This is a Hard Hat Job...
Welcome fellow SoBros fans. From a gentle nudge of a former band member, I've decided to create this website. Download mp3 files from all 3 album releases, plus some bonus and live tracks. For now it will be free, but I may beg for a small donation in the future for those downloading music files after I see what the bandwidth drain is. For now, download tracks from Sparky, You, Me & the Circus and the The Early Year.
Check below for more - this post stays on top...
Check below for more - this post stays on top...
posted by Sheafisher at 4:55 PM
36 Comments:
Thanks very much for putting this effort forward and putting those mp3s out there! The Something Brothers remain the most fun I've ever had with music. I still miss 'em.
Thanks for stopping by. Spread the word...
I love you man...
Too funny, I did google the Something Brothers and here I landed.
Not many of you know this but Pink Bob and Chuck Fudge recorded at least one of the reunion shows at Lizard's Lounge.
I bet many folks would appreciate hearing the So. Bros. final live performance.
Wonder what it would take to get someone to dust the ADAT tapes off and load them into a computer and mix them?
I was pretty lucky to get pulled into the group of close friends when I worked with Clay's then-girlfriend Diann. Got to do lots of Spelunkers stuff and had some wonderful experiences.
It's tough getting all the Bros. in the same room at the same time.
Time flys and people change but luckily I still have the CD's and get to say I was there for part of it.
Much love,
Jojo
My favorite Something Bros memories..
Carbondale...You and Nick threw the Beer Bottles out of Nicky's car. I took the sobriety test and passed?
Ciceros Basement..The night I graduated. Jagermeister The Waiting Room at St. Marys..Good Stuff
Ciceros again...you onstage singing 'Big Sex'
wow i had forgot a few of those. "big sex" was a pretty funny song -- "keeps my boy in business..."
I have googled the words for years and now a hit! These guys were a great band and good friends. I had some of the best times of my life at those shows. I wish I could remember them all. Too much Jägermeister at the Sip N Smoke after hours, I guess.
The SoBros were such a HUGE part of my young adulthood. We followed these guys all over the midwest and drank one hell of a lot of Jagermeister doing so. The nights at Scotty's in Bloomington, The China Club in Chicago and of course their home turf, The Gallery in Normal where I worked as a bartender, will always be etched in the "fun as hell" section of my brain. Being a guitar player, watching Tommy and Ed was simply awe inspiring ( Tommy has been a guitar hero of mine since his days of playing with the Owen brothers in high school and him giving me lessons ). Clay was an incredidle bass player, Dean and Skot's harmonies were so unique, and of course the Ganz was always a beast behind the drums. ( great story...one night the opening act's drummer did not show or was ill so John volunteered to sit in. I assume that he never heard these guy's tunes before and if so only once or twice, but he nailed every song as if he been in that band for years ))
I have sort of felt sorry for the guys in the band because they were just so freakin awesome and really should have "made it". The problem may have been that they were too good and their stuff was just way over the heads of the general record buying public.
But I thank them wholeheartedly for providing me with some of the best entertainment and just plain enjoyable evenings I have had in my entire life.
Rock on guys...whereever you are!
JSH
What can you say about the Something Brothers? Great band, so much fun, blah, blah, blah, right? Wrong. More than that.
The Greatest Band You Never Knew. They were supposed to be HUGE!
Music was changing in the late 80’s/early 90’s, and something big was coming. After seeing the Something Brothers in Normal and Bloomington many times and listening to their tapes over and over and over, I just KNEW it was going to be them. How could it not be? There was never a more dynamic band on stage, EVER, there was never greater songwriting or greater guitar playing, EVER. All you had to do was listen to them, or step back (and try not to stumble) while you watched them play live. They were IT.
Then it was over.
