Showing my age
Two of my all-time favorite bands are reuniting for single shows in the next coupla weeks – Ten Hands (Dada 7/30) and Fever in the Funkhouse (Dada 7/25) !
I will never forget the first time I saw Ten Hands. It was literally the last day of high school in 1987 and a bunch of friends were going down to the West End to see New Bohemians that evening. Opening for them was this interesting band from UNT that sounded a lot like Adrian Belew/King Crimson – especially the guitar player. They had a Chapman Stick guy as good as Tony Levin in place of bass – too cool. The lead singer was full of quirky energy and banged the hell out of his keyboard. But the rhythm section – the drummer and percussionist – sheesh it was music all by itself. Totally impressed, I made a mental note to see them again.
Over the course of the summer I must have seen Ten Hands at least a dozen times. They played a weekly Wednesday gig at The Prophet Bar and not many people came to those shows – usually just me and my friends. It was like they were ‘my’ band. I would always stand close to the stage and dance my white ass off to their groovy tunes. They used that night to work on a lot of new material like ‘Love is the Question‘. Even as badass as they were it was fun to watch them screw up the opening stabs of the song. They would just make up songs during parts of the show – asking the audience for subject matter and then creating a wonderfully weird melodies and lyrics out of thin air. Many of those improvisations were turned into regular songs by the next week. Sometimes they would just let the percussion section jam for an hour. I loved every minute of it.
Before I moved to Austin for college I kept hearing about the town’s legendary music scene. I couldn’t wait to see what all the fuss was about. Unfortunately I left show after show under whelmed by almost all of the bands there. Most were comprised of sloppy players who wrote really forgettable songs. Luckily, Ten Hands made it down there a few times. People were really blown away by them – they had never heard such professionals before. I though it was really funny when Ten Hands would have to open for a shitty band like “I really can’t remember any names”. By the end of a set, the crowd who came to see the headliner was won over.
Two years later, things were very different. Ten Hands had gathered a huge flock of fans and they were playing to capacity crowds at Deep Ellum Live. By this time they had replaced drummer Matt Chamberlain with Earl Harvin. I didn’t think the band could get any better, but of course they did. Earl was simply a monster – easily the best drummer Dallas had ever seen. My friend Sam was buddies with Mike the percussionist and so we got to hang out with the band backstage before the gig. I asked Paul what it was like to go from playing for 5 people to 500 in such a short time. He was totally nonchalant about the whole thing.
I kept waiting to hear that Ten Hands had signed some big record contract. The world needed to hear this band. After all, they had songs like ‘Old Eyes’ which could have been mistaken for Peter Gabriel. I gathered that the band wouldn’t compromise it’s odd style for anyone and was happy to remain independent. They released several cds, but my all-time favorite was their initial cassette, Kung Fu – That’s What I Like. The Greenhouse Effect still gives me chills.
As the years rolled on, members came and went and at one point the band sort of tried to embrace that grunge rock garbage. Paul had even traded his keys for a guitar. They still played to a lot of people, but I wasn’t into it as much. I wanted the old band back. Eventually the band split up. They had a helluva run though.
In the last several years the band has reunited, with almost all of the original lineup, to play a sold-out shows at Dada. I don’t think they even rehearse – but hell, they don’t need to. The last reunion show I attended, the material sounded as fresh and energetic as it did 15 years ago. It will be a blast to see them again.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
I first heard Fever in The Funkhouse
when they opened for Ten Hands at 500 cafe (also the former Xpo). At that time the club had a great outdoor theater and it was filled up with fans buzzing about ‘The Next New Bohemians’. “We’ll see about that,” I thought. Fever had the same instrumentation as the New Bo’s, but to be honest, I really didn’t like what I heard. In my opinion they were unfocused and hadn’t really found their own sound. It was kind of New-Bo Lite to me.
About a year later I gave them another try. Everyone had grown up after numerous shows and tours. The sound was more southern and their own. They had lost the percussionist, which allowed drummer Brian Wakeland to shine. If you haven’t guessed, I’m really into drummers – no question they either make or break a band. I can’t say exactly what I like about Brian’s playing – I just like it. Nick Brisco had lost the nerdy glasses and looked and sang like a true rock star. He had written these gritty songs like Piss In The Wind and King Of White Trash. Really catchy stuff.
The most talented member by far was guitarist Chris Claridy. He never made a mistake playing memorably intricate picked hooks and slides. A true professional, he never was showy – he always held back a bit. He wouldn’t unleash a wild solo I know he was capable of – which created this sort of warm aching tension, like your veins calling for nicotine when none is around. I could watch him play for hours.
