Replay-O-Rama revives garage rock traditions
Just a little over 30 years ago in the middle of June 1996, the Replay Lounge in Lawrence played host to Replay-O-Rama, a two-day rock ‘n’ roll festival. From Friday, June 14, to Saturday, June 15, now-classic bands like Sons of Hercules, The Oblivians, Nashville Pussy, and Satan’s Pilgrims turned the club into a sweaty, beer-soaked pit of revelry. Further acts included The Drags, The Drop Outs, the Chickenhawks, and The Goblins, with locals the Spamskinners (filling in for the Royal Pendletons, who canceled), Al Trout’s Hokum Washboard, Band and Kristi & the Starlite Rounders.
Booked by the Replay’s Nick Carroll, Micromag’s Bob Deck and Anne Tangeman, Tim Kearns and Claudia (Pietropaolo) Wilson, it was the sort of thing which Tangeman noted in her journal at the time as a “raging semi-success – lost money but we made enough to pay the bands.”
Replay-O-Rama ’96 photo recap in Micromag. // photo courtesy Anne Tangeman
While the Replay has played host to various special events over the years, like their formerly annual Spring Into Summer shows over graduation weekend, the Minneapolis/Austin meet in the middle fest that was North Vs. South, or as part of the Field Day or Manor Fests, it’s been a minute since the rock ‘n’ roll dive bar host presented something of such caliber, which got the Whiffs’ Zach Campbell thinking.
Last fall, Campbell came up with the idea to revive Replay-O-Rama for a new generation.
“I’ve thrown a few small fests in KC, and I knew that Nick [Carroll] used to do one back in the day at Replay,” Campbell says, explaining that he started reflecting on all of the great big to-dos which used to take place in Lawrence, like aforementioned festivals above. “We had just got back from playing Gonerfest, and all this was on my brain.”
Being as how Campbell was getting ready to book the upcoming fifth iteration of his Lost Weekend mini-fest at Hillsiders, he got hold of Replay owner Carroll and the venue’s booker Jake Little and asked if he could get something going at that venue, too.
For the most part, the bands playing this new version of Replay-O-Rama on Friday, March 13, and Saturday, March 14, are acts Campbell has met from touring over the years.
“Or at least, I’ve met members of them that way,” Campbell notes. “Just being around, putting out music, and hitting the road, then booking shows in the area, you get to know people, so I kinda cast a wide net and waited to see who said yes.”
The end result is a touring line-up which brings Austin garage punk supergroup Cheap Fix, Minneapolis power pop band Cheap Glue, Iowa rockers Greg Wheeler & The Poly Mall Cops, Memphis post-punks Ibex Clone, Illinois garage punks Pet Mosquito, brand-new Chicago band TEMPS, and Indianapolis punk ‘n’ rollers Wet Denim.
While Campbell notes that he’s excited for every band for different reasons, he points out TEMPS as being particularly noteworthy, calling them a dream Chicago rock ‘n’ roll supergroup.
“They have just started, so it’s kind of like we’re getting in on the ground floor with them outside of Chicago,” enthuses Campbell, pointing to the fact that when we speak, TEMPS have only played two shows and have no recordings. “I’ve seen clips of them live that sound awesome though, and I really think a band that is made up of members of The Ponys, Heavy Times, The Brides, and Blasted Diplomats is gonna bring something great to the table.”
If you need a more detailed desciption, TEMPS’ James Deia says that the band is best described as “Triumphant Electrical Musical Punishment System. Fuzz rebels stuck in the basement prepping for a Lo-Fi rebellion.”
Deia says of Replay-O-Rama that TEMPS looks for any excuse to be festive, and he’s particularly enthused about this lineup.
“The Whiffs threw the idea at us and we thought it sounded amazing!” Deia says, noting that he actually lived in Lawrence for school years ago. “I helped start a short lived DIY House venue called the Halfway House on Kentucky which had its little moment in the sun. Some amazing friendships were formed in Lawrence including a love affair with Vietnamese food. Shout out to The Orient (RIP). The Replay is an amazing venue and our drummer is the only one who’s never been!”
Local and regional acts are dream pop band Blanky, alt-rockers Discotek Mama, garage rockers the Jackoffs, psych rock quartet Pale Tongue, ever-changing indie rock band Thimastr, dirty garage punks Wayne Pain & The Shit Stains, and power pop workhorses The Whiffs.
With a lineup like that, a packed house seems like a foregone conclusion, but Campbell really hopes that it’s a varied crowd who shows up.
“It would be nice if people that have lived in the Lawrence and KC area for a while would come out and enjoy a really awesome time,” he reflects. “And also, for the younger crowd to be like. ‘Whoa, what is this? This rules!’ I remember that feeling when I first moved to Lawrence, and cool stuff came to town.”
Hopefully, Campbell concludes, people will enjoy themselves enough that they can do it again down the line, and the original Replay-O-Rama’s Tangeman agrees.
“[1996’s fest] was a really sweaty, great time–a lot dancing was done–and I can’t wait for this year’s Replay-O-Rama,” Tangeman says.
Replay-O-Rama takes place at the Replay Lounge on Friday, March 13, and Saturday, March 14. Details on Friday night here and Saturday night here.
