I think that JC show may have been a Somebody-related reunion show we organized. It had a great line up (everyone’s current/past bands), but there was a blizzard the day of the show, so the turnout was poor. Good idea, bad day, but that stopped none of us from killing many brain cells.

The 13th & Clay loft parties (and Burkardts) were legendary and numerous. I never ran sound at either, but I got in plenty of trouble at both.

Speaking of perspective, I saw you guys a bunch back then, but the first time I saw Dennis was at Bogarts pre-remodel, when Chris Stepp wore the see-through plastic-tarp miniskirt and smashed Stairway to Heaven. Mike Devanney immediately became my hero, and I gushed over all of you introducing myself after the show. The music WAS great that night, but I was blasted sufficiently to make it feel awesome. I don’t think I actually hung out with any of you for at least 2 years after that, because I was embarrassed about being so wasted and star-struck. Fortunately no one remembered when we reconnected in later life!

Dennis The Menace did break up before The Jockey Club opened(!(1978-1980). We played a number of small clubs that would open up to us “new wave bands”, and then realize the punks that came to the shows usually didn’t have much money and sometimes would break shit! Some little club on Calhoun, Shipley’s, J.R.’s, Stiches, Dollar Bills Saloon(we hated the atmosphere in there, but they let original bands play! The Customs played there a lot.)) The Pickle Barrel even tried booking “new wave” bands and stopped quickly when it got too punk! The Pit was a great place to play, but the appeal of going downtown seemed to wear off quick for people and it was short lived. We actually played some good shows at Bogart’s before they remodeled the place and fucked it up! We played Handsome Clem’s shows there as well as warming up Joan Jett and The Blackhearts among others. (We had to clear out of our dressing room so that she had a private place to shoot her heroin, no shit.)

Most of our favorite places to play pre-Jockey Club were the loft parties! We played The Medicus Building(the IRS now stands there) and there was a huge crowd. We were the opener and the first song was Rockaway Beach(one of a few covers we did). As soon as we kicked the song in, the whole floor started moving up and down so violently that my cymbal stands were moving back and forth!

We played loft parties down on 13th and Clay, (I think Chenault might have lived there or something.) We also played one of Fred Burkhardts loft parties. He was an amazing photographer/mover/shaker in those days and threw some amazing parties! We also played in Dayton a lot back then. Walnut Hills as I recall and Sams.

The first time I saw Dave Lewis perform was at a Dayton show. We met him at a party and hit it off right off of the bat! He was hanging out with another teenage punk in black leather, Bob Lamb! when we told him we were booked to play a punk club in Dayton, he really wanted to go with us. They could be roadies and Dave wanted to warm us up with some “Da-Da poetry”! We thought they looked punk enough and we liked the cutting edge feel that “da-da poetry had to it so we took them along. It was really cool. After we had our equipment set up we got off the stage and let Dave do his thing. He unfolded a metal folding chair and sat it on the stage. He took two Budweiser bottles and proceeded to play a loud drum beat cacophony on the metal chair with the beer bottles and proceeded to chant LOUDLY over the beat he was creating. Immediately gaining everyone’s attention by the end of the piece, he introduced the next piece sort of like masterpiece theater and played another maniac chant. We liked the guy then and there.

Dennis The Menace reunited to record some new songs after The Jockey Club opened. Somehow Mike hooked up a gig at the Jockey Club during this time. That why it’s a little confusing! We played a gig at The Jockey, but it sure is hazy!!

Anyway I love that everyone from then is trying to dredge their memory of things. I have noticed there are a lot of different perspectives on things. Sausage…Ace!

I’m gonna edit my post and insert Fred. I confess I always forget him, mostly because I hung out with everyone else outside the band. That, and Cincy’s such a bass-town you can’t swing a cat without hitting a good one…

Thanks so much for the heads up.

I’m pretty sure that Shag was post club J. I’m remembering Johnny Miracle and Chris Sherman from Kalihari, and Sleep Theatre around that time, with both those bands featuring (Grammy winner) Itaal Shur.

I gotta give props to Fred Pies as the bassist for the Nervous Pioneers and Dennis the Mennace as well. Poor man get’s left out and he shouldn’t. He played some great stuff on bass while singing backing vocals and dancing on those Moog Taurus pedals.

I’m pretty sure that Jannette did replace Viv in the later days of Latex. You aren’t saying that Viv played guitar. Right? Cause I don’t remember that. I’ll see if Viv or Doug can jump in on this.