RIP Ed Honeck & Thanks for Having My Back

      Damn, it seems that I have yet to catch up with remembrances, as I need to pause and remember Edward Honeck, the former publisher of Buffalo Night-Life Magazine, the first professional publication for which I wrote and the home for more than 15 years of this attempt at musical opinion and mental clarity, The Hosey Report. Honeck died May 27, 2022.

     I wrote for Buffalo Night-Life Magazine from 1985-2001, originally brought on board by then-editor and author Rick Falkowski. People who read me years ago may recall that I did not exactly hold back on my opinions, good or bad, for bands, clubs, radio stations or promoters in the Buffalo music community. It was thought to be refreshing at first, but of course, when I criticized certain bands, stations, clubs, etc., perceptions of refreshing turned to wrong, stupid, hurtful, uninformed, vile and worse, and calls for my disciplining, up to and including firing, came up frequently and in print, as well as in telephone calls to Honeck and others. NEVER, not once, did Ed come to me and ask me to change my approach or content, change an opinion, kiss anyone’s ass or apologize.

     This includes one of my more famous, infamous or notorious articles and processes. In 1988, Buffalo Night-Life Magazine was hosting the Buffalo Music Awards at Manikin’s on Niagara Falls Boulevard in Tonawanda. As usual, cover bands and tribute bands of all sorts were receiving lots of honors, making lots of nauseating speeches and braying like mules about how good they were for the Buffalo music scene. It’s no surprise that as a more than 5-decade supporter of original Buffalo music, I did not take to this well, including in print. At one point at the ceremonies, Robbie Takac threw a bottle at the podium and speaker and the Goo Goo Dolls were ejected. My article, printed in the December 12, 1988 edition of Night-Life, criticized the awards, radio stations and the entire stinking system in my blustery opinion; the reaction included two weeks of pages of letters on my article (and more trickling in later), some agreeing, many not, some generally opining and several calling for my either reining in or firing; Buck Quigley was kind enough to defend me in print. Buck himself had been tossed off the stage after he had some fun and accepted awards for other bands before handing them to the actual winners and criticizing the actual award concept while accepting the best new music band award for the JackLords.

     While Buffalo Night-Life Magazine was sponsoring the awards, Ed stood by me, never telling me to back down, never threatening my status as a writer for Night-Life and not telling me to apologize or change anything. The incident barely came up again and when it did, after he assured me that Night-Life didn’t lose any readers or advertising from my articles (both good and bad, I suppose), the reaction was raised eyebrows, a hearty laugh from Ed and a shared drink. I left Night-Life over financial considerations, but more than 20 years later, I have one gift Ed gave me, a black hooded sweatshirt with Night-Life sewn on the chest. It’s a great sweatshirt I still wear, but if I didn’t, I’d keep it anyway. Thanks, Ed, and RIP.

Dave Palumbo: Another Buffalo Music Community Loss

  

    Sadly, here we go again, another remembrance post, this time for Dave Anchovies, known to his family as Dave Palumbo, who died July 19, 2022, and whose love of music led him to operate a great record store, perform as a musician and support other musicians/the Buffalo music scene.

     Palumbo operated Spiral Scratch Records, a great independent music store which supported original Buffalo music in many ways, from featuring their music on sale at the store, first on Delaware Avenue and later, after a destructive fire, on Bryant Street near Elmwood Avenue, to hosting performances by many local bands and artists, especially on Record Store Day. Spiral Scratch Records closed in 2015, leaving a hole in both the independent record store community and Buffalo music community overall.

     A cool DJ at WBNY 91.3 FM from his student days at Buffalo State College, Palumbo later hosted an excellent Saturday night show as an graduate/alumnus on WBNY, the “Scratch n Sniff Radio Programme,” where one was likely to hear just about anything, particularly with a sinister edge, whether style, sound, lyrics or recording quality. As a musician, Palumbo was probably best known as guitarist for the Trailer Park Tornadoes.

     Our paths crossed in almost entirely musical ways, from both being WBNY graduates who seemed to be remembered for playing loud, obnoxious music and sometimes hoped listeners/detractors were offended. We both did what we felt was best to support Buffalo/WNY musicians, although you might say that Palumbo really put his money and heart where his mouth was. It was also nice to live less than two blocks from Spiral Scratch Records when it was on Bryant Street, getting to go there for bands or to shop, as well as frequent dog walks past the store with Harold. Strangely, Dave and I never had a real long conversation, no comparing of notes or ideas or anything (naturally, no photos of him); the nature of seeing someone while bands were playing or one of us was running their business precluded really long talks, but I would have loved to have had time to talk about things further. Sadly, none of us will have that opportunity, and Dave will be missed more than any of us can imagine.

Support Your Local Musician - At All Levels

 

     I was taking one of my lunchtime walks about a week ago, basically 1:30-2 PM, on one of my main routes, from the Rath Building to Delaware Avenue to Tupper Street; Babeville and Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Center are at the intersection. Typical weather: hot, sunny and a bit humid.

