It seems former Seattle resident Melissa Auf Der Maur has finally seen the light. Or maybe not. Early last week the Hole bassist was reported to have quit the band, perhaps to pursue a solo career or maybe replace the recently departed Smashing Pumpkins bassist D'Arcy Wretzky. On Sept 21, online music publication Allstar claimed that Auf Der Maur was never really a member of Hole, only a contract player, and that her standing with the band meant she could leave it at any time. Allstar also hinted that Auf Der Maur would join Smashing Pumpkins, but the following day the publication posted another story containing a statement from Hole publicist Dennis Dennehy denying the bassist had quit. Whatever the story, let's hope she has more dedication than bandmates Eric Erlandson, who seems perfectly content to sit back and collect checks instead of performing, and band leader Courtney Love, who drops the rock star thing every time the film part of a fucked-up wife/girlfriend comes along. Not that Auf Der Maur contributed much more to the band than dark hair and the dim hope that she might take you home if you flirted with her at a bar. It's all so much horse crap, anyway.
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Who's the pack of jackasses that ambushed Peter Parker frontman Matthew McGowan as he exited the recent JAMPAC benefit and relieved him of all the money his band made on CD sales that night? Three figures jumped out of the shadows and maced McGowan, then made off with the earnings.
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Some say he was mugged, others say he just got stupid, but somehow Modest Mouse singer/guitarist Isaac Brock wound up with a broken jaw in Chicago. Apparently the altercation took place outside the Chi-town studio where the band is currently recording.
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The promise of a Posies reunion made for a huge turnout at the benefit for injured roadie Joe Norcio. ARO.space was packed to the rafters with folks who gladly handed over $8 on a Tuesday night to see inspired performances by Skyward, Ken Stringfellow, Pixies cover-band Number 13 Baby, Jon Auer, the Fastbacks, and yes, the Posies. Benefit organizer Mike Musburger played in all but two bands that night, and raised upward of $3,000 for his longtime pal. R.E.M.'s Mike Mills wrote out a huge check, and that, along with some more donations coming in, should bring the total up to $8,000. Speaking of benefits, Harvey Danger generously matched the $2,500 they raised for cancer patient Andrea Mulrain a few months back with money from their own pockets. However, Mulrain has not seen any of those funds yet, despite having received checks from other benefits that took place weeks after the Harvey Danger date. A call to the band revealed nothing shady, just a desire to save Mulrain from insurance hassles. In fact, the band's label said a check would be mailed by press time.
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A few hundred of local publicist Barbara Mitchell's closest friends turned out to help her celebrate her birthday last week at Sit & Spin. The theme of the night was the Cure, and members of Alien Crime Syndicate, Death Cab for Cutie, Faster Tiger, the Posies, Five Gears in Reverse, and many other local rock stars took turns performing inspired versions of Cure songs. My favorite part of the night was when Death Cab covered "Close to Me" as if they were Kraftwerk. Absolutely brilliant.
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In the Bad Behavior Dept.: When Pete Krebs and His Gossamer Wings failed to show up to headline last Saturday night at the Breakroom, Jon Auer and his band stepped up with some lovely covers, including a tune from Hüsker Dü and a breathtaking rendition of Psychedelic Furs' "Love My Way." After the show, club manager Rich offered to cut a deal with patrons who wished a refund, but it wasn't until after he had counted the money and paid the bands that the bulk of cheap bastards -- at least 25 of 'em -- began to queue up and demand a full refund, as if they hadn't gotten their measly $6 worth!
