Field Notes

Survey

jeph.foust@gmail.com (jeph) — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 23:40:22 +0000

As I am starting to edit the trailer for the Hall Show Documentary, I realize that I can use a lot more source material to tell this story right. So I want to offer the opportunity to anyone who was involved in the 1980s Flint Punk Scene scene, I want to hear about it.

Just fill out this little form.

It is going to ask you for some contact info, and a few questions about what you did in the scene, and that's about it.

By filling out the survey you give full permission to use the information gathered on this website, in the documentary, and anywhere else I feel it needs to go. You also agree to the terms and conditions of this website.

Thanks for your assistance!

About the Documentary

jeph.foust@gmail.com (jeph) — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 21:23:58 +0000

It all began a few years back, when I was clicking around Myspace (yes, Myspace) when I came across a cool little discussion board called the Flint Freaks. It was the whole squad from the Flint punk scene sharing stories, passing on reports, exchanging links and pictures. Well, one of those links that was shared was for the Flint Underground Music Archive. The URL for the site, takenoprisoners.info is a nod to the groundbreaking radio and television show in Flint called Take No Prisoners (which was the first place I ever heard punk broadcast over the radio, of course I also listened to Phill Hines' show Anarchy and the other more New Wave program that were all broadcast from WFBE when it was a public broadcasting radio station at Flint Central.)

Well, the Archive site which is run by Aaron Stengel, and he has connected with many of the people who, over the years, couldn't find a reason to get rid of old stuff like photos, cassette tapes, flyers, even videos - remnants of the Flint punk scene of the 1980s and '90s (and beyond). They have entrusted him with this archival material, and he has been steadily digitizing and making public all of these items through the website. It's a really nice thing!

Well, I have been hooked on the stuff on there since, and that got me to thinking that it would be cool to take from the best footage of the Archive, and mix it with some recent interviews from people who were involved in the scene. I happened to be in Michigan during the 2009 summer, and tracked down a number of people and interviewed them.

I am still looking for people to interview. If you have some stories to tell about the Flint Punk scene of the 1980s (the main timeframe I am concentrating on for the documentary) I would like to hear from you. Just drop a line at hallshowdocumentary at gmail dot com.

Editing Has Begun

jeph.foust@gmail.com (jeph) — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 18:08:01 +0000

I am happy to say that I have started editing the Hall Show Documentary. I know that I have just scratched the surface with uncovering the story behind the 1980s Flint Punk Rock scene, but I also know that I need to start cutting the story together so I can better get a sense for what I have, and what I would like to have to tell this story. I am making new contacts on a regular basis of folks who were part of the scene and have artifacts that will be great pieces within the documentary, photos, stories, flyers, interviews, video.

So that brings me to the editing. Why start now, when everything isn't necessarily in place? Well, I have been kind of keeping this part quiet, but I want to start generating some buzz to help the progress of the whole project along. I am cutting a short teaser doc out of what I currently have - kind of an extended trailer if you will. The plan is to premier the trailer at the 2010 Earp Fest in December. This will be a worldwide premier, and where better to do it than at a reunion of the Hall Show crowd, in honor of Doug Earp! (and others we have lost along the way, of course).

This film is really my gift to the scene, and it isn't possible without the help and support of people who were, and still are, part of the Flint scene. I am always looking for people to interview, and for artifacts to layer into the film. So any support that you, the readers of this site, can offer is totally appreciated. hall.show.documentary (at) gmail (dot com) is a good place to touch base with me.

