WHEREAS, in the words of “indie” music industry shaker and mover, Peter Jesperson at New West Records, “The Suicide Commandos are THE Granddaddy’s of the Minneapolis/St. Paul music scene that later bred The Suburbs, Husker Du, The Replacements, Soul Asylum and The Jayhawks;” and
Whereas The Suicide Commandos put the Minneapolis Music scene on the map; and
Whereas The Suicide Commandos carved a path where there was none before. Many of the Minneapolis bands that went onto big success may not have done so without the Commandos having done so; and
WHEREAS The Suicide Commandos, like other rock bands of the late ‘70s, such as The Ramones in New York, and other “punk bands,” like The Sex Pistols in England, helped shape a rock ‘n roll renaissance by peeling back to the basics with a swell sense of humor and rock history; and
WHEREAS The Suicide Commandos helped propel the commercial viability of new, independent labels by taking risks on non-major labels and meeting a hunger in the market for a new rock spirit among fans and music entrepreneurs alike; and
WHEREAS The Commandos, as they were known fondly by fans and media alike, indulged in consistently producing entertaining nights out in now-legendary downtown bars, such as The Longhorn, with, what The Commandos called in their own original rocker, “Complicated Fun; and
WHEREAS this loud, fast trio was among the earliest subjects of pioneering rock video filmmaker Chuck Statler (Devo, Elvis Costello, et al.) with its song “Burn It Down,” thus helping to expand the rock video genre (even though the house in the video was one they rehearsed in….); and
WHEREAS drummer Dave Ahl, bassist Steve Almaas and guitarist Chris Osgood have continued to contribute to music culture through their professional careers by teaching (Almaas), creating studios (Ahl) and working with musicians and artists at Springboard for the Arts and students and McNally Smith College of Music (Osgood); and
WHEREAS The Suicide Commandos continue to ROCK special occasions and events for the benefit and enjoyment of the people— 30-plus years after their initial reign!
Now, Therefore I, R.T. Rybak, Mayor of the City of Minneapolis do hereby declare Saturday, November 7, 2009 as:
The Suicide Commandos Day in the City of Minneapolis
Before Prince, Hüsker Dü, Soul Asylum, and the Replacements dominated and defined the Minneapolis rock scene of the '80s, three guys, Chris Osgood, Steve Almaas, and Dave Ahl, had a swinging little punk rock combo called the Suicide Commandos. They made only two records, one of them a live one, but they were one of, if not the first and most influential, honest-to-god faster 'n' louder punk rock band to come out of the Twin Cities. Along with giving the Minneapolis punk scene a jump-start, the Commandos, along with Pere Ubu, were the first (and, as it turned out, only) bands signed to Mercury Records punk label Blank. While Ubu was art-punk, the Commandos were revved up and ready to rock, leaving hooks and riffs buried under a speedy wall of distortion. But the accent on simplicity shouldn't detract from your enjoyment of Chris Osgood's guitar playing, one of the best and most underrated axeslingers...the Twin Cities has ever produced....Perhaps...the greatest of the early Minneapolis punk rockers, it would have been hard to imagine the excitement of the Minneapolis rock scene of the '80s happening without the Suicide Commandos providing the impetus.
by John Dougan from the All Music Guide
In 2006 The Suicide Commandos were inducted into the Minnesota Rock & Country Hall of Fame
“These guys are a band to love.” -Rolling Stone, 1978
“A pure blast of Rock n’ Roll.” -City Pages, 1995
“An American Punk classic.” -UnCut, 2006
"[They] often seemed to be playing three different songs as the drums, bass and guitar went helter skelter in different directions." - Tsotlah Mills, 2007
We love you guys and have been fans forever! Make a Record always has a place in my cd rotation. Jim and Jeff of Moral Crux invite you to check out their new band Dept. of Martyrs at www.myspace.com/deptofmartyrs Thank for making us friends and for the add. Alan (dos Bass)
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