Jams for Man

Enoch "Skeeter" Thompson grew up in Bailey's Crossroads and got his first guitar as a reward from his baseball coach for pitching a no-hitter in the championship game. From there, he met Franz Stahl at school and his new friend helped him learn how to play that guitar. The two, along with Franz’s older brother Pete Stahl on vocals and Kent Stax on drums formed a band called Scream, inspired by the hardcore sound exploding out of DC, particularly bands like Bad Brains and the Teen Idles. Skeeter switched to bass because he had the rhythm to play it and the band wasn't able to find anybody else on the instrument with the right feel to complete their sound. In 1982, they went to Inner Ear Studio and recorded Dischord Records' first-full length release, Still Screaming. Scream released five albums and continued to play until the beginning of the '90s, doing a number of U.S. and European tours. When Stax left the band, they asked a young drummer, Dave Grohl, to take over. After their break up and dealing with family health issues (as well as playing in Soylent Green), Thompson went down to Little Rock, Arkansas to find his daughter and played in and formed several bands there. He then returned to Northern VA and has been playing in hard rock and hardcore bands such as Fallout Shelter, Rise-Defy, and several projects with Nathan Turney. He also put out a solo album in 2018 called The Book of Enoch in E Minor. You can find it at https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/skeeterenochthompsoninc

Vivek Rangarajan is the DJ and host of Death Waves, a call to all metallic heshers, greasy punx, industrial noisemongers, and synthwave junkies, on WGMU radio. D E A T H W A V E S is their mecca, presenting thick slabs of punishing audial assaults back to the roots of degeneracy, while looking towards our future doomsday. Listen live every Wednesday from 10-11:30PM at wgmuradio.com, radioflag.com/stations/iwgmu# and Mason Cable Channel 8.2.

Mark Robinson founded the indie band Unrest with Phil Krauth and Tim Moran while still attending Wakefield High in Arlington, VA. He started the label Teen Beat Records as a kind of lending library for the band's rehearsal tapes, as well as those of his friends' bands. Only one copy of each album existed and his classmates could borrow one for a few days.Their first public release was a compilation cassette called Extremism In the Defense of Liberty is No Vice on February 23, 1985. Bridget Cross joined Unrest on bass in 1990 and their sound evolved into a "minimalist but lively kind of pop." They released two full-length albums with this line up, 1992's Imperial f.f.r.r. and 1993's Perfect Teeth. The label uprooted to Cambridge, MA in 1999. Robinson and Cross also played together as Air Miami, and he joined Jenny Toomey, founder of the Simple Machines label, and Rob Christiansen of Eggs in Grenadine. He currently plays with his wife Evelyn Hurley (Blast Off Country Style) in Cotton Candy and also with D. Trevor Kampmann as Fang Wizard. He also directed the new film Amateur on Plastic about the outsider music of DC rock legend Butch Willis https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4W7Rac4Qf0&feature=youtu.be. Find more information Mark Robinson and Teen Beat's releases at https://www.teenbeatrecords.com/

David Gilligan exploded out of the Reston hardcore scene and brought the principles he learned there of simplicity, honesty, and empowerment to far-flung locales such as a new scene in St. Augustine, Florida, Arizona, and even as a professor at Sterling College. He was the lead singer of three vital bands to the Reston scene: Knothead, Remission, and Avail, but has since grown as a musician, honing his vocals, developing his guitar playing, and even adding harmonica to the mix. Gilligan can also be heard on recordings with Sunhead, Home, as well as three solo albums, which can be found at his site http://davidgilligan.net/music. He is also the author of the books Rise of the Ranges of Light (Heyday 2011), I Believe I’ll Go Canoeing (Craftsbury 2009), In the Years of the Mountains (Thunders Mouth 2006), and The Secret Sierra (Spotted Dog 2000).

Chris Henderson was active in the Northern Virginia and DC punk scene from 1987 thru 1999. He photographed over 80 bands, creating thousands of images. Most have never been published, though some grace albums by Scream, United Mutation, and the Suspects. He also published the D.C. Spotlight zine. He even did some background singing on tracks by Scream and Bullhead. The bands he photographed were Scream, Grey Matter, Shudder To Think, Bad Brains, Black Market Baby, Ignition, Fear, Bad Religion, Hawkwind, Slickee Boys, Government Issue, UK Subs, United Mutation, Bullhead, Fugazi, Rancid, Meatmen, Peter and the Test Tube Babies, Soulside, Egypt, Henry Rollins, Ramones, the Pietasters, Jawbox, Unrest, The Obsessed, Aus Rotten, Indian Summer, Nashville Pussy, Cold Cold Hearts, Pure Rubbish, The Goons, Images, Wool, United 121, Foo Fighters, Lickity Split, Shoutbus, Attica 9, Violent Society, Undecided, MFD, Blanks 77, Branch Manager, The Darkness, Midnight Oil, and Against Me. He is now making these images available for the first time on the website www.xushots.com We are also collaborating on a limited edition Jams for Man t-shirt that will be available soon!