From then on, I made it a point to see them every chance I got. Like Ten Hands, when Fever would come to Austin they would open for some shitty band and absolutely destroy them. The Austin flavor of the day would sheepishly take the stage, dazed and confused by the aural decadence that had come before them. I loved it. I would be mean and shout out, “I’d hate to be the band that has to follow that!” But really I WOULD hate to be that band. Fever in the Funkhouse was that good.
They had everything – the look, a powerful lead singer, a superb rhythm section, an unmatched guitar player and most importantly, great songs with hooks everywhere. I was thrilled when I heard they got signed. Unfortunately their A&R guy left the label and the replacement didn’t ‘get’ them. Later they were dropped and eventually the band broke up. I often think that Fever would have exceeded the success of The Black Crows if given the chance. They really should have been that band from Dallas that everyone around the world knows. Still, I can’t wait to see what they come up with this Tuesday at Dada.
Rock!
I went to high school with Bryan and Nick! Are they really getting together for a reunion? That would be awesome and I wouldn’t miss it.
Even though they did call me Sludgemagruffin in Jr. High…
That last 10 hands dada show (was it about a year or year and a half ago?) was awesome. Really didn’t seem like they had lost a step at all. I’ve read some articles and it’s like you said-the record label wanted a disk full of “love is the question” type songs and the band was firm on being themselves, even if it meant no contract.
Did Fever play the Observer Music Awards? I want to say that Angela got us into that one when she worked for the Observer… They were great as well. I remember several drunken shows at trees, or Poor David’s, or wherever they landed. Hell-I still remember when nobody would listen to Jacopierce on the patio of the Rythym Room because they were just the acoustic douches playing “mellow tunes” outside providing a respit from the rock shows inside.
Is this a flashback, or is this reality?
mp
Yes Fever did play DOMA! I think I have an old VHS tape of that performance somewhere. WIll look for it now that you reminded me.
Fever is one of the best bands to come out of Dallas. They were doing alt-country before most other bands even thought of it…now it’s mainstream. I think Uncle Tupelo started around the same time. I can remember many nights when they tore it up and the crowds were going crazy. I have a cassette bootleg from 1990 from Trees or Dada, not sure. It is awesome.
Too bad things ended the way they did – today they would be a huge hit and could easily play all these festivals around the country.
I am from NYC but spent a lot of time in Dallas in the late 80’s/early 90’s on in Deep Ellum and the owner turned me on to both Ten Hands and FITFH.(The owner was a young woman..really cool – forgot her name). While i liked Ten Hands, I absolutely loved FITFH and saw them every chance I got when I was on Dallas. I recently found my cassette of “life stories n jam” and it still sounds great. I googled Fever and found this site. I haven’t thought of Club Dada in years. (I also loved eating at the Buffalo Club). I just ordered “then again” and can’t wait to listen to it.
If anyone has a tape of the reunion show, I will pay for a copy…MPF250@aol.com
Or send me a note..let’s chat…one of the great undiscovered bands of our time.
Whatever happened to the bass player in fever?
Also, the REAL reason Fever broke up is that Nick Brisco wanted complete total control of everything musical in Fever…..and wanted musicians he could tell exactly what to do. He was no longer interested in making the “Fever” sound……which was all of the Fever members writing together….I wrote nearly a third of the music. I had no interest in singing or writng songs then…..just contributing to the Fever music sound.
True, Polygram dropped our A&R rep, BUT our lawyer had 8 other labels offering a full record deal, vs the developmental deal we had with Polygram, but Nick had his sites set elsewhere. Not to mention, after being together a whopping two years, superstar Brisco was tired of playing the Fever songs! Nick told me, and i quote, “I am tired of playing these songs” referring to Snake in the Grass, Who’s to Say Who’s Free, Dont take it like that, EGO, and all the other songs that put us on the map. He was only interested in music that featured his music, alone.
At one point, we, Chris, myself, and Bryan all went with the idea of essentially doing Nick’s music. I remember audience members saying, also quoted, “Man….what is this stuff?, I want to hear the old Fever stuff”. Our A&R rep and lawyer also couldn’t believe the music we were playing. They asked why we weren’t playing the songs and sound that got us attention in the first place.
Nick is selfish, jealous, and manipulative….out only for himself. He is a brilliant lyricist, and a good songwriter. He has done good music since Fever.
Why has he not been signed or picked up? Simple, when you are in a band that has one of the largest record deals in the 1990’s offered to you (an unprecedented 8 album deal!), yet you are tired of playing the music (like Nick was) and you want total control over all aspects of music, and you consequently turn down the deal of the century, the record industy tends to blackball you. Period.
My story…..my say…..I was there……
There is so much more relatively recent crap than this too…..I just dont give a shit….and I believe in Kharma……Nick is just not worth it. I had my fair chance, loved it, cherished it, nurtured it, and appreciated it.
