Nobody's exactly certain what Potluck Suicide is, nor will they ever really know - but the following might contain some helpful lamp-posts: In the midst of our ever-growing, Orwellian cyber-world, internet dialogue keeps popping up similar to what's pasted below:
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scholar and fool wrote:
[...] (sort of like
my irreplaceable _potluck suicide_ grr.)
Dude, i had that cassette! IIRC the lyrics went something like this
"it was a potluck suicide, wonder why he died, we all know but we
don't wanna tell" (oh well, it's been a looooong time). I loved that
tape until it inexplicabilly disappeared from my collection. I tore
the house apart but it was gone.
It still bothers me that i lost that one.
that's the one. great stuff. i still have the case with the liner,
but no cassette. i would love it if i could find someone who has it
and has transferred it to mp3 or wav or could make me a dub. or maybe
if someone knows how we could get a copy. that would rock.
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Back in college some friends recorded some songs. This was a season of life built on 3-D bricks and a particular iconic, yellow brick. The first collection of songs was entitled
"Potluck Suicide" - which some considered to be the name of the band. One particular "friend" named John Mabry is partly to thank (or blame?) for this project. The influences included the likes veterans
Daniel Amos and DEVO - along with some side-path experimental artists such as Laurie Anderson, The Residents as well as the Pebbles and Bam Bam duet. Some songs were "performed" at various minor gigs. Following the recording of the initial collection of tunes, a stream-lined recording was made with two additional songs ("Pastor on a Stick" and "Cabbage"). This came to be known by most as the first "Potluck Suicide" album (
considered by innumerable masses and mobs to be a true... classic). This cover art dawned a bleak white-out look as opposed to the original black-n-blue out cover art. Both were designed by a very gifted, and vocational artist named Andy H (that part has no tongue-in-cheek). You may peruse the white-out version at the
Key Records archive page by
going here. Thanks to people like Bruce Heavin, Tom Stephenson, Jeani Bond, Erin Hooper, and Dan Kennedy - among many others - a number of copies of this cassette got into the hands of people in some distant locales (including Belgium - believe it or not -
those poor people). Many copies were sold at a new music stand at one particular Cornerstone festival outside Chicago (
as someone reminded me just recently by email - the song "One Inch from Dumb" appeared on the ACM journal compilation CD - thanks to Tom Stephenson, and the song was played on radio stations all the way from Hawaii, to Seattle, to Florida, to Europe...). A follow-up album was also recorded entitled "
Stan Was A Plush Toy" which was an obscure kind of allegory of sorts featuring sandbox life and armies of Grand Torinos - among other things (
view here - art also designed by Andy H). As if that weren't enough ("please stop"), we recorded an "unreleased" tape of songs entitled "
We've Never Listened to Marc Plainguet (but we'd probably like his stuff)." To this day, virtually nobody has heard the songs on the latter album, although some "live" versions of its content have been presented at New Years' Eve events within our local food-fellowship circle - along with the commonly requested song "Potluck Suicide" - sung during actual potlucks. Typically a good time is had by all.
It's probably needless to say that these tunes are dripping with irony, contain much humor, and on occasion might even fit the category of "student art" (
although the songs do have a point - at least most of them : ) - every now and then a listener might stumble upon something very serious). There is a certain Erasmus-ian
In Praise of Folly element to much of the lyrical content which can certainly be influential - as "Folly" was on Luther, although I make no claims to be much of either of the aforementioned.
There have been a number of requests that these previously recorded songs would find their way online in some newer formats but until then, it's been discovered that some of them are being played on underground radio stations that feature offbeat play-lists. One internet station of this variety is called "
Regeneration Radio Live 365" and may be accessed by
going right here. So... go there... and check out a unique radio station with some bands you've probably never heard of.
Here is also another station that mentions Eric H from Potluck Suicide on the playlist.
We're thankful for many of these kindred spirits because, among other reasons, through them we're able to develop a much needed outlet for connection with people of similar interests. This site partly for some to experience "closure" - and partly for others to delve into a new opening. Who knows, maybe in the future previous music will be available on CD / online downloads - etc - and maybe we'll go back into the "studio" to cook up some new material. Until then, there remains a plethora of fellow pot-luckers - including people from the past, present, and future - who are interested in exchanging recipes regarding music, art, books, history, food-fellowships, and our old friend Tom Foolery. If you don't know Tom, you might take some time once in a little while to get acquainted with him.
This site will feed on both the old and the new. Feel free to email about any of the above as well as forwarding any/all your own links to be thrown into Ms. Potter's famous "linkage casserole."
Good luck. Eat up.
Your Friends,
Potluck Suicide
