The Cleveland Confidential Book Tour that came to The Comet in Northside this past Sunday is in its namesake town tonight and you can listen to discussions (and readings from books) about the pioneering Northern Ohio Pre-Punk/Punk/Post Punk scene live as it happens at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame museum, delivered by some musicians and/or authors involved in the original scene (including Pere Ubu/Rocket from the Tombs legend David Thomas, making one of only two appearances on the whole tour). The simulcast begins very soon (7 p.m.), so put on some Dead Boys as a warm-up and then get thee here to listen to the event. Below is a press release with more details.—-
CLEVELAND ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME STREAMING
Cleveland Confidential Book Tour Featuring
Cheetah Chrome, Mike Hudson, Bob Pfeifer and David Thomas
Event begins at 7:00 pm EST today (Monday, April 11th, 2011).
David Thomas is also on the bill for the GRAMMY Museum event —- for one night only! Event is FREE and open to the public. Moderator Chris Morris (L.A. music writer and DJ. Contributor to Daily and Weekly Variety) will insure the discussion is lively and that the audience is able to pose questions.
For Immediate Release:
CLEVELAND CONFIDENTIAL BOOK TOUR
ADDS DAVID THOMAS (PERE UBU AND ROCKET FROM THE TOMBS)
TO CLEVELAND ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME 4/11
AND LOS ANGELES GRAMMY MUSEUM 4/14
MODERATORS ANNOUNCED FOR ALL DATES
Chicago, IL – Smog Veil Records announces that Cleveland Confidential Book Tour has added David Thomas (Rocket From The Tombs and Pere Ubu) for two dates. Thomas takes part at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, OH on April 11th and at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles on April 14th. For all other stops the tour features three author-musicians also from Cleveland, Ohio including Cheetah Chrome (Rocket From The Tombs, Dead Boys, Batusis), Mike Hudson (The Pagans) and Bob Pfeifer (Human Switchboard, Tabby Chinos, former Senior Vice President A&R/Epic/Sony Records and President of Hollywood Records). Each will read excerpts from their book, answer questions from the audience and discuss their books and careers with each other. Authors will be available to sign books at each appearance.
Cheetah Chrome – A Dead Boy’s Tale From The Front Lines Of Punk Rock is the no-holds-barred autobiography of Cheetah Chrome, lead guitarist of the Dead Boys, one of the greatest punk bands ever. It’s a tale of success and excess—amazing music, legendary antics, epic drug use, and eventual resurrection—that only a true rock and roller could deliver. As a songwriter Chrome’s work has been covered by artists such as Guns n Roses, Pearl Jam and the Beastie Boys. He still performs and records with Rocket From The Tombs and Batusis (with Sylvain Sylvain of the New York Dolls). He lives in Nashville with his wife and son.
Mike Hudson will read from Jetsam and Diary of a Punk. The 32 short pieces that make up Jetsam were written and published between 1977 and 2009. His lean and unsentimental prose style is apparent in even the earliest entries here. Diary of A Punk is Hudson’s autobiography. He is the founder of the seminal American punk rock group, the Pagans, formed in 1977. His work has appeared in Hustler, the Associated Press, Master Detective, Field & Stream and many other publications here and abroad. He is currently the founding editor and CEO of the Niagara Falls Reporter, a New York tabloid specializing in politics and organized crime.
University of Strangers is Bob Pfeifer’s first novel. In a sensational case that made headlines all over the globe, the American student Amanda Knox was convicted of the murder of her British roommate Meredith Kercher, in what Italian authorities described as a sadistic sexual encounter. Pfeifer’s novel details the efforts of a secret society, comprised of famous contemporary figures from the worlds of literature, show business and politics, to clear the girl’s name. A unique blend of fact and fiction the book is a spellbinding account of the violence, corruption and celebrity worship that characterize much of 21st century life. Pfeifer was Senior Vice President A&R/Epic/Sony Records and President of Hollywood Records. Artists he’s worked with include Alice Cooper, Ornette Coleman, The Screaming Trees, also soundtracks like the Crow: City of Angels and Lion King. He is a founding member/songwriter of Human Switchboard and Tabby Chinos. He lives in Los Angeles with his son.
Bring Me The Head of Ubu Roi, written by Pere Ubu’s singer, David Thomas, is as groundbreaking and radical in its intent as the original text, by Alfred Jarry, that sparked riots in a Paris theater in 1896 – a repudiation of common sense and the refined aesthetic at the heart of the Art-Industrial Complex. “One reason that Ubu Roi endures is that, like water is the Universal Solvent, P
This article appears in Apr 6-12, 2011.