Sonic Youth Gossip - what are you listening to?

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Originally Posted by Severian

Yeah, RIP Vern. Extremely sad.

Kill Rock Stars' Slim Moon's eulogy for Vern:

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*Image courtesy of Numero Group*

Punk rock is dangerous business, and I don’t mean that in a romanticizing or glorifying way. Too many people I admire respect and love have died way too young. I found myself last night watching a video on youtube, a close up of Scott Jernigan, fondly known as Maniac back in the day, fiercely drumming for KARP at 1994’s Yo Yo A Go Go festival. At one point the camera pans to the left and we see Vern Rumsey come up behind Mike Dees (bandleader of Fitz of Depression) and they spontaneously kiss, just two friends having a great moment, mugging for the camera. Michelle Mae Orr is standing nearby.

*Jump to 6:15 to watch the referenced bit or watch the entire thing to see Maniac doing what he does best.*

Mike Dees was still a teenage high schooler when he played drums in my first Olympia Band - Nisqually Delta Podunk Nightmare - in 1986. Vern Rumsey was still a teenage high schooler when his band with fellow high schoolers Justin Trosper and Brandt Sandeno took Olympia by storm with their band Giant Henry, equaled only by their frenemy high school band KARP. Watching the video, of course I find myself feeling like we (Maniac, Mikey, Vern, Justin).

Just 26 years after Yo Yo A Go Go, 30 years after Giant Henry, all three of those brilliant men are dead - first Scott, then Mikey, now Vern Rumsey. Punk rock is dangerous business, and I don’t mean that in a romanticizing or glorifying way. It’s the worst part, the thing I wish I could change.

Here’s what I remember about Vern. The cigarette of course - everyone’s mental image of Vern is with a giant bass strapped on, his back probably to the audience and the neck of the guitar perhaps shoved into a speaker of a 14 inch bass cabinet, but ALWAYS with a cigarette in his mouth.

Vern was serious but he always had a ready smile. People really liked him - he was fun and kind and ready to set what he was doing down and be helpful. My last significant interaction with him was in 2004, he produced the last album I played on - Thank You For The Alternative Rock, the debut album of The Punks. By that time, after years of Unwound and Long Hind Legs, including Leaves Turn Inside You which Unwound recorded and produced themselves. He had the makings of a great engineer and producer, and he had a cool record label going on and a young daughter. The future still looked really good for us all. 47 is way too early for anybody, but specifically it sucks about Vern because he had so many ideas and energy to get involved in a lot of things. If he’d lived longer I know he would have made more art and done many more interesting things.

You know what? I just really miss Olympia in the 90s. I miss all the people I got to see several nights a week - at rock shows, at parties, walking down 4th Ave. I loved most of them and even the ones who bugged me then, I miss them too. I wish I could be back in 1994, rocking out with Vern and Mikey and Maniac and Michelle Mae and the rest. Those were the best times - I’m pretty sure they were better times than most people ever get to experience. I will miss Vern and I will miss those days forever. Although it is nowadays hard to believe, looking at the pictures, that we were ever that young.

- Slim Moon