I saw our boys open for the Goo Goo Dolls at the Metro in Chicago in the early 90’s with some of my ISU So-Bro friends. Who the hell are the Goo Goo Dolls?, we thought. Our boys are gonna kick their asses, we thought. We thought right, but something was amiss. When they came on stage, some of the band members had their hair in ponytails (it was hot in the club, I guess), and Ed had an “eight-ball” painted on his head (we knew they were quirky or drunk, but this was different), and they were also all standing in the wrong places. Skot and Dean weren’t where they were supposed to be and Tommy and Ed had switched sides of the stage. They did, indeed, kick ass, but something wasn’t quite right.
My friends and I drove home after seeing the gig, and talked about the possibility of our band, our boys, these great/amazing/(insert your own adjective here) musicians not staying together. We had long argued the impossibility of a band having two lead singers/songwriters and being successful in the long run. Our only analogy had ever been John and Paul; both great songwriters and singers, and how did that end up? In all seriousness, that is the only band we ever compared the So Bros to -- the Beatles. Brilliant, that’s what that little band was and that’s what the So Bros were, too.
For me, the Something Brothers experience ended at a north side club in Chicago. My friends and I had gone to see the band because we read in the local papers that they were playing there. We got to the door, saw an empty bar, and asked the bouncer if the So Bros were playing, and he said, “Uh, no, there’s another band tonight, I think those guys broke up.” The bouncer saw the surprise, horror and dejection in our faces, and offered us no cover charge and free drinks for the night. We all declined and drove home listening to Sparky on the tape player in my car.
Music would never be the same. It would always be less. Thank you, sheafisher, for making the band’s music available.
WOW!
I was rooting through some old tapes and came across "Sparky," decided to google and came here. I'm from St. Louis and was instandly hooked from the first time I saw the So-Bros. I think I saw every performance they did here after that show.
I only had "Sparky," so it's amazing to hear their other stuff, all the songs I haven't heard in 15 years! Freaky! Several "Oh, My God" moments!
Being from another band that "almost made it but never really had a chance" (You played CBGB's. We played the Whiskey à Go-Go. To no one.) I salute the So-Bros, a band far too ecclectic to ever be marketable.
Love you guys!
e-mail sunsawed@hotmail.com if'n ya want.
Ken from The Sun Sawed In Half
Farmer Jones will always hit my top 100 of all time. Glad to be a part of history. I was in the front row when you opened for the Goo Goo Dolls at Braden Auditorium. Everyone left after you did (hilarious and ironic). For the first time, I think I was proud to be from Bloomington/Normal. Peace and love you guys!
I keep coming back. Through the Deadhead stage,the Grunge stage, the Bluegrass stage, and even now the wife and children stage. Through the countless 1000 + other shows, I keep coming back.
Back to the Tapes. Back to the memories of the live gigs. Back to what was and what should have been.
Maybe it's cause they were my band, our band. I helped them move equipment into a house party on Willow and got to pretty much call out the second set. Bought them a Pitcher or 2 at a show in Madison's Union hall, and went out of body during Yakity Yak. Miscalculated the stair jump and severly twisted my ankle ( Crutch required ) at the metro, but the pain disappeared as Hard Hat filled the room.
Other then the news of Stevie Ray's passing, nothing crushed me more then hearing of the death of the So Bros prior to heading out to the Beat Kitchen ( or was it the Elbo Room ). But as I look back this time, I'm moved to see so many others felt what I felt, and shared the same passion. They were ours, the people of Bloomington Normal, and though the memories were far to short, they sure were special.
anyone else here from ol' gallery days in normal? i'm thinking about start a blog just for folks that used to go. thoughts?
Ahhhhhh!!!! I love you guys! And I have something... special...
A big Howdy to all the kids in B/N and everybody that knows what happened at 100 East Cherry! It was amazing. Drunk, dumb and just looking for chicks I found my way into this basement in the late 80s. Drinking beer and hitting on some coke whore I paused to listen to the music these guys were playing. There's something there... something special...
From 18 to 23 the bros were one of the only things right in my life.
My childhood died the day the bouncer at Lounge Ax said the so bros cancelled. I still can't help but to feel a little responsible for helping to proveide the last twig to make it snap.
Next reunion 2009!
The meaning of life is those purposes which cause you to value it.