Jim Holbrook
Bassist…..formerly with Fever in the Funkhouse
Jim, thanks for the inside. I went to CVCC with Bryan and caught quite a few of your shows…you guys rocked. Did my own Bohemians clone band in Dallas and ended up in south Florida, on the beach, in a house band with Jazz guru Lucky Elden for six years. when I get back to Dallas we should jam.
Hey…this is really cool to find a thread on “Fever”!
Just wanted to chime in because there seems to be at least a few here with good concern who remember that time & music!
I am not very hard to find..Not famous…
I moved to NYC 2000 after spinning in circles around Dallas in the flostsam & Jetsam of The Fever Days, I completed two albums (with out Label Support) after Fever, “Pluto” & “Damn the Possibilities”, both are available for sale through my sites and online stores.
Once in NY I moved to Queens, (Astoria) got the dig on my Greek heritage, changed my name to Nikos Brisco made three more albums on my own, the solo Texas/Folk “GreekTexan”, “Centaur Battle of San Jacinto” (Cast Recording with Incidental Score) & “Songs & Sermons from Judges 19: Black Lung Exhaling” with Playwright Ruth Margraff.
Through my collaboration with Ruth Margraff in theater and music we have created “Cafe Antarsia Ensemble” and our new CD “Songs of the Table” will be released on INNOVA Recordings on October 16th 2007.
Along with doing live and recorded music for theater, I have put a great deal of research into Greek, Balkan, Romani, Turkish and Arabic music, scales and instruments. All of these things have influenced my sole and music.
In 2004 Ruth and I lived and studied music, history, and language with Gourbeti Roma in Valjevo, Serbia.
I am most thankful of all to the Romani musicians for being the best on earth and sharing a glimpse of the sun.
I am happy with myself and pleased with my struggle and efforts.
I know that some people hate and my story changes from person to person.
As for Fever, those were the days that I will always have a bitter-sweet heart for, maybe it is not in my makeup to be a Superstar, I would have loved to have had more cash flow in my life but I can’t say that fame would have made my life better.
I have never compromised my Artistic vision…I am outside of the box and cool with it.
I am thankful that people still remember my music with Fever..not trying to push my new or new old stuff but it is there if anyone wants to find it….also C.A.E is on Itunes.
PEACE & RAKIJA
Nikos Brisco (GreekTexan)
Not pushing your stuff?? Yah right……
What’s next? A greek puppet show performed over Fever tunes played by Serb musicians playing in odd meters?
What does your post-Fever resume’ have to do with why you walked away from Fever’s eminent success?
Your attitude was that you were beyond “all-that”…..you didn’t need, Chris, Bryan or me. You said you could replace us, and you did…..but you could not replace the chemistry or success Bryan, Chris, and I provided to make Fever complete.
You are selfish and turned away an extremely rare chance for success, for Fever……..and if you had any sense, doing one album with Fever would have given you a much better chance to go out on your own. It’s called doing a side-project or solo album….records often encourage them! But you were convinced you were a success ahead of your own time.
And now you squeeze out what you can from FEVER from myspace and Euro American Records without compensating those of us who created, participated, worked very hard in and even wrote in Fever.
Greed is not noble, nor just and cannot buy integrity!
Walking away from RARE success, with delusions that you are greater than the opportunities being offered to you, cannot even be described in any sane terms.
Sorry for the rant Jones Thing……I feel grumpy today! LOL!
Yeah, we shoulda all been rich famous rock stars
or not
bunch of stupid kids
but it sure was fun
all except the record label stuff
that was enough to make me never want to try again
I remember seeing Fever, and knowing it was something special right away
it was a golden era in Deep ellum for sure
too bad there were bad feelings, egos (i had a big one) and such
I cant remember too much about those days now
and thats ok
I love everybody again
Hey Jim,
I wondered what ever happened with your music life. Hope all is well.
Oh man, I am late to this. Have been busy raising a family and my career that I don’t get on the computer much. Then YouTube comes around and i am up late looking for old bands and last night decided to look you guys up.
Didn’t find anything. But a Google search did. Missed the New Year’s Eve show! But was out of town anyways. Damn.
Yes, have Life Stories and Jam. I was a regular in Deep Ellum since 1985. New Bo’s and Ten Hands – can’t think of a show I missed. Fever came later and I feel the same way as joneserooni. Man who are you – how do I not know you?
Was not initially overly impressed – terrible vocals, a little too like New Bos in some ways. But yes, guitar, bass and rhythm was great. Saw them every chance I could.
I remember the whole Nick Brisco thing about new material that sucked and thinking he was the shitz. I began to lose interest. But I always love the cassette I have and was going to buy the CD but now wonder if nobody is getting paid except nick?
help!