Symphon-E
From The Secret History of the Cedar Valley
Contents |
History
Among the earliest Ragman bands, Symphon-E began pre-Ragman when Fromseattle and Kurr decided to start a band featuring songs composed entirely of two chords. This early ascetic, indeed, spawned many of Symphon-E's songs including "It's Like Cool" and "Susan," although the quickly branched out to three chord, and, later, songs with more than one guitar part. Fromseattle recruited Namgar from the halls of Northern University High School and Namgar, subsequently, invited everyone he talked to that day to join the band.
Thus, early practices included many people; Psycho-E, Holly Sells, and Janessa Uhl-Carper being the most notable due to the relative longevity of their membership. Eventually, however, people lost interest and the band became the five you see below; Fromseattle's brother, Jent, having joined along the way. Jent's smooth, jazz inspired bass took the bands' trademark two-chord progression, put it in a carriage-basenet, and walked it gently, on well-oiled wheels, through the forest of mediocrity, with its dull pitfalls and lurking anger, up to the stars. Once there, Greg introduced the other members to the psychedellia of the music of Desert Fish. The band found the sky and heroes to guide them through the tumultuous stratosphere of rock.
Time past and shows were played at the school Sock Hop, Gabestock I and II, and in the McAllens' backyard. The band found a name that stuck and, surprisingly, it did not contain the word bloody. The band, for lack of neccessity, had long stopped writing new material. Fresh faces were all they needed. Still, somehow, things started to feel stagnant. McAllens wasn't as interested in hanging out anymore. So a change was proposed. Fromseattle would move to drums (he and Kurr played the same parts anyway) and Greg would join Namgar on vocals. Rather than go through the tedious and chancy process of writing new songs, the two singers simply divied up the existing lyrics and a fun new style was born.
Riding the wave of their Renaissance, Symphon-E played a few more shows (notably Hope Martin Park, The NU Talent Show, and Sinister Plot's basement,) recorded their long awaited album, and eased into inactivity.
Band Members
- Joey Namgar (Joe Riehle)– Vocals
- Greg (Mike Wilson) – Drummer in early incarnations; later co-vocalist
- Stevie Kurr (Steve Wilson) – Guitar
- Elfboy Fromseattle (Jeremy McAdams) – Guitar in early incarnations; later drums
- Jent McAllens (Aaron McAdams) – Bass
Discography
 Ragman Records 1997 |
Live Shows / Tours
- Was headliner of the National Crapper Day show.
Lore
- Early on the band went through a number of name changes — at various times it was known as Bloody Static, Aloe Vera, The Bludy Boys, Goth Horror Band.
- Namgar and Kurr went on to form No Consensus.
- Namgar, Oldman, Fromseattle and Kurr later formed the band Online Inventory.
- Fromseattle and McAllens currently play in the band Jolex.
- Symphon-E, like their heroes Desert Fish, had their share of imitators (technically, given that Symphon-E was mostly aping Desert Fish, it is believed that that would mean that their imitators are imitating Desert Fish rather than Symphon-E.) A staple of the punk band Angry Cops was a cover of the Symphon-E song "I'm Glad I'm Anorexic."
- An album, "Side Order of Symphon-E," produced by Chuck Hoffman, was made of such covers. It is unknown whether this album still exists in any form.
Photos
 Rocking out |
 Greg |
 Greg and Gent |
 Band Photo |
 Band Photo |
 Band Photo |
 Band Photo |
Related Bands
Related Links
Lyrics
Death Metal, After Midnight
Go outside, with my gun
Death Metal, after midnight
Gonna go insane, gonna shoot someone
Death Metal, after midnight
I'm looking for fight, looking for blood
Death Metal, after midnight
Looking for death, looking for Judd
Death Metal, after midnight
Don't show weakness, or you're dead
Death Metal, after midnight
I will dominate, shoot your head
Death Metal, after midnight
Green, blue, purple, or even green
Death Metal, after midnight
Damn, I am so mean
Death Metal, after midnight
The only X factor, society sucks
Death Metal, after midnight
Like I said before, society sucks
Death Metal, after midnight
Guns are dangerous, but I like guns
Death Metal, after midnight
I like Hall, I like Chung
Death Metal, after midnight
After midnight
"There is one thing for sure about this toe-tapper. The crowd goes into a frenzy evertime the band plays it. The Song was Originally a song that joe and I wrong for Judd Saul's band Bloody Guns. Judd didn't accept the wonderful gift, so we claimed it as our own" - Greg (the bludi boys lyric book)
External Links
- Symphon-E's LastFM page.
