Flyers, Insiders, Little Trolls, Dark Star, Lifter and Buxx will also appear on the album.

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I thought I’d make a quick mention for now about the period when Scorgies became Yuk-Yuks, then Hiccups. It was a time when stand-up comedy was red-hot on a national basis…and for then, Scorgies bands were on the wane. I had mixed feelings about the switch-over from a cool club (after The Ramones were the last major band to play there) to a painted-black and chilly downstairs place for a few years. I used to supply music cassette tapes for the d-j, and interviewed comedians from Saturday Night Live that used to swing by there (like Rich Hall, David Spade, and Colin Quinn).  Many local comedians became nationally known like Brother Wease, Joel Lindley, Eric Nusbaum, Dan Liberto, Ralph Tetta, Mike D’Ambra, Spilt Milk (with Eric Haessler, Mark Cooper, and Duncan Kennedy). Some of us stand-up comics (local guys) were also given the chance to write ideas for the then-popular Joan Rivers Show (prior to becoming The Arsenio Hall Show). Some of the comedians performed later when the place was Token Joe’s upstairs. I’m sure that I can write a lot more about those times…but that’ll fill yet another web site. Of course, stand-up comedy also waned and a newer Scorgies (albeit temporary) did come back again! – Del Rivers

The Press Tones - Minus Tony Brown!

Appearing at the Scorgies Reunion: The Press Tones

THESE ROCHESTER ROCKERS AIM TO BREAK THE BIG-TIME SOON.
But not before they find money to feed the dog.

By MARSHALL FINE
Times-Union March 10th, 1983

Buddy the dog needs a meal. The Press Tones are trying to scrape up cash for a bag of dogfood for the enthusiastic German Shepherd that guards their rehearsal space. “We really should get Buddy some food,” says Dave Devoe, the band’s 24-year-old bassist. “Where’s the $25 left from Casablanca?” “I spent it,” drummer John Schwittek, 22, says sheepishly. “Hey, I’ll make it up.”

More haggling and scrounging ensue before the money is collected. The odiferous Buddy — rescued by lead singer B.B. Lummocks, 23, from a fatal trip to doggie death row — wags his tail and the Rochester rock band turns its attention to rehearsal.

But not before someone asks, “Did you pay the rent on this place for this month?”

“No, not yet,” says Peter Presstone, 23, the group’s leader, founder and writer. “Not enough money in the account.”

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It was mid 1981, I think. Pee Wee, an old friend and former bandmate as well as the soundman for New Math, called and asked if I’d be interested in trying out for a band. The band was called Personal Effects. I said sure, I’d love to.

I went to try out with them and thought it went pretty well. The songs were cool, with chord changes I’d never thought of before. In general, things were an exercise in ‘less is more’ – using a minimalist approach to tell the slices of life that the songs expressed. I was called back many times before the end of the year and kept hoping that I was in the running, as I very much loved the material and the people. In December, I had a party during which Paul and Peggi told me that we had a gig lined up at Scorgies on January 23rd (this would be ‘82). I said, “so, does this mean I am in the band?” They had a good laugh… they’d forgotten to tell me that I’d been in the band since, pretty much, the second time I ‘tried out.’

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Scorgies Reunion Poster by Bob Martin

The reunion is less than a week away and already we have three posters for the show. The latest is from Bob Martin and is to the left.

Bob, Simon Ribas, Pete Presstone, Gary Trainer, Del Rivers and meself will be guests on Whole Lotta Shakin with DJ Mike Murray. WLS is broadcast every Sunday between 3-7 PM on 89.7 WITR FM. Our segment will be between 5-6 pm tomorrow and we will talking about the show. If you are out of the area you can stream the whole show (with iTunes or Media Player) through the internet;   the link to the show is: http://streaming.witr.rit.edu:8000/live.m3u

A note about tickets: while they are not being sold through Ticketmaster (hey, no egregious service charges), they are available at the Bop Shop ( Village Gate Square, 274 North Goodman Street ph. 585-271-3354) or at Abilene (153 Liberty Pole Way  ph. 585-232-3230).

This just in (From Abilene’s website):

Note: for of out-of-town friends who need to purchase tickets in advance; please call the Bop Shop at 585-217-3354 and the Bop Shop staff will help with your ticket purchases.

Also, If anyone out there doesn’t want to worry about driving, Jim Havalack of Quality Transportation can arrange anything from a Sedan to a Limo to take you and your freinds to the Scorgies Reunion in safety and comfort. Call 585-455-8294, mention Scorgies, and you’ll get a special rate!

I played a gig in Albany, NY last night and ran into Kevin Maul(?). Some may remember Kevin as the WCMF DJ that went on before Uncle Roger or you maybe remember him as the steel guitar player guy.

I mentioned the Scorgies reunion to him knowing he also was once a Rochester guy!

He said that he was in the 1st “band” to play Scorgies! He said the Dady Brothers were the 1st band to play there!

Ahh- when Rochester supported local music.  The yuppies had yet to neuter the scene with political-correctness.  The government hadn’t excluded 18 – 20 year olds from alcohol consumption.  Scorgie’s sponsored a vibrant melange of hip local (New Math, Chesterfield Kings, Personal Effects, Cappy and the Frenchman) and national acts, Scorgie’s club anchored the “new wave.”  I recall the moths that basked in the glow emanating up the stairs to Andrews Street.  The epicenter for Monroe County Bohemian chic; every night was Le Bal Masqué, and Mardi Gras was perennial.

One night as the Pesonal Effects played, their guitar player lost footing and landed among the opening act’s drum hardware-off stage.  He was mid-solo and never missed a note.

On another occasion (Note: Don had no tolerance for the Pogo as it began its evolution to mosh pit) Don was personally evicting an over-zealous patron.  The patron turned on Don and the two were locked up beneath an up-ended table.  I offered a hand, and Don rewarded me with carte-blanche at the bar.

It was in the upstairs dressing room that I discovered the Ramones secret energy booster: Jolt Cola hopped up with additional sugar.

What a great era!  Thanks Don.

None of the Personal Effects material has ever been available on cd so we revisited the six releases and picked twenty songs to put on a compilation cd that we hope to have available at the show next Friday. One of the songs that made the cut was “Lucia’s Supper Club.”

I remember finding a pack of matches on Culver Road (I think) from Lucia’s Supper Club in Olean, NY. There was a gondola on the front and we were intrigued by the “Supper Club” name. We wrote a song about the place and put it on “It’s Different Out There” LP. The illustration I did for the cover sort of pictures Lucia’s the way we imagined.

Years later we found Olean on the map and drove down there for dinner at Lucia’s. We ordered Chicken Picatta and it was delicious. We brought an album with us and left it with the chef. I detailed our trip there on this Refrigerator entry. A few months later we received this letter in the mail.

Hi, I just had to write to you…

By the way, I can guarantee Nonna would have gotten a kick out of your album cover; she was such a character! Marie Rakus Olean, NY

Here’s the cd version of Lucia’s Supper Club.

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Being a fat and insecure sophomore at Pittsford-Mendon was hard in 1983-84, but being turned onto the local music scene, the great bands of the day just making waves in the underground music world and seeing live music at a club was life changing!

I struggle to remember much of my time at Scorgies but I do recall me and my friends (who were also band mates of mine) sneaking into there at least twice. Once I know we saw a Personal Effects set and one other time …dare I say it was either for a Rain Parade or a Let’s Active set. I just remember being so worried that we would be kicked out. We were there to see live music by these bands we were just learning about and not those big RAWK show at the War Memorial.

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