* MIKE KIRBY - guitar, vocals, vienna sausage *
GEORGE PENN - drums, vocals *
DYLAN LOCKE - bass *
MARK GIBSON - guitar *
MATT DIFILIPPAS - sound *
(and also sometimes featuring->)
* JEFF PERTCHIK - keyboards *
CHRIS GIVEN - vocals, saxophone *
GARY EVERETT - saxophone *
JOE WILLSON - bass, vocals *
JOHN GARCIA - guitar *
DAVE MCDONALD - everything *
STEVE SACHSE - bass *
STEVE ALBERS - keys *
ROGER HILL - triangle *
DANIEL ACKERMAN - inebriant consumption, all-around assistant *
JEFF "GOATBOY" MARALDO - inebriant giver-away-er, guitar tech *
TODD INGRAM - gee-tar, Large box of detergent
The Yams from Outer Space's first gig was in 1986 on Moffett quad at Radford University at a "Unity Festival" - it was to serve as a distraction away from a KKK march that was going on downtown, and the idea was instead of everyone going down there and throwing stuff at the rednecks, we would just have a shindig where everyone was welcome, so no one would even be there at thier stupid hatefest. We hadn't even discussed the name of the band before the show, thinking it was a one-off gig - the night before the show one of the promoters asked me the name of the band, and being that I was all silly on that old sticky, I just blurted out "Yams from Outer Space", just kidding - well, the guy wrote it down, and we were like "ahh, who cares, it's just one gig..." - so we ended up stuck with that name as we toured steadily for the next 15 years - the Yams ended up playing all up and down the greater east coast for zillions of people, we did gigs with folks like Dave Matthews, Hootie, and Slash, we made a ton of friends, we earned TENS of dollars, and we had ourselves a grand old time doing it... the band's repertoire evolved from a covers-heavy batch of Zeppelin and Van Halen covers sprinkled with ludicrous versions of Helen Reddy's "I am woman", Hank Jr's "Family Tradition", and Foreigner's "Juke Box Hero" (all delivered with tongue firmly planted in cheek) to mostly originals - the style was sort of like if Aerosmith covered Frank Zappa covering Prince, or maybe a jam-band Parliament-Funkadelic. The presentation was always a big part of a Yams show, featuring antics like helium-enhanced "chipmunk" vocals, vienna sausage and watermelon solos, instruments played with "alternative" body parts (toes, noses...y'know...use your imagination...), and frequent audience participation (especially if the individuals pulled onstage had no talent whatsoever) Eventually, the fellows in the band all agreed that it was time to explore other opportunities, mostly due to financial angst - we all still love each other and see each other frequently, and we do even play the occasional Yams gig here and there. Mike and George, the two original Yams, are still like two peas in a pod, and they will frequently do random pick-up gigs and recording sessions together. George is gigging with a number of bands these days like Hopehop, The Blue Ridge Dub Alliance, The Electric Woodshed, The Sol Creech Band, and several others - our sound dude, Matt D is an actual rock star, serving as the road manager and running sound for the DRIVE BY TRUCKERS - he'll be calling us from Norway, or maybe the Black Crowes tour bus, or eating dinner with Phil Lesh, or backstage at the Conan O'Brien show where they're gigging - craziness - Dylan has got his hands full doing booking for DYLAN LOCKE PRODUCTIONS and booking for the Jefferson Center, Steppin' Out, the Sun Center, Hanging Gardens and lots of other stuff - Mark is in Florida, studying jazz at Florida State University and gigging with lotsa various different folks almost every night - Chris is up in Northern Virginia, he's the manager at some computer thingy...he still grabs a gig around town now and again, blowing his horn and singing his ENTIRE azz off - Gary is still the big cahuna at Mainstream Music in the 'burg of Black, and he also does some horn honkin' with Sonic Safari, THe Floyd Montgomery Jazz Project and some other cats - Joe is the music director at a church in North Carolina and is also an ordained minister (!!!!) - and still the hilarious, ascebically-witted dude he always was - Jeffy is working with computers in Bburg and has another bun in the oven - Steve Sachse is playing his bass for a living (!!!) and residing in the DC area, and the other fellas are all still around, most everybody is making music in some way, shape or form... The Yams still do a gig here and there once in a blue moon, and have a BLAST when we do - we'll keep you posted for the next time we'll be getting together - Anyway, puh-leeze DO give us a hollah and send some love when you can, ya'll... MUAH!
************************************
EDDIE VAN HALEN SHREDS
************************ERIC CLAPTON SHREDS
***********CARLOS SANTANA & EC SHRED********
*****************************************************
Whats up guys? been a looong time since we chilled....about 96 I think. I was in NORML and you guys came to my town, Lynchburg, once and played. Anyway, just thought Id warn yall about the coming war. All the news and details are in this document Ive been working on for the past year. 51 days left. peace.
We need your help. See, this here band we know…called Yams From Outer Space (yeah, we know, doesn’t exactly roll right off the tongue) are playing TOMORROW, Saturday August 8rd in Blacksburg at Steppin’ Out, THEN straight to Champs for the late-night fro down.
Here’s where the favor comes in…we need you to:
1. Show up n shake yo rumpus maximus.
2. Share this note and get everyone you know to show up and shake their collective rumps.
3. Get drunk as a skunk & continue the rump-shakin’
4. Frolic like bunnies in the posies.
5. Rehydrate with copious amounts of beer.
6. See #1.
7. Repeat (while shaking rump).
I think I just soiled myself. Happy happy happy, joy joy joy.
