Blue Meanies

Blue Meanies History 101:
Blue Meanies are/were a punk/hardcore/ska-jazz-whatever-throw-the-kitchen-sink-into- the Cuisinart-influenced seven-piece ROCK band hailing from Chicago, Illinois, USA. Blue Meanies got started in 1989, and eventually solidified as: Billy Spunke, vocals; Jay Vance, bass; Tony Aimone, drums; Chaz Linde, organ/keys; Jim Cooley, guitar; Jimmy Flame, trumpet; and Dave Smith, saxophone. This version of the band recorded and self-released on No Records the live set ’Peace Love Groove’. Next came the ’Pave the World’ EP, also a No Records release.
Dave Smith then bowed out and John Paul Camp III took over saxophone duties. With JPCIII on sax the Meanies next recorded ’Kiss Your Ass Goodbye’. After recording ’KYAG’, the Meanies actually broke up for awhile. Bass player and founding member Jay Vance played with Skankin’ Pickle briefly before he was Captured! By Robots and morphed into the man-machine hybrid known as JBOT. Anyway, the break-up was short lived, and Bob Trondson (drums), Dave Lund (bass) and Mike Pearson (guitar) all soon replaced the rhythm section, and the band marched forward, securing a release of ’KYAG’ on Chicago label Fuse Records. ’KYAG’ was also later re-released by Mike Park’s Asian Man label.
This version of the band marks the period when the Meanies started to gain a bit of national and international attention for their utterly whacked out song-writing style and intense live shows. They released the milestone ’Full Throttle’ on another Chicago indie, the aforementioned THICK Records, in the summer of 1997. Following the band’s first international shows in Japan at the end of that year, Mike decided to leave the band and guitarist Sean Dolan replaced him. Sean had previously played with Dave and Bob in the Madison, WI-based band Weaker Youth Ensemble.
The final incarnation of Blue Meanies wrote dozens of new songs (most of which remain in the vaults) in 1998 and 1999, and initially had planned a second full-length release on THICK Records. However, after years of financial struggle, sleeping on floors and riding around the USA countless times in a beat-up, hollowed-out RV (R.I.P. TranStar), a nice advance check came’a’callin’ from a major label, and they signed with MCA Records. The band hooked up with producer Phil Nicolo (go and do a Myspace search on Phil, he’s super-cool) and recorded their last studio record, ’the Post Wave’, which was released in 2000.
The Meanies toured heavily in support of ’the Post Wave’ in 2000 and 2001, but before long major burn-out finally started to crack the band apart. One by one band members decided they wanted to pursue other interests and slowly the Meanies slipped into a sort of coma.
The band briefly awoke from its slumber in 2004 to play two sold-out shows in Chicago - one at Double Door, and of course the always-sold-out December 23rd Winternationals at Metro. Though good times were had by all, everyone said "see ya later" and went back to doing whatever it is they currently do...
November 2006 marked another brief and welcome return to Chicago - this time with a quick set at Double Door, and a longer set at the sold-out Riot Fest 2006, at the Congress Theatre. The shows in 2006 were great for the band to connect with friends and fans again, old and new. However, for now Blue Meanies return again to hiatus status.
In 2007 the Meanies will be reviewing all the archive material (both audio and video) in its vaults, and mulling the possibility of additions to the discography. Stay tuned...as fans know, Blue Meanies have never officially announced a break-up, so you never know what may happen in the future...
Blue Meanies major discography:
* Peace Love Groove (No Record Co., 1991) (live)
* Pave the World EP (No Record Co., 1992)
* Kiss Your Ass Goodbye (Fuse, 1995 -- re-released by Asian Man, 1999)
* Full Throttle (THICK, 1997 -- special edition re-released THICK, 2005)
* Pigs EP (THICK, 1999)
* A Sonic Documentation of Exhibition and Banter (Asian Man, 1999) (live)
* the Post Wave (MCA, 2000 -- re-released by THICK, 2001)
...not to mention loads and loads of vinyl-only releases, and various singles and comp appearances, etc.
-SD