     Early on the opening part, I walked on the opposite side of Delaware Avenue from where, at the intersection of West Chippewa Street, stand Spot Coffee, Starbucks Coffee and Bocce Club Pizza. Almost a block away, I heard unaccompanied electric guitar playing Black Sabbath’s “Electric Funeral.” A shirtless guy, with white facial makeup covered with black highlights near the eyes and mouth, much closer to King Diamond than Kiss, and leather half-sleeves was playing a Flying V replica through a small amp on the sidewalk at the corner.

     My walks are very important to me and my continued post-medical fun long-term recovery, so I continued, but quickened the pace, hoping to get back on the other side for more of his playing before he was asked to leave or escorted away. Happily, he was still grinding away when I came back, this time ripping some riffs from a couple of songs from Metallica’s “Master of Puppets” album. I smiled and nodded when I approached him and he smiled back. I asked if he would accept a donation; he smiled and said yes, so I handed him a couple of dollars. He took it and said, “Thank you so much, man,” and when I told him to keep up the good work, he smiled even wider, said “You bet I will, partner,” and went back to playing. His playing finally subsided in the background as I closed in on work to again take on my Erie County duties.

An Unexpected but Deserved Tribute to Sara Rogers

 

     Harold (Val and my 11-year old pit bull blend) and I were taking our typical Sunday afternoon walk on Buffalo’s West Side when we turned a corner and came to a house we frequently notice because there is often a dog water dish in the walk and a humorous but serious sign about the occupant’s dog,

     There was also a sign that took my breath away for a moment, a drawing/painting of a young woman playing an acoustic guitar with the legend “Welcome to Music with Miss Sara. Music for All Ages and Abilities.”  It was sadly obvious this is a sign advertising the skills and vocation of Sara Rogers, who was killed in June when she was hit by a car while riding her bicycle on South Park Avenue in Buffalo at only age 29.

     I did not know Ms. Rogers personally, but I was aware of her professionally and have read many wonderful thoughts and words about her on social media as well as pieces in the Buffalo News and Buffalo Rising. A jazz and acoustic music guitarist, singer and songwriter, she had earned her bachelor’s degree in music, worked as a music therapist and was known for her enthusiasm and commitment to helping all people, but it seems especially younger people, find and experience the joy and wonder of making music, art and living life. She touched many people in apparently profound ways and certainly made lives better, something we would be grateful to achieve and should always strive to do.

     There are many musicians and artists in Buffalo and Western New York who touch others in these memorable ways but may fly under the radar, and our music and artistic communities should be proud that Ms. Rogers was one of them and will no doubt leave her mark and influence on others for a long time. I find no adequate words to thank Ms, Rogers for her spirit and accomplishments nor those of proper condolence to her friends and colleagues.

MonkeyWrench - Sasquatch Gold CD review

   

  In about 35 years, you can drink a lot of beer, play a lot of loud, fast rock and roll and punk music, make friends, work jobs, drink beer, write songs, move apart, reunite and face yourself, if you’re smart or fortunate, maybe both. On their newest 5-song CD “Sasquatch Gold,” Monkeywrench does all of this.

     For a time one of Buffalo’s best musically and hardest drinking bands (yeah, a bit of my opinion with some fact), Monkeywrench, made up of Timo Walikis on guitars and lead vocals, Schmidty on lead guitar and vocals, Scotty James Dio Maruscak on bass and vocals and Marc Yonkers on drums and vocals has released several albums, 45s, tracks and so on. After Walikis moved to California, the members went their separate ways, performing in other bands, most notably Schmidty in the very good and very underrated country rocking Flatbed. Happily, Walikis moved back and the band reunited. It shouldn’t be forgotten that the band’s alter ego, the Vinny Barbarino Experience, gained an unexpected popularity playing revved up 70s and 80s covers of all genres, and is playing occasionally again.

     I have been a big Monkeywrench fan from the start, and noticed from the start that the band kind of walked a high wire with the drinking thing (this was during my drinking days as well). Social drinks were frequently called for from the stage, shots were accepted and the legendary Piels helmets became famous, but as many of us discovered, there are holes and blanks that the booze doesn’t fill, things change too fast, life in general starts coming in and it isn’t always fun or sensible.

  

     Monkeywrench has addressed these things in songs for years, but faces them head on on “Sasquatch Gold.” The CD starts with “That Would Be Great,” a kick ass rocker with Walikis noting it’s almost a surprise the band made it here kind of intact, or at least functioning, and that “you can only hate so much until you just let go.” “Beat the Feel” also blazes along as Walikis drinks alone, gets more drunk, realizes he’s lied to himself about life as it moves on. “Fucked Up Better” pulls the throttle back slightly to a melodic rocker; Walikis points out his drinking hasn’t improved much and may have prevented him from failing more spectacularly: “Should have fucked up better…was never much of a plan.”

     The all leads to the CD ending mid-tempo country rock “Drinking of Me,” an amazingly mature reassessment of the life of a punk rocker who put his music and maybe drinking first and his now-ended relationship second. Walikis knows things are over and it’s mostly his fault, and eschews bitterness and nastiness for understanding, reflection and appreciation of what his ex went through and the effort she made. He tells her “I hope to God you’re not with someone like me,” and of course, sends her off with the title toast. 

     “Sasquatch Gold” can be obtained through Bandcamp or Apple Music, and Monkeywrench has pages on Facebook and Instagram.