Table Talk: I Know its only Rock & Roll, but...

Cooper (who Todd also refers to as "pookey") with Todd Smith of former Dog Fashion Disco, Polkadot Cadaver, Knives Out and El-Creepo!

Cooper with Keys of Polkadot Cadaver in OKC 3-18-2010

This week's performance by Polkadot Cadaver at The Conservatory in OKC made me remember some of my other favorite rock&roll moments; whether "15 minutes of fame," or a life long journey of supporting local musicians.

Talking about music for me is like some people talking about their grandkids. I hope you'll tell me about your enjoyable music memories, or at least enjoy remembering them too!

One "music memory," in 1977, Fleetwood Mac came into National Car Rental in downtown OKC where I was working. I helped to rent them transportation to make it to their venue in Tulsa, OK. They invited me to join them at their venue and said if I could make it, they'd have two back stage passes for me and a guest at the door. I was 20 years old, and I took my sister, who was sixteen. We shocked the people at the ticket window when we arrived when I told them my backstage pass was waiting, and they said, "yeah, right;" but they found them and said, "Oh, yeah, You're right, they're here!" We were escorted to the backstage and watched the whole concert from backstage as Stevie Nix was singing onstage. Everyone went out to Denny's afterward with the band and stayed out till the sun came up! I made it back to OKC just in time for work the next morning, minus any sleep!

The most recent experience before this week's concert was in October 2009 with RevCo, meeting Sin Quirin, the guitarist for Ministry and RevCo (or The Revolting Cocks) and Josh, the frontman for RevCo, as well as Jim Rose of the Jim Rose Circus. They were in OKC together recently. Jim nicknamed me "Shy Girl" and says I am "a rock star." We saw Ministry's last tour in Tulsa on March 16, 2008 along with Burton C. Bell of Fear Factory as a surprise guest, also bands Meshuggah,, from Stockholm, and Hemlock, from Las Vegas which we also got to meet!

One of my most favorite musicians has been Ogre Nivek of Skinny Puppy, also in the project Rx, and his OhGr project, but appears with Ministry, KMFDM, &; Pigface. We went to Dallas, TX to see Skinny Puppy's MythMaker Tour in June 2007. We were at the front rail during the concert, with only a walk space between us and the stage, so I was able to get pictures with my cell phone occasionally. I had to leave the rail temporarily for the first performance, when Otto von Schirack came on stage. The sound was at the highest legal limit, of course, but the rapid drum machine made the floor and everything vibrate so much I literally couldn't breathe! I had to step to the side until White Mice came on, just as loud, but different sound effects. I managed to get my place back and then after White Mice, da- dah-dah- dahhhh!: Skinny Puppy!!! Ogre looked straight into my eyes as he sang, repeating from the Process Album, Hardset Head, "...No excuses, excuses, excuses, excuses,(x7)" which is now riveted into my mind. Ogre is very gracious, generous toward fans, and we had the opportunity to meet him backstage after the concert; but I decided not to wait. I had to drive back to OKC from Dallas afterward during a heavy thunderstorm.

Ongoing support/promotion for local musicians include my daughter Ariele's dad, Josh, front man of Hopeless Destroyers in Kansas City, MO; his brother, Justin's band, Dark Ages, and Justin's wife, Robin's band, Street Legal, all in KC, MO; Gary Shilling, front man of Pulpit Red of OKC; Cooper Judd front man of projects including Warped Corpses in OKC; SubSanity, a thrash band originally from Pauls Valley, OK, esp. original members through 1994; and a former band, Hate Party of OKC, reminiscent of Flipper! Check them out on sites like myspace, youtube, reverb nation and others!

photos:
Ministry's "C-U-La-Tour" March 2008, not the best view, but the mosh pit was sooo crazy you couldn't get closer, when we tried, they passed Ariele's friend around till he ended up right in the same spot again!