Megaphone Records called them “One of the most bizarre ‘rock’ bands in the world (especially seen live). Songs about microwave ovens, day care, bar-b-que sauce on your penis, benadryl and stress. Truly capturing the essence of Baltimore.”
{Mike Bell (drums, percussion -SubMensas, Con-Airs)} was in the band during its genesis, just before he moved to NYC. “I had known both Fred Collins (Motor Morons) and Jason Willett (1/2 Japanese) when they started The Pleasant Livers back in 1989 or 1990. I played drums on their first recording session, done at the production studio at UMBC, with Jason engineering, if I remember correctly. I really can’t remember who else was there playing on the recording, or the songs. One of them might have been “Big-Headed Baby”. It was a very avant-guard / free jazz session, with Fred’s maniacal stream-of-consciousness rants and ravings guiding the band… As far as I know this was circulated as a demo tape, or maybe a cassette release.”
“I played a 2-night stand with them at The 14-Karat Cabaret before I moved to NYC, playing drums / percussion along with Steve Blickenstaff (Frederick Maryland’s “The Skeptics”). It looks like Dennis Crowley on bass (Skeptics, Con-airs), and Jason Willet is playing accordion, keyboards, and slide-guitar, and I can’t remember the other guy’s names… There were also films being projected onto the sheets behind us, as well as the band, courtesy of Fred’s massive film and video collection.”
“These photos are from early 1990 at the 14-Karat Cabaret on Saratoga Street. I don’t remember who the photographer was. I brought an Instamatic camara and gave it to someone who took the photos and gave it back to me. The only other thing I remember about the evening was that I was very sick and had taken a bunch of cold medicine , and I was really woogie and out of it, and barely remember anything else about the two nights we played there.”
Steve Blickenstaff (drums) / Jason Willet (slide steel guitar) / Mike Bell (percussion)
Photos courtesy of Mike Bell.
Their first album “From the Land of Pleasant Living” featured Fred Collins (vocals –Motor Morons), Jason Willett (bass –Half Japanese), John Dierker (saxophone –Swingin’ Swamis), Charleigh Chadwick (guitar), Lyle Kissack (drums –Candy Machine), with guests Glen Sorvisto (drums, vocals), and Paul Hoskins (baritone sax). Described by Benb Gallaher as “a stupendous relic, and a sorrowful reminder of how stiff and guarded people were during the dismal (and now nostalgia-prone) 1990s. This album is a life-affirming day at the carnival that sometimes veers into sinister realms for everyone’s amusement.”
Members of the Pleasant Livers morphed in and out of other bands and recording projects mostly spearheaded by Willett (member of Half Japanese, and owner of Tru-Vine Records in Hampden). The group continued to develop through the ‘90s and ‘00s, adding drummers Bob Wagner, and Glen Sorvisto.
Their second album featured recordings circa 2002-03 described as “organic free space/stone age Baltimore ‘rock’.”
The Pleasant Livers played at the Knitting Factory in New York City for “The Band That Would Be King Weekend” supporting the documentary about the band Half Japanese. They also traveled to Sydney, Austrailia where they performed at the “What Is Music” Festival.
1995(CD) Megaphone Limited 002 From the Land of Pleasant Living
2007(CD) Megaphone Limited 021 Big Headed Baby