Oh, my f'n god! My buddy told me about the site and I'm smilin' ear to ear. We drank and stomped many a night to the SoBros at Locomotive's Bar at Purdue University.
One stinky muggy August night, for reasons only massive alcohol consumption and heat stroke can explain, we had a loaf of white bread to munch on at a table... we were po' you see... South Park Kenny po'.
I think it was Ed (who incidentally had stripped down to his skivvies from the heat), who first asked for a slice from the stage. We launched a piece of Wonderbread to him. He gratefully munched it down in between his aggressive 'on the upstroke' rhythm playing - all the while in his tidy whitees and shaved nugget - quite a site indeed!
Song by song, more Wonder slices started flying to the stage... then FROM the stage back to us... then EVERYWHERE. I remember Ganz swatting at bread balls with his sticks from behind the kit. It's amazing how aerodynamic white bread really is. Skot poked holes for his eyes and stuck slices to his face, sweat making them stick. Dean pinned them to the side of his face with his glasses. Bread was draped on mic stands, littered on the floor, stacked on amps, balanced on cymbals. All under the 'watchful eye' of Hippie Jim behind the bar.
Every other show at Loco's until the band broke up, we brought the Wonder bread, SoBros brought their kickass high energy tunes.
...it was all too beautiful.
I heard it was the manager who 'stole' right to the songs - and that led to the band's demise. I don't know the real story, but I do know that rock music is the worse for their breaking up. They remain the most original, fun band I've ever seen.
thanx for the wonderbread story. i had forgotten 'bout that one. (coulda been drunk...maybe...ya think?). loco's was always our favorite place to play, always had a complete blast there.
f.y.i.... gotta put that rumor to rest. our manager never stole anything ('cept our hearts) and had nothing to do with the break-up. that, my friends, rests firmly on OUR stupid-ass shoulders.
thanx for remembering the memories.. love back at'cha all.
s.l.w.
I had this site forwarded from another huge Something Brothers fan that attended shows in Chicago as well as Lafayette. Talk about bringing back some memories. I was only lucky enough to see the band several times in Lafayette at the legendary Locomotives that CD Designer refers to. And I remember the Wonder Bread!! Great music, ridiculous amounts of alcohol, and dancing like fools...I have to ask the members of the band if they remember the "groupies" that affectionately referred to themselves as "Lamda Sigma Delta"? The band actually stayed at my pad on 18th street in Lafayette a couple of times during the day. I swear we would look forward to the next show as soon as the one we were at was over. The Something Brothers were definitely a big part in making college the best years of my life. Hope you guys are doing well and I'm looking forward to some downloads so I can replace all my worn out cassettes! What a bonus to be able to replace music I thought was hopelessly lost!
Grain elevator at the top of our town, Grain elevator keeps people around, I can remember the day it went down, Grain elevator at the top of our town!.....Prophetic
fans crushed, club owners in shock
I could write on this subject for hours, and maybe some day I will, but for now I would just like to say that I never loved anything I have ever done as much as working with the brothers,
The night we told the Vogue Theater to fuck off was the single greatest night of my life. We drank hardy in the corn field that night!
denny d
Wow Denny D! Nice to see your post. I wonder what you are doing now. I hope all is well with you.
jchrisman71@aol.com
Long Live SOBROS!!!
I remember the wonderbread night at Locomotives. What a night. RIP Hippy Jim. We love you and you are missed!!
To add to the story, I believe the reason Ed was in his skivies was due to the AC failing about midway through the night on a hot sweltering summer's night (or perhaps it was another visit ... who cares, but its true). By the end of the evening, the majority of the packed bar stripped down to their underwear and bras dancing around the support poles in front of the stage. Good clean wholesome fun... in sweaty funky whitey tighties.
Don't see nights like that too often anymore ...
I remember many nights at the Gallery when the SoBros played to a packed audience. Although I hesitate to say it, I am a big fan of Goo Goo Dolls after I heard Superstar Carwash. That would have been a great show to see.
