THIS IS A TRIBUTE PAGE TO THE BAND ED HALL, SIMPLY FOR SHARING MEMORIES, FLYERS, PHOTOS, VIDEOS, ETC., OF ONE OF THE GREATEST TEXAS BANDS OF THE 90'S. SO, IF YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO SHARE, PLEASE EMAIL OR COMMENT! ALSO, MORE TO COME VERY SOON FROM ME AND LARRY FROM ED HALL/PONG!!!
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Armed with tribal thunder, psychedelic projections, and glow paint by the gallon, Ed Hall was the most successful band to emerge from the inaugural roster of Trance Syndicate Records, the local label started by Butthole Surfers drummer King Coffey. Formed in 1985 by guitarist Gary Chester, bassist Larry Strub, and drummer John Buron, Ed Hall tricked out Black Sabbath's bleak spanking machine with multicolored shards of lysergic energy and the anything-goes spirit of early Austin punk bands like the Big Boys. Kevin Whitley replaced Buron shortly thereafter. Many of the trio's early shows took place at Dong Huong, a Vietnamese restaurant-turned-punk club on North Loop, alongside emerging contemporaries such as ST 37 and the Pocket FishRmen. The Dong scene was documented on a cassette compilation called The Polyp Explodes, which ultimately brought Ed Hall to the attention of Boner Records owner Tom Flynn. Berkeley, Calif.-based Boner released Albert (1988) and Love Poke Here (1990), both produced by Glass Eye bassist Brian Beattie. After signing with Trance in 1991, Ed Hall went to Madison, Wisc., to record 1992's Gloryhole at Butch Vig's Smart Studios. The album's juiced-up production and nonsensical song titles like "Sandra Gubernatorial" (a twisted recasting of Kiss' "Beth") heightened the band's indie-circuit profile considerably. Former Bayou Pigs/Sugar Shack drummer Lyman Hardy joined prior to the Gloryhole tour when Whitley departed to focus on the Cherubs. After recording 1994's Motherscratcher in five straight days, Ed Hall spent much of that year on the road, touring with Flipper and the Dwarves, and recording John Peel's BBC radio show in London. The trio headlined the 1995 Austin Music Awards Show and released their fifth album, La La Land, later that spring. Ed Hall broke up in 1996, but Chester, Strub, and Hardy continue to perform together in local electro-rock quintet Pong. – Greg Beets
Hey thanks for that ride from wherever the hell we were off Central (or was it Main?) down to Lomas and 6th that night in 1994 in Albuquerque. We'd rolled that spliff especially for you guys. And man, nothing like losing your virginity to acid at an Ed Hall show!
