Blackout Fest / Geraldine CD Release Party
by Matt Toledo - 4/18/2001
The 5th Annual Blackout Fest will be held at the Union this Friday, April 20th 2001. Blackout is a booking agency run by local band promoter and Geraldine bassist, Scott Winland. Scott is also the booking manager for the Union. It's also Scott Winland's birthday. Whew... that's a lot of Scott.
Local underground artist Tracy Duncan starts the evening off at 8:30 with an art show. Anyone who has been to the Union will be familiar with her unique brand of art. She is the one who painted the neon mural on the upstairs concert room wall.
Around 9:30, members of Bob City and The Spiveys will come together on the Union stage to form The Means. They will be followed by The Chargers Streetgang, The Shams, and Geraldine.
The Blackout Fest will also serve as the CD release party for Geraldine's first release, "Pure Bastard Rock." This is Geraldine's first release under the San Diego, California based Orange Records label. The CD was recorded mainly in Tucson, Arizona with producer/engineer Jim Waters (who's credits include Jon Spencer's Blues Explosion, Unsane, Sonic Youth, and Boss Hog.
Geraldine recently returned home from 29 consecutive days of concerts located around the nation to promote their new CD. The mini-tour included a sold out gig in Chicago for over a thousand audience members.
Orange Records is a modest, new label that has managed to score some well known names and relative unknowns from around the nation. Orange Record founder and CEO Ron Sievers states on their web site that "I had signed Them Wranch, a garage-rock band from Ohio, and they told me about this other band they knew, who sent me their stuff, which I thought was great. That was how I signed Cash Audio, who in turn hooked me up with four or five other Ohio bands."
"Blackoutfest is always a fun rockshow." Stated Scott Winland via e-mail, "...Great bands, food, and booze. This year will be even more fun with the art opening downstairs and Pabst Blue Ribbon will be 75 cents all night long."
Some of the bands that Scott promotes through Blackout are signed with the Long Beach, California"Sympathy for the Record Industry" label. For example, The Crackpipes from Austin, Texas and Memphis based, The Reigning Sound, featuring Greg Oblivian. Scott also represents fellow Orange Records label members, The Porch Ghouls, featuring members of the Grifters, The Preacher's Kids and the x-Neckbone from Oxford Mississippi who are on Blackdog Records.