I don't remember much of the shows, probably mostly due to continued alcohol consumption up to and through today, but I do remember they were great. After seeing the songs here, I downloaded all of them. I threw out all of my cassettes three or four years ago, but I kept SoBros The Early Year and You, Me & the Circus and made sure I put them in a safe place. I was at the Sparky release party, but couldn't afford it at the time. This brought a lot of memories back. I have been converting all of my Vinyl to mp3's to put on my iPod. I cranked the bass and boosted the treble a bit, and it sounded awesome in my car.
SoBros rocked and the world of music is the lesser for having lost their collaborative efforts.
Thanks for bringing back the foggy memories.
My favorite memories of ISU were the Bros shows me and my buddy never missed. I remember them opening for the Goo-Goo dolls at Braden. We had front row seats and left as soon as the dolls came on. They made some nasty comments about us and I flipped them the bird as I walked out. They couldn't hold a candle to the Bro's. Thanks for this sight. I have the CD's from back in the day, but it great to see that there are still fans out there. And Tommy if you are reading this you owe me a few beers and more than a couple of smokes you took from me, as me and TR were always in the front row. Thanks for bringing back my favorite memories. The Bro's freakin' rock.
Remember me?!!! I was front and center screaming at the top of my lungs when Clay sang "Why dont we Do it in the Road". the thing I loved about being at a So Bros show is that we were part of it. You were the best and I loved being a fan. The only down side was the traffic of mice and cock roaches on the floor of the sip'n'smoke.
LeAnn
Hey Denny D!!!!!
Can a van full of musicians, band gear, one sound guy, and a manager levitate?
cefudge
wow! Just the other day I loaded my cd player with all SoBros and Spelunkers. then a friend who saw Tommy with Ike Reily in Austin mentions this site.
So many memories of dancing up a storm at the Gallery to the SoBros.taking turns making googley eyes at tommy or ganz. always thinking Wow these guys are gonna "make it"! we all know that didn't happen, but for the longest time, we all believed. I miss having an unknown band to care about like I did the SoBros.
This is Skot's ex-wife Kimberley. Glad to see this site up. It's about time! I'd like to see a Voo-Doo site too. But that's just me. I saw a few of you boneheads when Allan and i visited there back in '06. Made me a bit homesick. But Cali is still my fave place, though I miss the peeps in Blm/Norml.
I was just watching a repeat of Wilco on Austin City Limits . . looking at Tweedy and thinking . . .didn't this guy open for our boys once ?
Anyway, loved the band but now love this site. MP3's are much better than my worn-out Sparky tape.
My dusty memories . .
*From beneath the Gallery stage entrance balcony; witnessing Ed yelling at 1990's B/N Real-Estate mogul, Cup(Kup?) Chang after he had just pulled the plug on the band at exactly 1PM, instantly turning their performance into an acoustic set.
*"Leaning" on a stage monitor while enjoying a drunkin' gig at Scotty's (or is it Skot-ty's?).
* Witnessing the band finally oblige the crowd by flawlessly playing "FreeBird" in a way that would make the writers want to crash their plane again.
I was digging through a box of old cassettes this week and came across You, Me & the Circus. I was planning on converting it to MP3, then I hit up google and discovered this site. I know I had Sparky at one time, but I've no idea where it is. It must've been lost/loaned out long ago. Thanks so much for posting the MP3's.
I'm a few years too young to have fully experienced the heyday of the SoBros. While the other posters here were rocking out at the Gallery, I was in high school with Ed's little brother, Mark. My Gallery days spanned '94-'98 or so (Yeah, I was on the 6-year plan at ISU, overachiever that I am). My heart broke a little bit when I first heard that The Gallery shut down, and a little bit more when I came back to B/N to visit and the building was completely gone.
But I digress...
