The Vertebrats

The Vertebrats.   How do I explain the Vertebrats?  I came to town here in August of 1980...barely 18...rooming in Allen Hall with my friend Eileen.   First night we did some kind of dorm thing and met a girl named Doreen.  We went back to her room and l istened to Bowie and the Sex Pistols.  I think it was the next night we went to a street dance put on by a frat-----and the band was The Vertebrats.  Life was never the same.

The next night we tracked down a couple of fake I.D.'s and went to see them at Mabel's.  I think cover was $3 but it might have been $2.  I think we went the next night too.  And missed them only a handful of times after that. 

Too many anecdotes to recount.  Stealing their posters----we topped our dorm room walls with them---you know, a precursor to all those wallpaper borders.  I still have a big roll of them somewhere----can't seem to find them.

I feel like I grew up on the Brats and yet they weren't around that long.  Many friends had crushes on the guys.  I just had a crush on the band as a whole and besides....I had my eye on this  tall, shaggy, blonde guy that worked at Record Service.  He was REALLY BAD at flirting.  Oh well....it's a good trait to have in a husband I guess.

My 18 year old self is still in those songs----along with the 43 year old self too I guess.

Comments

[Stephanie]

The Vertebrats were great. When the Brats played, Mabels was packed full of sweaty kids. I heard that Courtney Love covered one of their songs.

[cynthia]

I know---those were great nights---can't believe how long ago they were--doesn't feel that way. Here's a link to an article about this song:

http://vertebrats.blogspot.com/2006/05/nice-article-about-left-in-dark-by.html

[Nick Garcia]

The Vertebrats are an amazing band and I will forever be jealous of your firsthand accounts of their performances. I've played drums to the Thousand Day Dream collection more than any other album. I'm glad you posted your account of them, as the Vertebrats are largely absent from the internet. (Yes, even Allmusic and Wikipedia.) Thanks!