Mark Ojeda Interview

jeph.foust@gmail.com (jeph) — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 05:53:48 +0000

My partner in crime for many of the years I was involved actively in the Flint punk rock scene was Mark Ojeda. It all started in the late 1970s when Mark's Mom moved into the pink house next door to my parents house. We hit it off right away and became the best of friends. Mark and I were big into skateboarding and always looking for places to ride. Skateboarding's premier rag was (and still arguably is) Thrasher. Mark and I read every word of every Thrasher that we bought and shared with each other. We found out about the skate rock scene through the pages of Thrasher, and soon started listening to a lot of stuff, most notably JFA. Jodi Foster's Army (JFA, duh) featured this sound that was so totally different from most of the hardcore punk we were also listening to at the time. I can describe it as a sort of surf rock guitar sound (reverb all up in there) with unintelligible vocals, a ripping bass line and a drummer that wasn't afraid to change things up a bit. It was a sound that went with every ollie, manual, bert slide and boneless that we were doing. To this day I can't come up with a band I would want to hear more while skateboarding than JFA. So, needless to say, Mark and I were skaters that read Thrasher and jammed to JFA, yippee! But what I was getting to was that Mark and I were also practically inseparable, especially on weekends (Mark ended up living with his Dad in Flint while I stayed put in Grand Blanc). We started going to OLOL Dances, messing with people and skating around the parking lot. At some point Mark went to this little record store near his house caled Wyatt Earp's, and he was getting some choice cuts from there, so I went in there with him, (first time, mind you) and was just blown away that this little 250 square foot (if that) record store could have such a density of incredible music! From there, we started learning about these Hall Shows since Wyatt Earp's had flyers posted for upcoming shows. Wow, what a great experience it was to go to something in Flint where there were people who you could totally relate with (and the other way around), that was cool, all ages, and so accessible.

So thus began our adventure into punk rock in Flint Michigan.

Mark has been a student of drumming as long as I have known him, and had a drum kit that we would often play in his basement, but a drummer needs other musicians to thrive, so eventually Mark started playing with a group called Smashed. Jason Adsit was on vocals, John Jackson on guitar and Shawn Ellis played bass, and Mark, of course, drums. THey incorporated a straight edge sort of style to their music, think Dag Nasty, but with John and Shawn the music reached a totally different level. I served as a sort of stage crew and security (like that was necessary) for Smashed, which got me in for free. I also had them perform at the 2 Foust Fest's that I threw at my parent's house when they were out of town. In fact, Smashed's first live performance was at Foust Fest 1.

Mark later joined the near legendary Jesus Christ and the Superstars who made each show they performed as loud and annoying as humanly possible. Eric Scott was singer in J.C. & the SS (as they were known). My good friend, the late Chuck Taylor was guitarist and class clown. There isn't a lot of recorded history of J.C. & the SS so I don't have much to share, but here is a cool picture that Eric Scott provided me of one of their live performances.

Mark is now tending farm in Southern California and still playing drums in a band with some co-workers.

Shannon Daly Interview

jeph.foust@gmail.com (jeph) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 05:20:06 +0000

Shannon and I went to high school together (I am older by 2 years) so I naturally bullied him in between classes, at least that is what he tells me. We bacame close friends, sharing an interest in causing trouble, skateboarding, punk rock, and old cars. Shannon was (and still is) a Misfits Fiend, and really got into that whole black clothes, black hair thing (although it helps that he has naturally black hair).

We met for the interview at Tom Z's Flint's Original Coney Island and quickly downed some coneys and fries. If I haven't said this enough yet, PLEASE GO TO TOM Z'S FLINT'S ORIGINAL CONEY ISLAND, 401 W. Court St. Flint, MI 48503. 810.768.0000!!!

Anyway, where were we...

Oh, yeah, the interview. With full bellies, and a 24 hour restaurant at our disposal, we set out to gabbing about old times, and how we used to love going to hall shows and causing trouble. We were both always broke, so we had to get inventive with ways to get money. One time, when there was something going on at the Capitol (probably not a hall show) we stood by the parking booth of a nearby parking lot and told the cars as they drove in that parking was 3 bucks (or something). We made a quick $30 so we had some cash to get into more trouble.

Well, Shannon kept a good number of flyers from back then, and he came through like a trooper and brought his collection of junk from back in the day. He kept flyers, zines, pictures, and other ephemera including a rare copy of a zine that Joel Rash published prior to it being called Edge City (although I can't recall the name right now). In one of the zines I found a review of the second 7Seconds show in Flint, Thursday August 22, 1985 (featuring Dissonance, Godspeed, and Born w/o a Face) $5. And in the article there were 2 photos that actually have me rocking out in the front row with all the others, what a fun show 7Seconds put on.