Despite being a young 'un, I did make it to a couple of SoBros shows. I was at Braden for the Goo-Goo Dolls show. I can confirm that half the crowd left after the SoBros set, and I left with the other half after a couple Goo-Goo songs. I don't know how many actually stayed for the whole headlining set, but it couldn't have been many. Then there was the show at the prairie room in the Boner which, thanks to this site -specifically “Postcard 6” at flickr- I now know was on November 16, 1990, right after Sparky came out. Those shows were a blast; the perfect introduction to the power of live music. I was just becoming a music nut back then and I felt too cool for school, since I was friends with the little brother of the guitarist of a real, bona fide band that had released records and everything!
Again, many thanks to Sheafisher. I've been sitting here all afternoon, listening to the SoBros again after all these years, reading blog posts and looking at the photos. They were the best.
Wow,,can't believe this exists. I graduated high school in 88, and without hesitation headed directly to the Sip n Smoke. Upon leaving was serenaded by Steve and Doug on the front porch of Douglas street with the Mickey Mouse Club song.Upon returning again, I was turned on to the most amazing music my ears ever heard,,Doug and Steve talked endlessly about the Brothers, and I was insanely jealous!(Not quite old enough to get my ass into the bar to see them.)But finally, the day of seeing them arrived, and my heart was never the same. I remember going to Peoria with Steve and Dave Hall to see them open for Driving and Crying at the river front. After the brothers were done, nobody was there to watch the "big act". I believe D & C got boo'd and chanting for more Brothers was had! I loved all the nights at the Gallery and Scotty's seeing them,singing along to every song. (Or faking it real cool like.) And all the fun drunk times with Steve watching them. My son worships my tapes and cd's now, as he is now the age I was turned on to Dean and Skot's effortless vocal mix. I wish that he had the opportunity to have "been there", or at least be able to experience a similiar experience. Sadly, a new generation is left without knowing the remarkable wonderful of perfect lyric and musical genius of a band of what was once Brothers. Any other bone heads out there that I've lost touch with, drop an email to me! Love, Peace, and Chicken Grease, Amy
Ageorgi@route24.net
Almost forgot to add,,the eve's of The Bros being joined by Lost Luggage,,incredible. Wish ya coulda been there.
LPCG, Amy
Cool! I had several Something Brothers tapes back when I was an undergraduate at ISU and I heard you live a few times. Googled you on a lark in search of the old music. This is great. Thanks.
My much less good garage band from that time, the Lizards From Afar, started digitizing our old music, too... but then we decided just to record new music!
Matt (aka. the Gecko, Lizards From Afar)
Well this is an unusual comment to be sure. I'm Scott's cousin and we don't really know each other because we grew up in separate parts of the country. His parents gave me some Something Brother CD's and I just recently played them. Had no idea. You guys were really good. Too bad things didn't go on. Anyway, hi to Scott from Carol.
Hey guys, I just uploaded some pics I had from the reunion show years back. I'm not sure how to link them to the site, but I'd be happy to get them to you. Here's the link. http://www.flickr.com/photos/16972690@N05/
My band, Laughterhouse, played with the guys once at Loco's at Purdue. The most nerveracking show ever for me. It was like opening for the Rolling Stones. I've been playing and seeing bands for 25 years and yet to find one as fun to see as the sobros.
It's about time the something brothers are getting some of the attention they so rightly deserve. I'm Scott's sister and have been privledged to witness so much of the excitement that was the something brothers. This group of guys meshed together perfectly, put out some truly fantastic music and were the most entertaining act to ever be on stage. These guys were all so talented and as someone already said, I think they were just too far ahead of their time, the general public just wasn't ready for something so different and raw. Thank god for the tapes, cds, pix, video and memories.
This band changed my life forever.
I remember being at Locomotives the first time they came to Lafayette (late spring '89, perhaps?) and listened to the sound check. I was so completely blown away I couldn't leave. I stayed and drank for another 3 hours just waiting for the show. I didn't miss a show for at least 2 years and even hounded the manager at Loco's for weeks to let us (Young Lords) open for them. I was fortunate enough to open for Spelunkers several years later at Elbo Room during my brief stint with Rock Star Club. Tommy was awe inspiring, and to this very day, the only person I've ever seen sweep pick with an ebow.
Enjoying The Early Years at the moment and reminiscing about those Loco's shows.
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