First, let me extend thanks to everyone who came out to the show at the Kada Gallery on Saturday night. It was great seeing some old friends and meeting some new ones. And thanks to Kathy and Joe at the Kada for their longtime friendship and encouragement–you provided me with a wonderful night. If you didn’t make it out there, you can still see the show as it hangs until December 3.
Now, today is yet another Halloween. It doesn’t have the same impact on me now as it did when I was much younger but I still get a kick out of this night and all the goofiness around it. And I have to say that the imagery that swirls around this night was very influential to me when I was a kid. You often see macabre imagery show itself in the work of student artists.
So in honor of this most hallowed evening, I thought I’d throw out some scary music but there isn’t a great selection of monster themed music. Oh, there’s the Monster Mash but that gets played to death this time of the year, much like Grandma Got Ran Over By a Reindeer at Christmas. And the Addams Family or Munsters themes are memorable but not what I’m looking for.
But there are the Cramps.
The Cramps emerged out of the NY punk scene of the 70’s with a distinct sound that influenced by rockabilly and the B-Horror movies of the 50’s. Two guitars and a small drum kit- no bassist- and a leader called Lux Interior and a girl guitarist/femme fatale named Poison Ivy, the Cramps’ music was often called psychobilly. Many of their songs paid direct homage to old horror flicks, like Human Fly and the one I’m highlighting here, I Was a Teenage Werewolf, which starred a very young Michael Landon in a pretty kitschy story. It might not be high art but the Cramps created some high energy creep-tastic stuff, very appropriate for a most inappropriate night.
Below I Was a Teenage Werewolf I’ve included their even more creepy TV Set. Give a listen and have yourself a very spooky night.
Redtree Times 