These photos are some of the only pictures taken at Hall Shows that I am in, and they were published in a zine to boot - how cool is that! By the way, that's me up there with the blond hair under Kevin's mic. See who else you might know. Sitting on the stage with his mouth open in front of me is Mark Ojeda (Drummer in Smashed and Jesus Christ and the Superstars). I traveled out to San Diego to talk with him, and will post those field notes soon here is the interview article.

Well back to the interview with Shannon. We talked about our old cars, Shannon used to drive a '66 '65 Chevy Malibu (Thanks for reminding me Shane!) that had a 2 speed transmission, and I drove a '64 Ford Falcon convertible with a 2 speed transmission. Shannon's Malibu was cooler though, because he and his step dad rebuilt it, so it was pretty dependable. My Falcon had Fred Flinstone floorboards (you could see right through them to the road below) and other things that a rusty old convertible brought with it like torn up roof and no radio. While Shannon kept his Malibu around, I got into other cars like my 1979 Saab 99 (which I totally loved until the shocks in the back busted through the wheel wells in the trunk), my 1973 VW Type 3 Fastback and 1974 VW Bus. I really had a lot of cars when I was younger.

Wait a minute, this started out as a write up about Shannon, but now it has turned into me talking about some of my old cars. It must be getting late, so I will break off right now.

Flint Hall Show Scene and Downtown Development

jeph.foust@gmail.com (jeph) — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 03:24:15 +0000

One of the cool things about examining a scene that has a developed over the course of 20+ years is that enough time has passed that people from the scene back in the day have grown up and moved on to their adult lives. For many in the Flint scene, that has meant going to college, and leaving Flint to pursue their careers, or simply leave Flint and find a job somewhere where there are jobs. Flint, more than most places, has really lost a lot of good people, simply because of a lack of opportunity in the area. For some, however, leaving Flint isn't an option, so you just deal and get on with your life...

I met a couple of guys, who were part of the Flint scene back in the 80's and 90's, who as a result of exposure to hall shows (and the shows at the Capitol and Flint Local 432) learned that downtown Flint isn't such a bad place, so they decided to operate their own businesses right downtown.

Mike Abraham, proprietor of Mike's Triple Grille, is one of the guys I met. What started as a food cart at the Courtland Center in Burton, MI, Mike decided that he could fill a void in the downtown Flint area, and he opened up a sandwich shop, making snadwiches that are grilled three times. A different taste for lunch that seems to be well received. Mike is a self professed metal head who used to give a hard time to the local punks of the scene. As I have mentioned before, the Flint scene is small enough to have a mixing of musical genres at many hall shows, so he wasn't a stranger to these events. Mike mentioned to me that it was a direct result of going to shows in downtown Flint that gave him assurance that it isn't such a bad place to open a business. Flint gets a bad rap for seeming crimey, but right downtown there is a nice area along Saginaw Street to have a business. Mike is keeping it real though. He understands that even though there are lofts and other new developments going up downtown, there are also businesses in the area that are closing or reducing staff. The lunch market is widely supported by people who work in the area downtown, so if businesses are decreasing, there are less people to get lunch. Mike is cooking up some tasty looking sandwiches, I wish him the best!

UPDATE: December 2010 - Mikes Triple Grille has closed its doors, I hear Mike is doin' alright though

A couple doors down from the Triple Grille is another business that is run by a Hall Show scenester. Flint City T-Shirts is run by Mikey Clark, who got involved in going to Hall Shows to support his friend, and founder of Flint City T-Shirts, Ingus - who was a member of the band Burnt Toast. Well the shop opened up, Ingus left and Mikey took over the place. They are kicking out some great shirts with Flint themed graphics, as well as doing printing jobs for anyone needing screen printed shirts, graphics, cards, hats, whatever... As Mikey explained, there are a lot of businesses in the area that are doing this, so there is a good deal of competition. The difference I see with Flint City T-Shirts is that there is a cool little storefront retail space where you can go in and get your Flint themed stuff, with screen printing operations going on in the back of the place. Most screen printers usually only have a printing operation, and maybe a business office. So it is pretty unique, and the Flint stuff makes it all cool too.

