Robbie Thomas
Enuff Z’Nuff & Faster Pussycat
This was my first concert since October 2019 and my first since I started this blog. One can thank Covid-19 for that! Plus, both bands listed played at the Diesel Concert Lounge in Chesterfield, it’s the first time I’ve been there. The Diesel is one of four places in one place. They also have a bowling alley, pinball arcade and the newest addition, the Motor Café. The last mention has some good damn chicken strips. Yes, my 39-year-old ass eats chicken strips. Fuck yaw!
The first concert in over a year and a new place was super exciting for me, the previous day kinda sucked ass. Both Enuff Z’Nuff and Faster Pussycat would be the 3rd and 4th band playing respectively. The two bands were local bands. Both aforementioned bands would be playing in the main lounge along with the first band. There is also an “auxiliary” lounge (I forgot what they called it) that isn’t so up to par with the main one. Also, it smelled like dog piss in the auxiliary lounge.
I got there after 6 o’clock but could not get in the concert lounge until shortly before 7. I talked to a few people waiting there while drinking an Angry Orchard with a shot of Jack Daniels in it. Jack Daniels has an odd taste to it. I’m used to Jose Cuervo and Smirnoff Vodka, perhaps my taste buds can’t handle J.D. so well.
I talked to these two women from Dayton, Ohio. I asked about the alternative band The Breeders. The two woman (named Cherrie and Red) were very familiar with the band and seen them quite a few times. I told them I saw them on NPR’s Tiny Desk series and also my knowledge of the original band members. They reunited with the Last Splash lineup, Kim and Kelley Deal, bassist Josephine Wiggs and the drummer Jim MacPherson. Note: I didn’t remember the drummers name at that time, thanks later to Google for the help.
The two knew Enuff Z’Nuff and I got to meet the lead guitarist Tory Stoffregen before the band started. The problem was, I didn’t know he was part of the band. I did some research but besides Chip Z’Nuff, I couldn’t recall the names of the rest of the present group. Chip Z’Nuff besides being the bassist was originally also a backup singer. Donnie Vie was the singer of the band until he left in 2013-ish, and Chip took over on lead vocals. It wasn’t the first time Mr. Vie left the band, he did it first in 2008 but Chip didn’t take lead vocal duties.
I suck at names, in fact, Cherrie had to tell me her name about 3 or 4 times. Then later, I see Mr. Stoffregen on stage. This is the second time I’ve meet somebody famous before finding out they are famous. My first time was Charles Kelley of Lady A (fka Lady Antebellum).
A cousin of mine worked for the band back in the early 2010s. She got us some backstage passes and we got to have lunch with some of the backing band. Charles was waking around by the tables and said he had a bad breakfast. I told him I had cookies for breakfast, and he replied with a smile, “Heh, the breakfast of Champions.” Then later, he was on-stage, and I said to the guy next to me while drunk on daquiris, “I saw that guy earlier. I talked to him!” He probably didn’t believed me.
Enuff Z’Nuff continues to make albums and the did one last year. The band finished with “Fly High Michelle” and a personal favorite, “The New Thing.” Half hour later, Faster Pussycat entered the stage. My personal favorite from the band is “House of Pain.” What was missing was the harmonica, they used a guitar to replace that. They didn’t do the “You’re So Vain” cover. Unless they played it differently and I didn’t catch it. Faster Pussycat still has the same singer since 1985, named Taime Downe. Faster Pussycat broke up in 92 and returned in 2001. During that down time, Downe was involved with Industrial music. One of the band members guitarist Sam Koltun joined the band recently, he appears to be in his 20s.
(From Left: Koltun, Downe, Chad Stewart (at drums),
Danny Northal, Xristian Simon)
The two woman I met were happy as hell to see Tory from Enuff Z’Nuff. It made me think of WishesNetwork and how I was able to get an audience with that. I didn’t have an interesting stories for those two I guess. That and I was an unknown and the two knew the band. Honestly, I thought of returning to that. But if I do, it’ll be in the later months of this year. Then I have an interesting story to tell folks. Also, Chip Z’Nuff liked one of my tweets.