El Smasho were an East Lansing punk band formed in 1990, just before the big grunge movement hit. Brian and Tim had previously played together in another local band and met up with Fred to form Blueboy (a summer project) and then Lemmings with Lime Giants vocalist/rock critic, Mark Deming. This lineup fizzled as Mark didn't "feel right" in the mix. Fred later coaxed co-worker Tom into an audition. It gelled well so the band continued on as Lemmings until everybody got sick of the name. Tom proposed "El Smasho", after numerous duds were proposed, and it stuck. El Smasho were the only E.L. band to be fronted by 3, baseball bat wielding, female bodyguards (dubbed the "Smashettes")...some considered them to be the highlight of the band...others hated the gimmick. After the first couple of years, the Smashettes "retired" and the band laboriously continued. El Smasho had lots of great shows (with such acts as Urge Overkill, Helmet, Didjits, Afghan Wigs, Yo La Tengo etc..) but they could never agree on the direction of the band, which was their downfall. By the time 1993 hit, they were over it and decided to disband. Tom went on to front the Chinese Millionaires, Fred formed the Clutters, Tim moved to Chicago and joined Love Kit and then Jinx Titanic, and Brian went back to school for his PhD. Today, Fred writes in Seattle and plays with the End Times, Tom is a graphic artist in Chicago(www.myspace.com/bossmangraphics), Brian is a botanist in Texas, and Tim schlepps as a supervisor of payments in California. Open to alternate biographies....
Some links: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6786479956375340821&q=el+
My first punk show: El Smasho/Apollo 9/Day 28/Kill Devil Hill at the Erickson Kiva in 93. My friend's babysitter (Tammy B!) turned me on to the band and I had to beg for a ride to the show. I started a band and named them after the song "Wristrocket." Truth. Now it's 2006.
