RIP Lux Interior (1946-2009)
Man, we've lost a lot of greats recently. Levi Stubbs in October, Ron Asheton in January, and as of yesterday at 4 AM Pacific, Lux Interior, the lead singer of the Cramps.
The Cramps were a great fucking band. Punk rock you can twist and grind to. The music was funny, it was sexy, it was campy and it was great. A decrepit drive-in movie decked out in leopard print and red lipstick, hopped up on speed and ready to fuck shit up...but also totally aware of its absurdity.
When I think of the Cramps, I think of two things. The first one is riding in my friend's old Mercedez my senior year of high school. On beautiful California afternoons, stoned out of our minds, we'd drive to our favorite burger stand after school, blasting the Cramps the whole way there. With a Marlboro red hanging out of my mouth, my head moving to the beat of "Goo Goo Muck," I felt cooler than I'd ever felt before. The other thing I think of, oddly enough, is WOZQ. I think of subbing late-night shows with DJ Löwenbräu, turning out the lights, pumping up the studio speakers, and dancing like crazy to "Rock on the Moon" until we had to stop for fear of a heart attack.
The Cramps were a great fucking band. Punk rock you can twist and grind to. The music was funny, it was sexy, it was campy and it was great. A decrepit drive-in movie decked out in leopard print and red lipstick, hopped up on speed and ready to fuck shit up...but also totally aware of its absurdity.
When I think of the Cramps, I think of two things. The first one is riding in my friend's old Mercedez my senior year of high school. On beautiful California afternoons, stoned out of our minds, we'd drive to our favorite burger stand after school, blasting the Cramps the whole way there. With a Marlboro red hanging out of my mouth, my head moving to the beat of "Goo Goo Muck," I felt cooler than I'd ever felt before. The other thing I think of, oddly enough, is WOZQ. I think of subbing late-night shows with DJ Löwenbräu, turning out the lights, pumping up the studio speakers, and dancing like crazy to "Rock on the Moon" until we had to stop for fear of a heart attack.
So whatever your beliefs are, say a prayer, light a candle, pour some champagne onto the floor, or just do what I did, put on Songs the Lord Taught Us as loud as your speakers can go, turn off all the lights, put your inhibitions in a jar, and cut a fucking rug. Invite your friends. Go crazy.
RIP Lux, you are already sorely missed, but wherever you are, I hope you know that your music will be making sweaty boys and girls gasp desperately for breath, clutching their chests, in college radio stations, bedrooms, backyards, etc. until the end of time.
2 comments:
oopz
Dude, it's cool. He's worth more than one blog post.
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