IN SEARCH OF HISTORIC ZOMBO

2007 Dispatch

On the Cd front.. All of Zombo’s 10 Real Rare Rockabilly Cds have been professionally remastered and reprinted. New Dapper CD’s: Graveyard Rock and Monster-ific are out and look and sound better than the band ever thought they could. Space Needles’ CD is out. The title is “Lucky Jinx”. It was recorded at Pearl Jam’s Studio a few years back, but now it also contains a full live show from The Tractor in Seattle. Z jumped back into experimental music with “ A Roman Afterlife”. The whole CD was done live with 3 Macintosh computers using Ableton Live, ORI’s Back to Basics and Mac Theremin along with stacks of creepy old records. It really is cool, although some folks are alarmed of how darn nutty it is. The Varmints recorded a surprisingly filthy mini album that will piss off alot of folks..it’s called “The Varmints Play Dirty”. We dug up Aunt Martha on drums and added Moe Ron on crappy organ. Calperincus and Odis went so far off the deep end that they decided to hold the pressing of the CD to write even more depraved songs recordings. The full length Cd should be out by the end of 2007 and not one second of it is radio friendly. Zombo’s Newest Rockabilly, Garage, Surf, R and B Portland Band, The Astrolauts should be popping into the recording studio to make some noise and release a disc soon. The Stoodups’ “Go For Broke”, Produced by Deke Dickerson, is still available and now the band which is a 7-piece Roots Rock Powerhouse will be studio bound as well. The Surfaholic’s Tiki A Go Go has been repressed. Although not all of the releases slated for 2006 came out on schedule, they will be worth the wait.. Zomboco Records also plans to release some big stuff. The unbelievable “Amazing Thrift” Series which chronicled over 20 years of bizarre records rescued from thrift stores, garage sales, etc. will be coming out on CD. It will be a 15 CD set. And all of Zombo’s collection of crazy MSR (song-poem) music will be out, too. That will be a 10 CD set. Also Zombo found the entire season of radio shows made especially in a pro studio for WBCQ in Maine. All 51 hours will be available on mp3 CDs for a very tiny price. Damn, I better get to work and get some of this stuff on the buy page!

2006 Dispatch
Prepare for a ton of New Zombo Cd’s and DVD’s!
Yep, that’s right. Thanks to an increasing market for smaller run CD and DVD’s keep an eye out for all of this...
CD’s (all only $10 each) available on this site soon.

These are all scheduled to release in 2006!

King Dapper Combo is finally releasing three new professional designed and pressed CD’s.
1.Graveyard Rock- This is the six song mini album we recorded in 1999. With it is a full set of music from one of our favorite live digitally recorded shows..The WAPS Radio night at Kent, Ohio’s legendary “Robin Hood”. It’s one crazy ass show.
2. Monsterific- This a collection of the many years of studio recording of lots of new songs and rocking revamps of old favorites. This is our best CD ever!
3.WooHoo -The King Dapper Early Years. Here's a collection of fun recordings from 1991-94. The roots of KDC were mighty weird and most folks in NE Ohio were baffled by our guts and insanity. And this is before we started playing all monster music and wearing capes and makeup!!

Surfaholics reissues also. Watch for a newly pressed “Tiki-a-go go” and our first unreleased recordings on “Platform Sandals”

Hillbilly Varmints are digging out of the trash our numerous basement tapes and making a full length CD compilation of some truly awful shit. Watch for their wrong minded antics on “Varmints Reuion”

The Space Needles CD that was recorded at Pearl Jam studios in 2003 will finally see the light of day. Zombo with an amazing array of cool, hip and swinging players knock out some fine burlesque/noise/blues/jazz on this Self titled release.

Also Zombo digs way deep into his archives to bring you...
1. The Best of Plastic Eye Miracle- His lo-fi techno beatnic experiments with Doug Wofsey and friends from 1988-91. This basement studio band had a flavor similar to The Residents and Ween. They had put out over half a dozen well reviewed full releases of some odd and interesting music. You won’t believe it’s Zombo.

2. The Best of The Bill Jones Show- (1988-90) These recordings are beyond weird. It’s silly and nearly childish music that you may hear in your head as you fall asleep. It’s Zombo at his uninhibited worst.

3. Best of Inch Eggs- (1989-92) Zombo’s journey into a thick, sick and long sonic wordless trance. It has been reviewed as being “The music in the waiting room in Hell”. Buyer Beware!

4.Baby Zombo- (1969-80) recordings. You will hear everything from a pre-pubecent Z and his next door neighbor banging and twanging some inept nonsense to his early 20’s experiments with sound. This collection has bits and pieces of found recordings from childhood and some primitive homemade electronics. No refunds.