Late ‘80s Northern Virginia/DC area punk quartet Indian Summer recorded four songs with J. Robbins producing in Baltimore in 1989. Thirty years later, that four song session plus a demo are available on vinyl. Formed by four Virginia teens, Indian Summer was a staple of the Northern Virginia all-ages scene in 1988 and 1989, playing Merrifield Community Hall, Arlington Women’s Hall and many a punk house party, a Positive Force show at d.c. space, and some of the first all-ages matinees at the Safari Club. Taking its inspiration from local heroes like Government Issue, Scream and Ignition, Indian Summer put its own stamp on D.C. area punk with passionate delivery and complex arrangements all its own. John Dugan went on to play with Chisel, Edsel, Pat Best in Pelt and Steve Francis in No Dead Monsters. Go to fwtrecords.com to get a copy of the Cherry Smash 12".

In the spring of 1981, guitarist John Fox started a protest band called Dark Self Image in Fairfax with his brother Jay on bass. In July 1982, the band recorded their first demo at Inner Ear Studios. Mike Brown became the singer and in October, they changed their name to United Mutation. The band was then featured on the record Mixed Nuts Don't Crack, a sampler that established them alongside other bands that would form their Northern Virginia cohort, such as Media Disease and Nuclear Crayons. Drummer Michael Salkind was then replaced by Billy Fox, who is not related to brothers John and Jay Fox. They then put out the Fugitive Family EP on their own new label called DSI Records (named after the eponymous band), founded by John Fox and Lee West, with help from Dischord Records. Drummer Fox left and was replaced by previous drummer Steve Kirkland, and in 1985 they released the EP Rainbow Person on their own label. In 1988, John Fox left the band to take full-time care of the DSI label, which put out records by Death Piggy, Malefice, Uruku, Foundation, Images, and M.F.D., as well as mainstays of the DC area scene such as John Stabb, Slickee Boys, and Scream. You can find more information about John Fox and United Mutation at https://www.facebook.com/United-Mutation-453741670025/.

Keith Robinson never planned to start a band or be a musician, but somehow wound up in the middle of the Reston hardcore scene providing vocals for Psychotic Symptoms. He has vivid memories of playing Jam for Man, and shares those along with other recollections from house parties and garage shows of the time. He also went on to form the short-lived hardcore band Step Aside with Steve Sklarew again on guitar and Carter Blitch on drums. After a successful career working on major motion pictures, he has since moved to Thailand and spends his days diving one of the most beautiful locations on the planet.

Mike Martzke aka Lil Mike organized, promoted and emcee'd hundreds of concerts and nightclub events for bands including Sublime, Green Day, Fugazi, Rancid and many more. But before all that, he challenged the status quo in Reston with bands like Toolin' for Bovines and Jesus Freak. These early bands laid the groundwork for the Reston hardcore sound to come. And though he loved seeing live shows in DC at the time and had made many connections there, he realized that he might have to leave and go all the way to San Francisco to not be harassed and ostracized in his own hometown. Once in SF, Lil Mike hooked up with some players from Reston and formed the celtic-folk punk band Bedlam Rovers. He provides vocals on their album Squeeze Your Inner Child. He also played guitar behind two 12-year-olds in the Rolling Scabs, a punk band that opened for the likes of Naked Raygun and Frightwig at Gilman St. Those are just some of the credits from Mike Martzke's storied career, and stories are what Lil Mike excels at telling, in speedy, rambling monologues that weave the story of punk together over four decades and two coasts. You can find some links to his music and more information about Lil Mike here: https://blog.wfmu.org/freeform/2005/02/the_rolling_sca.html https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3dhQqa71V4 https://archive.org/search.php?query=creator%3A%22Komotion+International%22 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVFOPIZ192w&ab_channel=whammo64

Chris Condayan aka Chris Suspect was fundamental in reigniting a passion for punk rock and hardcore in the area with his group The Suspects. He also played bass in various Northern Virginia bands such as Lickity Split, Spitfires United and VPR. He formed Torque Records to put out the Suspects first 7”, but then went on to put out almost twenty releases by numerous excellent bands from NOVA like Shoutbus, Positive State, and the Goons. He discovered a passion for photography in 2007, and his work has been recognized internationally and exhibited in Miami, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Romania, Georgia and the United Kingdom. His documentary work on the underground music scene in Washington, D.C., was published as a book, Suspect Device, by Empty Stretch in 2014. You can find links to his art at his site Chrissuspect.com

