Transmission 027 - 2019.08.07
Peter Laughner and Friends
Snackpoint Charlie has taken you to some exotic and far-flung locales, but this month’s transmission finds us journeying to a land that very few have experienced: the underground music world of mid-1970s Cleveland, Ohio. In our first-ever Very Special Episode we’ll be celebrating the late Peter Laughner, subject of a newly-released, long-awaited retrospective boxed set on Smog Veil Records.
From his early folkie days to Rocket from the Tombs and Pere Ubu, to nearly-undocumented bands like Cinderella Backstreet and Friction, you’ll hear rare and previously unreleased songs and exclusive conversations with his bandmates Cynthia Black and Albert Dennis, as well as his close friend Anastasia Pantsios, who share never-before-heard stories about Laughner and the mid-70′s pre-punk Cleveland scene.
Snackpoint Charlie’s Cleveland excursion is now archived at https://wavefarm.org/archive/4bzw5q. We’ll return to our regular format next month, until then thanks to all our loyal listeners who hung on for the ride as we took took a detour into entirely different terrain. Thanks again to Albert, Anastasia and Cynthia for participating, thanks to Ilka McKenzie at FlyPR for setting it up, and thanks to Smog Veil Records for producing the majestic Peter Laughner boxed set itself as well as so many other lovingly—produced Cleveland musical treasures. In lieu of my usual playlist and links, please check out these additional resources for further research and as addendum and background for this show.
The Peter Laughner boxed set at Smog Veil Records (with music links!)
https://www.smogveil.com/products/peter-laughner-box-set-5-lps-plus-book
John Petkovic’s Peter Laughner retrospective from 2017:
https://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/2017/06/cleveland_legend_peter_laughne.html
“Ain’t It Fun” — Aaron Lange’s Laughner bio in comic form:
http://www.animalkingdompublishing.com/hub/2016/7/25/aint-it-fun
“Those Were Different Times - A Memoir of Cleveland Life: 1967-‐1973” by Charlotte Pressler
https://tinyurl.com/y5k3jvsf
Cinderella Backstreet
https://www.facebook.com/cinderellabackstreet/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fLEaZZNc00
Press for the Laughner box:
Aquarium Drunkard
https://aquariumdrunkard.com/2019/07/31/i-must-have-been-out-of-my-mind-on-the-flawed-beauty-of-peter-laughner/
Arts Desk
https://www.theartsdesk.com/node/83575/view
NY Times
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/06/arts/music/peter-laughner-boxed-set.html