About Me
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In February of 1987, 21-year-old keyboardist Carolyn Edwards, wearing an obligatory `80s black Spanish hat, met 23-year-old Don (later Dallas Don) Burnet in the West Hollywood Tower Records parking lot, to exchange demos. A band was then formed, called 3D Picnic (the idea for the name came when Don said he had to "pick Nick" up for rehearsal). The band's first show was opening for X at some weird place in Orange County in a shopping mall. (Carolyn, strictly a Hollywood/Valley rock chick, had never played Orange County before & didn't realize that all O.C. rock clubs were located in shopping malls.) Thanks to the connections Don had made with his hardcore O.C. punk band, Plain Wrap, the band landed some great shows opening for Social Distortion, Julian Cope (well, that one was not so great), and John Cale (he refused to have his piano moved over to the side of the stage & we had to set up around it), though mostly, in the early days, the band would find themselves playing at the Anti Club on a Wednesday night at midnight for a few sleepy friends and/or a couple of drunks.
But not for long. Pretty soon the band found itself inking a deal with Earth Music, a subsidiary of Cargo Records, signing the contract at a Taco Bell next to Night Moves in Huntington Beach (or was it a Del Taco?). The band released its first album, Dirt, in 1990, to rave reviews. Folks began flocking to the shows, and soon the band was packing clubs like the Gaslight, Rajis, Club Lingerie, and the Shamrock. Their live shows were often peppered with wacky covers (a discordant, noisy version of Loverboy's "Turn Me Loose", a country-punk version of "West End Girls", etc.). Dallas' mannequin, Monique, would often "walk" out onstage, a picnic basket on her arm; snacks would then be thrown out to the audience whether they wanted them or not.
The Picnic embarked on its first tour of the Pacific Northwest in 1990, known as the Bland Ambition tour. They were nearly killed by their own equipment when, ascending a steep San Francisco hill, amps, guitars and keyboards began to dangerously slide from the back of the van towards the terrified passengers. Fortunately, they all survived and the band continued to rock on in its own dysfunctional way.
In 1991, the band released its second album, Sunshine and Cockroaches, again to rave reviews. The record release party was at the Shamrock on Sunset in Hollywood/Silver Lake, which is now sadly some sleazy strip joint. More shows at the usual clubs were played, and the band once again went on a tour of the gorgeous Pacific Northwest.
Much to everyone's dismay, the band released New Wave Party in 1992, a collection of severely deconstructed new wave covers. For the CD photo, the band dressed in the lamest possible new wave outfits (the point was to look as UNcool as possible.) Sometime in 1992, bassist Mickey Ferrell left the band to move to Arizona, and Greg Mora joined on bass. However, he had only been in the band a few months when they broke up, citing "musical differences" (that's what every band says, so we're going to say it, too). They played their last show at the Sunset Junction in August of 1992.
Dallas went on to form Lutefisk, and Carolyn went on to form Spindle. Both bands broke up eventually (though Lutefisk still plays from time to time).
Carolyn has just released a solo CD on True Classical on 6/13/06. Check out her myspace page at www.myspace.com/carolynedwards. Dallas is now married, and has a band with his wife, Leslie, called Order Of The Wand; check out his page at www.myspace.com/dallasdonburnet. Mickey is living in Arizona with his wife Connie, and will sadly probably never see this page, as he's an incurable luddite. Brandon Jay (a.k.a. Quazar) is in the brilliant pop band the 88, who are of course doing quite well - www.myspace.com/the88.
- Carolyn Edwards, 6/29/06