James Barry started as a metalhead guitar shredder in Reston and became a world-renowned composer in New York, but views it all as music that comes from the same place. He should know, he has a PhD in composition and produced contemporary music concerts in New York City as artistic and managing director of Forecast Music for five seasons. Recently, he has been composing and producing experimental opera with inspiration ranging from Carrie Nation to Colonel Sanders. This is a long way from the Reston hardcore scene of the late 80s with the band Militia and the Tampa metal scene of the 90s with Buckethead; but as long as it gets the crowd reacting in a visceral way, he has accomplished his goal. You can find more information about performances of his music at http://jamesbarrycomposer.com/

Julie Jonas discovered chaotic music and her own identity after growing up as one of ten kids in Southern California. She learned to play bass from her two older brothers and studied violin, but really connected to music through the bands playing the Sterling Community Center after moving to Virginia. However, a chance encounter with an old friend at community college led her to managing VFW 9274 and getting younger veterans there by booking metal and hardcore shows. Now, she’s aspiring to put together awesome shows with bands that would not normally play together and connect the disparate chaotic music scenes from Baltimore to DC to Richmond. VFW 9274 will host the Jam for Man 30th Anniversary show on July 21st from 6-10PM. It is located at 7118 Shreve Rd., Falls Church, VA 22043.

The Firnats consist of four friends from Reston, VA: Sean Flanagan on guitar and vocals, Griffin Low on bass, Kurtis Kunkel on drums, and Chris Castro on guitar. They formed in late 2015 when Flanagan was still in high school and jamming with his buddy Aaron Pirnat, from which the group gets their name. The Firnats take a lot of inspiration from the alternative bands of the 90's and 2000's such as Weezer, Pavement, Cage the Elephant, and the Strokes. The band has played everywhere from the basements of Reston to the Black Cat in D.C, and Strange Matter in Richmond, where Flanagan goest to school. The Firnats first recorded an EP, El Dorado, with the original lineup, then their debut album, "Fear Not", completely DIY in producer Hapa Siuhengalu's basement in Reston Virginia, and are currently working on their follow-up. It promises to sound more professional while still retaining the intimacy and songcraft of their earlier efforts. You can find their music at https://thefirnats.bandcamp.com/.

Davis White got started playing live music late but more than made up for it. Once introduced to UK Subs by a neighbor, he bought a drum kit off a co-worker and started the band Media Disease. After appearing on the Mixed Nuts Don’t Crack compilation with the likes of Nuclear Crayons and United Mutation, they put out their first self-titled album in 1982. This then led to an eight month stint in the crossover metal-meets-hardcore band Malefice, also with Mike Clayberg. Soon after, Davis traded places with Colin Sears, joining the Reston band Pudwak, who then changed names, settling on Foundation. They recorded a few albums at Inner Ear and toured extensively, but White wanted to front a band before turning 30. He then left that band and formed Repercussion, discovering the burgeoning Reston scene and playing several Jam for Man concerts. They also recorded one classic album, The Trees and Flowers, in 1990. When this band broke up, White switched to mandolin and played with the band Lorelei, who recorded an underground hit single, “The Bitter Air”. They then switched to a three-man lineup with White on drums again and recorded the proto-Radiohead LP Everyone Must Touch the Stove. White went on to record many bands himself, including Jenhitt, and played in other bands like Uruku, Rambling Shadows, the Alice Despard Group, and Sansyou. He continues to play and record with the eclectic band We Capillaries, who are scheduled to appear at the 30th anniversary Jam for Man concert. You can find their music at http://koiote.bandcamp.com/album/people-food

Named for a line in Reservoir Dogs, this trio from Arlington, VA with Lilly Menard on bass and vocals, Benjamin Tankersly on guitar and vocals, and Andy Gale on drums made post-punk rock music reminiscent of Sonic Youth and the Smiths. They released only one official cassette EP, Trigger Happy, in 1995 on Victrola Records, the label run by Billups Allen (later called Generalissimo.) Tankersly and Gale later went on to play with Allen in Virginia's answer to the Minutemen, Shoutbus! Meanwhile, Menard joined Allen's bandmate from Ugly, drummer Chuck Campbell, in Monsoon. Dead As Dillinger also recorded a second unreleased album with producer J. Christian Quick at Stumble and Fall Studios (later of Stillness Sound Facility). You can find both of these excellent records at their Bandcamp.com site at https://deadasdillinger1995.bandcamp.com/.