So while the rest of the world kicks Flint while it is down, here are two examples of business owners who have taken a chance and brought their operations into downtown Flint, are making it work, and in tying it to the Hall Show Documentary - were part of the scene back in the day. Pretty cool!

Joel Rash Interview Part 2

jeph.foust@gmail.com (jeph) — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 21:29:50 +0000

So here it is, the start of autumn, and a summer filming interviews in and around Flint is coming to a close as we pack up our stuff and head out of town. The next few posts are based around the final shoot in Flint, starting with a follow up with Joel Rash (now with full beard).

The direction of the film has stayed the same, but as the story is coming together it is important (at least to Dorothy and I) that there is a current day segment that might be nice to examine. One of the cool things about the Hall Show scene was that it all came about because all of the bands, promoters, supporters etc... had a do it yourself attitude that ultimately created a scene, and in some ways taught us kids (at least a few of us) that it is possible to accomplish positive stuff, just by putting your mind to it, and making it happen.

Joel exemplifies this attitude in all that he does, from his professional work at University of Michigan, Flint to the 25+ years he has devoted to the Flint scene promoting hall shows, and developing a community around Flint Local 432 events.

It seemed fitting to get an interview with Joel in front of the new digs that Flint Local 432 will be holding events, and providing community development activities. To make this happen, a good deal of work needs to be done to the building including; electrical, plumbing, accessibility, emergency exits, and some prettying up. Joel points out that there are a lot of people who came up in the scene who have told him that they would love to help. These are professionals in architecture, electrical, construction... who want to give back to the scene that gave so much to them through the years. It isn't going to get done without financial support as well. The Local is looking to establish itself as a full on 501c3 non-profit, and work at getting some of the funding for building improvements through grants. Personal support is always welcome, so if anyone reading this wants to help, in any way, please get in touch with Joel.

I didn't mean for this post to become a PBS style funding pitch, but what can it hurt to support something that has the ability to create so much positivity to and for the young Flintoids who can get a lot out what the Local can offer.

Joel also provided a good insight on some of the local businesses in Downtown Flint as we walked over to meet with a couple of entrepreneurs who went to shows back in the day, who now bring a DIY attitude to running their businesses in Downtown Flint. More on that in coming posts.

Keith Jennings and Fido Kennington Interview

jeph.foust@gmail.com (jeph) — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 16:15:37 +0000

One thing that still blows me away is that after 25+ years since Hall Shows first started around Flint, there is still a tight circle of friends and acquaintences that started by going to these punk rock shows. So when I set up this interview with Keith Jennings and Fido Kennington, I didn't really consider that they would know each other as much as they do. It was pertty cool that not only did they know each other pretty well, but the interaction between them during the interview was nice.

I had been trying for over a month to hook up with Keith, and it was worth the wait. Keith played a very unique role in the Hall Show scene. He ran the sound for the vast majority of the hall shows. One of the things that he said is that it always had to be loud, and I really can't recall a hall show that wasn't loud. I'm pretty sure that the tinnitus I live with now, probably got it's start from exposure to the sound coming from Keith's sound system.

Fido is a real character and regular on the scene from 1985 when he moved back to the Flint area. A self professed 'band whore' Fido has been involved in many bands through the years, and is currently drummer when the Guilty Bystanders play.

One thing, beyond the hall show connection, that made Keith and Fido a good pair to interview together is Phill Hines. Phill, of course, was the machine gun drummer for countless bands in Flint including: Dissonance, Solidarnosc/Godspeed The Need, Hypyr (With Keith) and so many more. Phill was really the back beat for much of the flint scene. As a band mate with Phill, Keith had nothing but nice things to say about Phill. As a fellow drummer, Fido really looked to Phill for mentoring and inspiration.

I may add more to this post later, but my ears are really ringing right now. I haven't been around loud music recently. Maybe just a tinnitus flare up, or a reaction to interviewing the sound guy from hall shows???

