I think I was thirteen when I realized music would always be more to me than a casual listening experience. Growing up in Tacoma, Washington, I spent many days hidden in my room with stack of lps and 45s purchased from our local vinyl store, The Roots and Rhythm Record Shop. With my Danelectro, I would learn the hits of the day with hopes that I would one day share the stage with local heroes like The Sonics, The Kingsmen, The Unusuals, and The Raymarks. With no band mates to be found, I thumbed my way south, meeting up with all sorts of strangers and characters who would influence me one way or another. The intensity of the speedfreaks, the unfettered enthusiasm of the evangelists, and the style and pervasive cool of the mods all helped to mold the young Conrad. Along the way, I met some fellow musicians, and we eventually settled in the barren, unmerciful land of Truth or Consequences, New Mexico. On the fateful evening of October 22, 1967, we christened ourselves The Crucials! Biff, Bang, Pow! For a few seconds, the ground shook and extremities were numb, for the earth and the heavens foresaw the psychotic soul shakedown that would ensue. Rambunctious tours followed as we spread the word of our neo-rock agenda. Smash the system! Music and action used together! The joyous sounds of the future! Then tragedy! At a show in Bellingham, Washington, The Crucials attempted to defy mortality and literally bring the house down. After our last song, “Helicopter Gunship,” I climbed atop my Sun amplifier and grabbed onto the lighting rig. The rig did not hold, and destruction and chaos ensued. Darkness and sleep for what seemed like an eternity. Suddenly, I come to, and it is the year 2001. The Crucials are next to me, and we’re the same age as when we met our demise in 1969. After regrouping and hearing about the N.H.M.D.R.E.’s agenda (see our group bio), we gathered up new equipment and returned to accomplish our now-decades long mission. When I am not playing with The Crucials, I am trying to catch up on all the sounds I missed out on during our hiatus. The Velvet Underground! The Stooges! The New York Dolls! New York! Detroit! The Mooney Suzuki! OHMYGOD! Also, when I’m feeling pretentious, I like to assume the role of the rock critic and write about the music I love. If you would like to see some of these, follows these links: http://www.unpop.com/reviews/cd/liliput.html http://unpop.com/reviews/cd/usmaple.html I have also written for the Austin-based Pop Culture Press, which can be purchased at www.popculturepress.com GOOD TASTE STIFLES CREATIVITY!