Ron Winters Jr. formed Branch Manager with Dave Allen on bass and Derrick Decker on drums in 1990. They went on to sign with Dischord Records and become the torchbearers for post-hardcore Reston. They released a self-titled debut in 1995 and Anything Tribal, their second and acclaimed final LP, recorded with the help of Ian Mackaye and Don Zientara at Inner Ear Studios, in 1997. Winters discovered a talent for writing young as the son of a schoolteacher. When added to his newfound dexterity on guitar and inspiration from 70s rock radio and the suburban landscape around him, Winters started to write songs and never stopped. Winters began to play live with his high school band Toolin' for Bovine, but went on to play with other Restonites in Foundation, Blood Bats, and Sons of Disobedience. He has toured with the likes of NOFX and Fugazi, and Branch Manager have currently reformed and are playing live and recording another album. You can find their music at https://branchmanager.bandcamp.com/

Sam Gunderson is one of Reston's original guitar heroes. His knowledge of music and love of grooves allows him to navigate easily between blues, rock, hip-hop, go-go, and more. Gunderson grew up listening to Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughn, and Randy Rhoads, while also learning at the feet of other local legends such as Jon Rustad and Mike Davis of The Iceboxers and Joe Lawlor of Egypt. Gunderson jammed with keyboardist David Linsenmayer early on in elementary school, but it wasn't until they met drummer Gabe Kader and bass player Lefty Furr that they were able to form a real band. Those four came together, naming themselves Crunchy Water after the Dweezil Zappa song, and started writing the songs that would be the backbone of their sets at Jam for Man and beyond. At the same time, Gunderson joined Kader's brother, Tarik, in the diverse go-go band Split Decision. After high school, Gunderson formed the band Cactus Groove and has continued to play with those musicians off and on for decades. Gunderson eventually moved farther down south to Birmingham, Alabama, and continues to learn from the rich blues tradition there, while also marrying and forming a band with his wife, the SBG's. You can stay current on Gunderson's many projects and shows at https://www.facebook.com/samgun00/.

Pat Kennedy started the band Hostile Environment at age fourteen after first discovering punk rock through bands like Black Flag and Dead Kennedys and then listening to Teen Idles and thinking that he could have a band like that. Hostile Environment skated and played every party they could in Reston. They also put out a demo tape called Rite to Me in 1988. They were one of the first Reston hardcore bands and paved the way for many groups that followed. Then, Pat moved on to playing bass with the more rock-oriented band Remission. He played Jam for Man with them and they also released one demo album called Fix in 1989. After high school, Pat moved to Richmond with the band Avail and wrote several songs with them that wound up on their first official album, Satiate, in 1992. Pat continues to live in Richmond, and though he doesn't play in bands anymore, he uses the DIY skills that he learned in his music career throughout his life.

Barry Cover has played drums in a lot of bands, from Northern Virginia to Richmond. He started out playing Jam for Man with a band called Lake Cocytus, moved on to gigs with JarHead at the local spots like Music Store and Dharma Coffee House, then branching out to Asylum, Memory Lane, and the Loft. When he moved to RVA, he was in high demand, joining Wiseacre, Dimestore Hoods, and Wheelbite. Later, he continued his career with Amoeba Men, Immortal Avenger, Municipal Waste, and the Goons. Finally, he got back to his metal roots with Volture. He's focusing on his career as a chef right now, but he's such a great dad that he set up a band and rehearsed for a month just so his young son could live out his rock dreams of writing songs about Minecraft and fronting a band on his birthday. It's difficult to find JarHead's music, but you can see them playing at Jenkins Hill here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFCULg1gPaI&t=527s. You can also check out Volture too at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ly-OvEPukQ0&list=PL-vT9tpqwdEex6CPaJJhO4oa1b0W5CRBb.

Andy Keiler hosts this show but, for those that aren't familiar with his music, has also put out almost 50 albums as AndyK. Born in Reston, VA, he grew up in a musical family obsessed with record collecting. He started playing piano and keyboards at age 5 and took up guitar at 14. After attending Jam for Man and numerous shows in DC, he formed his own funk rock band called Blotter Otter with Mike Tarr and Dennis Hoy. In college at Emory University, he continued his musical education and expanded his repertoire with turntables and a sampler, DJing parties and putting out his first solo albums. He explored several genres at once like musical heroes the Beastie Boys and Red Hot Chili Peppers, playing a blend of rock, punk, funk, and hip hop. After moving to Los Angeles, he continued to produce music for his students while also collaborating with other musicians in bands such as Ramona and the Red Lights, the Singularity, Junior Blind, Danimal, and currently Los Angelenos. Special guest Derek Douglas interviews AndyK as he describes his musical journey that has always been heavily influenced by Northern Virginia and explains why he started the Jams for Man podcast. You can find more of his music at https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/andyk/319141795 particularly his newest album Gun n Bass. He also has a Bandcamp site at atothek.bandcamp.com and a Soundcloud page at https://soundcloud.com/user7308315.