5. Psychotronics-Hell Paso. Watch for this brand new Cd of Zombo, Jules and amigos kicking up dirt in a hot El Paso garage. 60’s garage and wild rock trash. Guitar, Bass, Drums, Sax, theremin and Congas a-plenty!

6.Mano Sol/Zombo- Another fine El Paso souvenir. Mano Sol brings forth layers of super cool and slick and mighty tasty beats, samples and loops. Zombo garnishes it with Theremin and Effected Upright Bass playing.

DVD’s...Every video (and maybe a few new cool ones) on this website will soon be all available on DVD..Watch the site..

Spring 2005 Dispatch....

I have been so goshdarn busy down here that I haven't had much time for updates to the site. Had a great winter down here..my first with sunny weather...ya get spoiled quick...This time next year we could be anywhere.So far,Julie has been getting job offers in New Mexico, Washington, California,and London England...and of course there's Pittsburgh! You know me, I am pretty resourceful, so I am up for anything. And I am in the Midwest for at least two months a year no matter what.

I can hardly wait to get the new webpage on this site with all the cool stuff happening at my screenprinting shop. There will be tons of cool shirts available and an instant shirt option!

Musically, the only thing missing down here is radio. I have managed to stumble my way into Bluegrass, Jump Blues, Garage, Instrumental, and World musics playing a variety of instruments. I hope to keep my steady gig writing for the local entertaiment weekly after we move. Plus my live DJ nights are still going strong. My big news is that I wil be DJing at Viva Los Vegas at the end of March in Vegas and that a new King Dapper CD will be released by a record label in England.

Still DEEP IN THE HEART OF TEXAS!

May 2004 Howdy and How!

What incredible things have been going on lately are well.. incredible!
First off, I now own “Zombo Screen Printing Co.” in my hometown of Canton, Ohio.
I have purchased an amazing full production printing company and my sister, Lola and pals Doug, Karen and Eric have transformed 3832 Cleveland Ave. into a Willie Wonka style workshop. We can do all your custom printed T-shirts, hats, mousepads, posters, rain panchos, record bags, jackets, well hell we professionally print anything..and at a lower price than anyone.. no fooling.. call 330-575-7775 for a quick quote!

Loving El Paso.. Have two weekly Dj nights. Two monthly Dj nights, A weekly entertainment newspaper column, In two bands (one Rawk, one Bluegrass), On the steering committee on the John Kerry Campaign (way cool), Julie and I will find it hard to return to Pittsburgh.. but we know it is inevitable.

Here's the Letter from when we first arrived....,Hola! We made it cross country to El Paso, TX. right on the Mexican border and the weather is idyllic. The folks are friendly. And the climate is ready for some real zomboness. Two months have flown by and already a nice list of good things have came our way. We are here two years and then most likely back to the 'burgh..the city that stays in your blood to hopefully open up our own venue. West Texas is a lot different than what you may think about Texas.. it's real south western.. it is sandwitched between New Mexico and Old Mexico. It is weird but now I am kind of returning to my Hispanic roots..Learning Spanish and having a hard time understanding the bigotry down here. Hey, joined the John Kerry campaign down here. Sure he is not the perfect candidate, but he can get this country back on the right path. Please vote and take your country back while you still can! So from the cloudiest place (Seattle) to Sun City (El Paso) all I can say for now is.. adois amigos!

AUGUST 2003 HEY HOWDY HOW ARE YOU LETTER!

US? Mrz. Z and I are doing mighty fine. The Pacific Northwest Summer is breathtakingly gorgeous! And each day is a real gem. WHAT HAVE I BEEN UP TO? Oh, Mr and Ms. Nosy...Plenty! On the radio live on KAOS in Olympia, Doing a goofy weekly stageshow/dj night at a large comedy club. Two boss bands. and still working on a weird record review book.

So things out here are coming along very nicely. We have made some close friends out here surprisingly quick and doing alot of nifty things like 30 mile biking tours, kayaking (which Julie says was originated in her homeland of Hungary..oh really?) Our dog, Pepper has turned into a total hillbilly hound out here..oy vey! My novelty business is doing super and keeping me out of "real work". And for once, I am catching up on little big projects I always say I will get to. Archiving massive amounts of music. My pal, the record geek has been lending me hundreds of rare 45's to compile. I finished my 15 CD MSR song-poem music box set. I will have it for sale (or trade) in a few months. Remastered all my AMAZING THRIFT MUSIC (a 10 year project) into 15 CD's also for sale (or trade) in a few months. Taking time to practice my Upright Bass and torturing the nieghborhood with Sax and Uke practicing. Learning how to do webpages, digital music editing and artwork on my IMac.

That brings me back to doing artwork again. Thanks to Matt from Portland, I do "pin-hole" photography. It's like how they took pictures in the late 1800's. I then dump them into the 'puter and graphically destroy them then have them printed out on canvas. I will be posting some "Zombotography" soon.

