This is from a show where Charlie opened for us (Crap Detectors) in early 80’s. I would do posters if I could.
Shared by: jim jacobi
Shared by: jim jacobi
Made more than one trek over in the afternoon to try and be around when there was a soundcheck. One day, we were there when Jason and Nashville Scorchers (as I think they were still billing themselves at that time) were getting set up and having something to eat. They had just recently recorded their “Ferver” EP and Michael Stipe had sung background on a song. Since REM had been at the Stick not too much before, but were beginning to blow up nationally, that became the central topic of conversation. Suddenly Perry Baggs (drummer) jumps up and walks over behind one of the big floor fans that was doing its best to circulate the warm air and started singing the chorus to “Radio Free Europe” through the fan and from our side, it was a perfect impression of Mr. Stipe met by howls of laughter for all in attendance. A bite of of chicken or two might have been set flying from the diners as they laughed.
Shared by: Chuck Pool
Shared by: jim jacobi
One of the most memorable shows I attended at the Drumstick was when Husker Du played on May 27th, 1982. It was on a weeknight and it stayed light outside for the whole show. After The Untouchables opened, most of the people left. Only a handful of people stayed (including most of the members of the DK’ed Willies and The Click) for Husker Du’s blistering set. Bob Mould always performed in those days with his eyes rolled into the back of his head as though he were possessed. When they started, those of us left began dancing in a frenzy. Sara Kovanda of the Click invented a couple new dances that night—The Chair Dance where we piled all the heavy empty wooden chairs onto the middle of the dance floor while we all danced in a circle around them. The other dance was called “The Crab dance” where we got on all fours with our arms behind our heads and crawled around the dance floor like we were sea crabs. Tim had promised the band a $150 guarantee, but obviously not enough people showed up for him to make a profit so he tried to talk them down. He told Bob, “We gave you free beer and it costs a lot of electricity to run a club, and you guys were terrible!” Bob finally had to threaten to smash one of the front windows to get paid. After the show the band hung out with us in the parking lot talking about their tour and gave us all buttons and stickers. I have talked to Bob Mould about that night several times since then and he has never forgotten it!
Shared by: Jim Jones
Ministry played The Drumstick to a packed house. This was in 1983, before Al Jorgensen was doing industrial music, and had just put out a popular synth pop LP (which he’s since disowned). People in Lincoln were hip to Ministry very early on because of Preston Klik, of the groundbreaking Lincoln punk band AKA (circa 1978-79), who had moved to Chicago and had played on Ministry’s first EP. Al was very sweet and gracious and allowed us to interview him before the show in the back room. We left and then realized we had left our tape recorder in the dressing room. When we went back to get it, Al was in the middle of dressing and his pants were only half way up. We ended up getting a little extra peep show!
Shared by: Jim Jones
Another infamous show at the Drumstick was when DK’ed Willies (changing their name to “What a Bunch of Fucking Idiots,” or WABOFI), played. They did not like playing there because they mainly had younger fans and stuck to all ages’ shows. Also, they didn’t get along with Tim very well so the night was set to be a disaster from the get go. The Willies decided to show movies of my parents’ honeymoon trip on a projector behind them while they were playing. At one point Daniel Kelley, who was singing, threw the microphone out into the audience and it landed, “splat” on our table. That was it for Tim. He yelled “Get your Wabofi’s out of here.” Daniel took off running around the place and Tim went behind the bar and put on a pair of brass knuckles and chased him out. I think it was the last time they ever played there!
Shared by: Jim Jones
In 1984 the Go-Betweens from Australia played the Drumstick with local band Playground opening. Playground had a lot chutzpah and covered a Go-Betweens song before the main band went on stage, but they did a good job and I think the Go-Betweens were flattered. The Go-Betweens granted us an interview in the outside beer garden area and they were very sweet and gracious. The exception was lead singer, Robert Forster who seemed aloof and full of himself. I ended up playing chauffeur to the band who were staying at a hotel out on Cornhusker Hwy. Guitar player Grant McLennan (RIP) was one of the sweetest people I’ve ever met in rock and roll. All he wanted to do was go fishing after the show. At every body of water we went by on the drive home he’d ask “Can I fish there?”
Shared by: Jim Jones
Most people talk about all the great national and international bands that played the Drumstick, but Tim was great at nurturing local bands and allowing them to play there as well. I would usually get together with another band I liked, like Holiday, or Cartoon Pupils, and we’d approach Tim and ask for a weeknight to play. He never said no, even though we didn’t have much of a draw. It was a great opportunity for local bands to get some experience appearing on stage in a professional environment. It did a lot of help foster our music scene!
Shared by: Jim Jones
I played at the Drumstick in the late 80’s with a band called the Untouchables and I recall the stage was made up of 3’x4′ boxes that were about 18″ high. One night our Bass player, Craig Johnson, was straddling a seam when the boxes started sliding apart. Craig rode it out as long as he could, doing the splits in the process. Finally he had to try to jump up/off and ended up on the floor. Craig didn’t miss a beat, but he did break the mirror pickguard he had made for his guitar at his day job at Lincoln Glass Co.
I also remember seeing Wendy “O” Williams crack a guy in the head with her microphone that was trying to grab at her from in front of the stage. She hit him so hard it broke the windscreen off the mic and gashed his head. The guy stayed and danced at the front of the stage with blood, sweat and beer running down his face the rest of the show.
I saw a lot of great bands there. Some nights, as Diane recalls, there were only a few people in the bar. A lot of these bands where just travelling through and needed a week night gig for gas and beer money.
Shared by: Dane Squires