Wednesday, March 23, 2011

R.I.P. Zoogz Rift

Repost from July 19 2009

What can you say about a guy like Zoogz Rift? He's a self-described DADA artist that flows like water; he's an ex-professional wrestling manager; he's written some amazingly catchy and complex songs -as well as some splendidly annoying ones. What ever you say about him, the sad truth is that after 30 years, he is only a footnote in rock history. In a world filled with Billy Joel and Bruce Springsteen, it's a travesty to say the least.
My friend Nick and I drove down to Los Angeles to catch what I think may have been his last show some years ago at Mr. T's Bowl (check out the video I uploaded to youtube). He wasn't well enough to play guitar and his eyesight was failing him. He still put on a great, funny show. Unfortunatly, bandmate Richie Haas lost his battle with cancer recently, so Zoogz and the Amazing Shitheads are sadly no more.
From the psycho "Ostriches have sex too you know" to the mellow, but biting "What can we feed to the lions", "Idiots on a Miniature Golf Course" has been an album on permanent rotation since my high school days.

Liquid Maomo

4 comments:

  1. where's the vid? I love Mr. T's I used to live up the street.

    ReplyDelete
  2. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrmvVcHv-3k

    ReplyDelete
  3. Wow, this album is right down my ally. How have I not heard of Zoogz Rift before?

    Pity it is an RIP-style post. But wow...those songs!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Also check out his records: Island of Living Puke, Murdering Hell's Happy Cretins, Torment and others...

    ReplyDelete