St. Louis New Wave NostalgiaMy Bands:Clubs:Random Access Posters: |
Brown & LangrerhThis duo was among the earliest of the new wave bands. I never really saw them as punk, though they were a little punk, in the awkward I-don't-give-a-shit way that was more truth than pretension. They also were represented by Alan Kalina, this old guy (maybe 30 at the time) who apparently worked for KSHE-95 or something, and who was regarded as one of the enemy by some people in the scene, because KSHE was always, and still is, the total opposite of experimentation in rock and roll. They got a little press, which was unbelievable at the time, when the alternative news outlets like the Riverfront Times were just getting started and not covering local music like this and the two dailies (Globe-Democrat and Post-Dispatch) were completely oblivious. They had the front cover of the Everyday section in the Post once. We were all amazed and jealous. Kenny Brown played a primitive little drum kit and Charlie Langrehr played a kind of Bo Diddly guitar and sang. They were pretty cool. My main memory of them was their show at the Tropicana Bowling Alley. Charlie stopped in the middle of his set to tune up his guitar and I was awed by his lack of concern with the audience. He just sat there and tuned up his guitar in front of 150 people. Right in the middle of his set. That was somehow very punk. Very liberating. Very cool. |