Inside the Archive

jeph.foust@gmail.com (jeph) — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 21:42:27 +0000

I spent a couple hours with Aaron Stengel at the Flint Underground Music Archive vault and was blown away by the amount of stuff he has gone through and organized as well as the stuff he has yet to get to. I was given unprecedented access into the inner workings of an historical archive, for the Hall Show Documentary.

I can totally relate to the feeling that Aaron must get when he accepts a collection from someone in the Flint punk scene, having worked in records management for the largest pharmaceutical company for a number of years. I have seen boxes of stuff that needed to have a level of order placed to it, but that was what I did for my living. Aaron is doing this in his free time, preserving a piece of history that he, I and many others in Flint in the 1980s and 90s witnessed, supported, and participated in.

So, here is some of what I learned about the process. Aaron will receive a box or boxes full of stuff. Since he is really focusing on a small window of time, mainly the 80's through the early 00's he filters out the stuff not in his current scope and organizes the rest.

Depending on the type of media, Aaron will get it from the analog form into a digital form using audio capture, video capture, and image scanning. The various types of media he gets are as follows

Audio
- Cassette Tapes
- Vinyl Records
- Compact Disk (not so common)
Video
- VHS
- DVD (not so common)
- Beta
- Film (there is rumor of some 8mm film floating around out there, but it isn't yet in the archive)
Paper
- Promotional Flyers
- Tickets
- Business Cards
- Band Promotional Materials
- Set Lists
- Zines
- Contracts (The rider for the first Black Flag appearance in 1984 is pretty funny, it was posted on the board at Wyatt Earps for a while for all to see and get a chuckle out of)
- Miscellaneous notes posted around hall shows
Photographs

Depending on what part of the archive Aaron want's to tackle, he takes a batch processing approach to the digitization of the original material. This is why it seems that there is a lag in getting stuff updated on the site. For audio, he first locates the best source material to work from. Usually this is a tape that hasn't seen much play. He hits record on his computer, He is using Sony Vegas for this and play on the tape deck. Once the tape is recorded in to the computer, he marks regions and dumps those out into a batch ofmp3 files. The process goes on from there, as he needs to mark up the ID3 tagging for the mp3 files, and get them all organized and the file names compliant for the upload to archive.org, which is where all of the FUMA files are stored. I really only scratched the surface on the actual process in my explanation here. In fact, there are over 15 different steps that Aaron goes through before recordings make their way online.

I can easily say that without the access I have been graciously permitted to the content within the archive, I wouldn't have enough material to do a documentary in the proper way. Nobody likes just watching a bunch of talking heads remember their past. The aural and visual evidence of this past is such an important part of creating a good story. So in advance of everything I just want to throw a heart felt Thanks to anyone who has contributed stuff to the FUMA.

Fundraising Conundrum

jeph.foust@gmail.com (jeph) — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 21:09:43 +0000

Making an independent film is really a labor of love, especially when it is being done with out of pocket funding as I am doing right now with the Hall Show Documentary.

As you may know, the Hall Show Documentary is about a snapshot of time in Flint, Michigan history, and it is also a film being produced (currently) in Michigan. There is currently a big push to get films produced here in Michigan, and there is even a state sponsored Film Office. We have looked into getting support from the Film Office, but found that there are mainly tax breaks for productions anticipating $50,000+ budget spending. To make things worse, it costs $100 just to apply for the potential of getting some tax breaks.

The Flint Punk Rock scene started out as a DIY thing with a bunch of really great people all interested in the same thing, good music. That is the spirit I have taken as I conduct interviews, do production planning, and figure out how this whole thing is going to come together. I am currently doing the production with some last gen digital video equipment, a pretty nice audio recorder and still camera, and the confidence that regardless of the deficiencies in my equipment I am telling the story of the Flint Punk Scene, and how it had a positive effect on both the city of Flint as well as a great number of the many participants that performed and attended Hall Shows.

Now don't get me wrong, I don't thing I would turn away angel investors looking to back my production costs, but I am not letting the lack of such funding stop me from discovering and telling this story.