All in all, things are rather idyllic out here. But, in all honesty, Pittsburgh is our real home. It is hard to explain (or fathom). Our visits last July really solidified all that. There is something about that city. The way the oddballs are kings. Let's face it George Romero and Warhol are hometown dieties. Nutty Locals are respected. The openmindedness and generousity of the Club scene. The homestyle weirdness of WRCT and City Paper. And of course, the many truly fine friendly friends.

We have a grand plan for when we return.... ZOMBOWORLD! Our own nightclub! We've some devilishly kooky ideas. You will shit if we can pull off half of the nutty ideas we have. With the friends and opportunities the city contains, it's a natural.

In closing, I guess, you can say PGH is a city where you can afford your dreams.

Hope all is super for you, too...Drop me a line sometime.

yer pal Z

IN SEARCH OF HISTORIC ZOMBO
THE MADNESS NEVER ENDS.
Well, here I am in Pittsburgh and what a open , fun and warm experience. I really have nothing negative to say about anything here. You should think about moving here. One thing I found out quickly is that you can do anything you want in this town.
In the year and a half I have been here. I have a successful and befuddling radio show, a syndicated shortwave radio hour, an over the top madcap superhero rock band, nearly a steady full week's worth of great nightclub dj jobs (where I can play anything!), book a weekly rock and bowl night, and a weekly honky tonk music night. book big crazy events and manage to have an extremely healthy and happy relationship. And own a cool profitable side business. The kicker is it wasn't too difficult to achive. Hope you don't think I am boasting, but anyone can do it. Don't sell yourself short. All you have to do it find fun and productive things you enjoy doing, and do them.If you are lucky, it may even pay some bills!

THE KOOKY FUTURE
So after all this...what next?
In April 2003, Julie and I move to Seattle. She landed a killer job after completing her master's degreee. So hope thing's in the Pacific Northwest are great. I have heard super things about the area, so hope we can fit in. But plan on keeping ties in PGH and Ohio. Visitng, playing with the bands, djing and what have you whenever!
But for now, here's the nutty hijinx that I will attempt before our move.
1. The Bowling Allies- an all instrumental surfy kind of bowling band that will only be playing at the Asenal Lanes on Fridays after the first of the year. Matching bowling shirts and all bowling themed tunes. Pipelanes? Walk, don't run on your approach? and a cd "10 Pin Hits" available then.
2.Zombo's afterhours party- an all night radio show on Saturday night that will really be over the top.
3.More big events and big fun!
4. A Bollywood Going away party!
5.Watch my calendar of events for ?????

HUMBLE BEGINNINGS
This is a wacky kind thing to put into words and if you are reading this I guess you are bored or a potential stalker..Oh Well..I began in standup comedy. Failed. Got in to Improv theater. Written and Directed for Theater. Cool. Goofed around with Video. Waste of Time. Got in to a Stand up Comedy Team and did that for a job for quite a while.
Tried solo comedy. Failed. Started a Dj show on WAPS Akron 91.3 in 1992. Did that nearly a decade.
Started King Dapper Combo. It's still going strong after every possible good and rotten thing that can happen to a band. Did a stint with the Surfaholics. Real Blast. Formed the bizarre Hillbilly Varmints that still do a gig now and then. Played in Drifter, a loud instro band that most people hated. Put together Ghengis Leprechan, a silly skiffle band for St. Paddy's day. DJ ed live clubs. Annabelle's in Akron..did some seriously insane nights there for very little compensation. DJed the swing craze and made some fine moulah. I still pop back to Spy in Cleveland every now and then. Through all this, I have created an interesting way to DJ that folks find entertaining and befuddling.

THE HUMBLE MIDDLE PART
Moved to Pittsburgh and found a home in many ways.
Great wife. Acceptance for my radio show shenanigan on WRCT 88.3 FM. Got picked up for worldwide shortwave syndication on WBCQ The Planet 7.415 Khz. Live Djing around the country. The James Dean Gallery Rockabilly shows and the Philly Hotrod Hoedown to name a couple..
Started the most outrageous musical act ever. The Legion of The Incredibly Strange Superheroes. Superhero Retro Rock. Costumes and a original sound. Doing all kinds of events and infiltrating many avenues while running a successful side business manufacturing party decorations for a nationwide distributor. Doing a collectors record label. Life is something else.

WHY...AND HOW!
Think about this. How much time do you waste watching TV, Movies or Sports. If you can curb the amount of things you watch you can increase the amount of things you do. Try to do things that you find rewarding. I have and so can you. Life is what you can make it. In this country, we are lucky enough to be able to re-invent ourselves. I don't what to sound like a goof, but what quality of life is being a full time spectator. If you got this far check out my rant section.

Here is a little blast from the past lets take the Tour of Zombo's old pad just a short romp in a day in the life Zombo!