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The Eat
Posted by Rob Ortenzi on 01-Aug-08 @ 02:36 PM
FILE UNDER: Playful, Rock 'N' Roll-Heavy First-Wave Florida PunkYEARS OF EXISTENCE: 1978-1982; 1995-97 RECORD TO START WITH: Scattered Wahoo Action (1982, self-released cassette; 1996, Wicked Witch) AFTER THAT, CHECK OUT: It's Not The Eat, It's The Humidity (2007, Alternative Tentacles) GO DOWNLOAD: "Communist Radio," "Silly Drug Songs," "Kneecappin," "Shoes Shoes Shoes," "Manatee Smacker," "Mary Mary" THE MUSIC, THE MESSAGE: Around 1978, Long Island transplants Eddie and Michael O'Brien (both handling vocal and guitar duties) started the Eat with drummer Chris Cottie and bassist Glenn Newland, who was later replaced by Ken Lindahl. The primary intent? Like many an early punk band, to irritate people, of course. They weren't the only pioneering band around the Sunshine State at the time: Other early acts included Roach Motel (believed to be the first hardcore band out of Florida), Rat Cafeteria, Sector 4 and Crucial Youth. Taking into account the Eat's purpose and some inane song titles like "Nixon's Binoculars," and "Ballbusters On Parade," it's obvious these guys didn't take themselves all that seriously. They infused songs with a healthy dollop of good-natured humor while tackling not-so-funny topics as politics, religion and the police. Some tunes are nutty and irreverent, however, such as "She's Pissed Off" ("Because my brother wouldn't fuck her," goes the chorus) and "Hey Jackass," which features lines like, "Hey, jackass!/Working in a gas station," while musically the song is one of their sunniest, most carefree romps. Their first record, the Communist Radio 7-inch (only 500 were pressed), appeared in 1979, and 1980 saw the release of a five-song EP, the nicely titled God Punishes The Eat. Finally, in '82, they made the Scattered Wahoo Action demo cassette. Musically, no two songs sound alike, as they incorporated into their quirky brand of melodic punk 'n' roll Buzzcocks' poppiness ("Jimmie B. Goode," "Party Line"), tough rock 'n' roll swagger ("Dr. TV," "Living Like A Pig"), horn-laced disco groove (the Minutemen-esque "Nixon's Binoculars"), what can only be deemed folk-inspired (the bizarre "Dream Of Yogi") and more straight-up wild hardcore punk (the nonpareil "Silly Drug Songs," "Kneecappin," "Sub-Human," "Shoes Shoes Shoes" and "Nut Cop"). PUNK-ROCK RELEVANCE: You know a band is vital when Jello Biafra steps in to get their music heard by more people. That's exactly what he did in 1996 when he helped get Scattered Wahoo Action reissued on vinyl by Dutch label Wicked Witch. More recently, he and Alternative Tentacles added the Eat to the Reissues Of Necessity series, putting out last summer the behemoth two-disc set It's Not The Eat, It's The Humidity, which features all their released material plus some unreleased gems and a second disc that compiles a few live shows. Good thing these discs were put together because the Eat's early records are insanely hard to come by, and if you do stumble upon one, you'll most likely be asked to shell out some major bucks... CURRENT WHEREABOUTS: The band broke up in the '80s but would play occasionally in the '90s, and they put out the five-song Hialeah EP in 1995. Sadly, Cottie passed away in 2004. The surviving members did a reunion gig this past February, and by all accounts, they can still bring it. Also, Lindahl and Mike O'Brien play in Drug Czars, a mix of old punks from the Eat, Roach Motel, Morbid Opera and others. -Janelle Jones |
