So it’s that week. If you were listening to rock music in 1994, you know what I’m alluding to. I wanted to point out that despite so many lame haters favorite narrow-minded negative remembrances about Kurt (uh, you go hang out with Slash, dude, I’ll take Cobain, thanks) that guy made it OK for me, an immigrant female, to find a home in fronting a punk rock band. So thanks, Kurt! I can say with confidence that The Obvious would not exist had I not been listening to my tape of Nevermind until it wore out in my bedroom so many years ago.
That was circa 1992 or so that I was holed up in my room with that music. A few years later I met Dan Astorri who lived in a boringly secure suburban development only a few minutes from mine. Dan had just gotten a guitar, and I saved up and bought one soon after. Though we were both honor-roll material, we figured out that cutting school to play music was actually way funner than going to class. After many tumultuous years and line-ups, we finally landed on our dream rhythm section, Kevin Conroy on drums and Mike Smith on bass. You might recognize those names from current and former membership in other fine area acts such as Last Perfect Thing.
L To R: Sugrim, Conroy, Astorri, & Smith of The Obvious
But me and Dan kidnapped them and gave them acid and got them to pledge allegiance to The Obvious and it’s been onward and upward ever since. Kev’s fave drummer is Dave Grohl; Mike has a bass that’s the make of the one that Krist Novoselic favored. The two have buckets of talent coming out of their ears. Enough said.
Anyways, it turns out that people actually like the band. I mean, they REALLY like it. Which is great! I’m not one of those musicians who is lucky enough to play casually. If we don’t play out live, if I can’t spill beer all over myself and the audience, if I can’t earn a few bruises, if I can’t look down while onstage and see a little blood coming out of my knee, if I can’t strap on my motherfuggin guitar and PLAY directly into your ear, then just give me a lobotomy, because there is NO OTHER REASON to get up in the morning.
The Obvious At The Asbury Lanes, July 2010
But don’t you worry! We’re not all violence. As my boyfriend Greg Dulli of The Afghan Whigs said, “Come a little closer, baby, I only wanna try and be your friend.” But enough about me; how about you take a listen —to my band? 😉
The Obvious | Don’t Match
We are The Obvious. We are damned, dirty, gravel-slinging, sing-along Rock, rooted in the unique mash up of dark humor, social commentary, and the artful ripping off of the right 70’s punk and 90’s alternative influences, with of course, our very own twisted twist. And not only is the sound pretty much going to make you follow us like sailors to the siren song, but our live show will have you on your knees, in awe and gratitude.
Russell Tolas of Status Green Rocks Out With Yours Truly
You get to see it for yourself when we open for Chemtrail at their stellar record release at The Asbury Lanes this Friday! Mikey Burke of Chemtrail says we are a “live show that is not to be missed!” And I’d like to give a special shout out here to Chemtrail because they have been great brothers to us since we got going in the AP scene, and we’ve struck up a positively familial relationship with them. Having their love and support has been a huge gift to us. I can’t tell you what it feels like to be held in esteem by the exact demographic that convention dictates a girl like me should be excluded from. Punk rock: the great equalizer.
And if you don’t mind I’m just gonna drop another name, that of Pete Steinkopf of The Bouncing Souls. Steinkopf recorded our EP Bringing Wreck at the Souls’ own Little Eden Studios in Spring of 2010. I’m happy to report we’ll be in the studio again with The Pete shortly, and we can’t ever get enough of his praises: “Angie has a Devil inside. The Obvious are exactly what rock and roll needs at this moment, and this band is absolutely on FIRE”.
So come let us set YOU on fire when we open for our best brothers Chemtrail along with Old Nick this Friday, April 8th at The Asbury Lanes in support of their new release, Youth Obsessed Death Culture. We’ll give you acid and make you pledge allegiance, too. 😉
XOXO
Ang
