I recently posted a still photo I shot from the Thriller Zombie Walk held in Wicker Park last weekend. Here’s a short film (work in progress) on the event. Thanks to The Goblins for the soundtrack music, and thanks to Martin and Lindsay (the Zombie Walk organizers) and all of the spectacular, gorgeous zombies.
“Monks–The Transatlantic Feedback,” will be showing at the Gene Siskel Film Center from Friday until Tuesday (12/26 to 12/30). Thirty years before alternative became a retarded marketing buzzword; decades before mopey indie rock became the anthem of Jetta commercials; years ahead of the Ramones and the Sex Pistols and Sonic Youth; there was the Monks: a gang of American GIs who shaved their heads like monks and devised their own abrasive, rhythmic, anti-pop sound, making ingenious use of banjo, electric organ, and unhinged vocals with lyrics like:
Well I hate you baby with a passion, yeah, you know I do
(But call me!)
Oh, you know my hate’s everlasting baby yeah, yeah, yeah
(But call me!)
Here’s a picture of front-Monk Gary Burger performing with the Goblins (yes, that masked longhair is none other than The Phantom Creeper) in 2006.
Update: Do you know what GI stands for–as in GI Joe? Galvanized iron, according to many Internet sources. Anyone out there have a real source for that?