This ain't no party...this ain't no disco...

Hello Flameheads,

This is an update to keep us all on the same figurative "page". We've got a few ideas that have been thrown out & this should bring (particularly those of you not on FaceBook) up to speed.

The new tentative date for FLAMESTOCK 2010 is the weekend of 7 Aug. Originally I (at least) had thought we could get maybe 40 people together. At the moment (unless some of you can think of that extra person to contact), it's seeming like we might be near 20. With this sort of number we aren't going to be able to work much magic in terms of a bargain hotel room or convincing a club to play 80s music for the night. Additionally, of those people who do plan to attend, quite a few are planning to stay with friends or relatives.

In this case, it might be a good idea to turn this into a picnic which could start in the early afternoon and run until we had to leave the park. Then, if some people wanted to continue to party, we could go to a nightclub.

So, what we need at this point is feedback on IF you will require accommodations (no response assumes you've got that figured out...in which case there's no reason to speak with a hotel). Additionally, we need to know if there are any other persons we could contact but you maybe just need assistance trying to reach them. If you respond to this post with a first & last name & last known city of residency, we can likely find them or somebody within the group will know something.

A few notes about the blog: orginally it defaulted to your having to have a Google mail acct. in order to respond. That should be cleared by now and ANYbody should be able to respond. Also, in case it wasn't mentioned elsewhere, this is not a "searchable" blog. You have to know the URL in order to find this. It will also not post your email along with your comment & there is no word verification. (Which means I might have to be more diligent about nuking ads posted by search spiders). Please feel free to pass the link on to others from the Flame Days to see if they have any interest in attending this year. If you have any other concerns, please hit this post back w/the question.

...This ain't no foolin' around,

e


Talking Heads: Life During Wartime

...Cause your friends don't dance and if they don't dance, well they're no friends of mine

Greetings, Friends of The Flame,

Some of you acquired pseudonyms back in the 80s. You should remember 'Jet Boy' and 'Jet Girl' (Kelly gave them those monikers). Jet Girl has enlisted the help of her...Jet Son to develop a FaceBook page. Though we can't cater to everybody on every format, you can now interact with other persons planning to attend FLAMESTOCK 2010 if you're on FaceBook by going to : Friends/Find Friends/ (typing into search box:) Flamestock 1980, then on the left margin will be a link to Join Groups. Request entrance and once accepted you'll be able to interact on a daily basis with other attendees of this year's reunion. Thanks Jayme and Maxwell!

Thanks to some research by Fitz (yep...Mike is In The House, y'all!), we've found that The Flame is now Jimmy B's Parrot Club. We're awaiting feedback on whether this venue will serve our purposes before approaching them with our proposal. He was also able to ascertain the Mission Coffeehouse and local gay club aren't operational any longer. If anybody has ideas for another club ... we're open for offers. The group that followed the NuMuzik gang occasionally partied in a shelter at a local park, but the shut-down time will likely be relatively early. Whatever the eventual venue, we will bring the music and the party to the locale.

We're continuing the search for more of the old crowd. If you have access to even one other person, be sure you check in with him/her and let them know we'd like to hear from everybody. We do need some sort of a body-count to know what to plan for.

Some people have noted that there are limitations to a blog. If you haven't been on one before, you can post as many WRITTEN posts (replys) as you want. It doesn't allow you to post pictures or links like (e.g.:) My Space does. However, since most people can bookmark this and check in periodically; plans are to retain this format for those who don't have time to play back YouTube links and just want to access the news. If you have other questions, please shoot an email to swingbilly@hotmail.com and I'll try to answer your question. Please put something identifying in the subject line or you'll go to Junk Mail and it will be discarded.

Dancing without a hat,

e 

Safety Dance: Men Without Hats                                                                           

...Boys in bikinis. Girls on surfboards. Everybody rockin'. Everybody fruggin'...

Wow.

New contacts are coming in rapid-fire like riffs from The Edge on guitar. Our theory is that each of us is still in touch with at least one other attendee of the Monday night scene from '81-'82. These reconnections seem to be happening very quickly. This is a good thing. Maybe in spirit we never really were apart.

We're looking for some input. Maybe somebody can offer a historical review of the Flame Days(e.g.: what was the actual start date?). Some who were there earlier (and possibly left for school elsewhere) can help those who were there longer (when Nu Muzik Night ... often called Punk Night channeled into New Wave Night and eventually twisted into something a bit different). How many of you out there took pictures & can get them digitized for posting on this blog & email exchange? Are many of you are on FaceBook b/c we're considering a more interactive counterpart to this blog?--This could be the Plan while the F.B. co-existed for immediate interaction. Let us know what you're thinking & what would make this party more fun.

Obviously, we want to operate on the 'cheap'. This blog costs nothing, as does a FaceBook page dedicated to us hardcores. However, looking forward to 4 July, a lot of us will require hotel rooms. To get these at a discount we'll have to probably promise some hotel we're committing to about 20 reservations...the more the better buying power we'll have to get lower rates. Some of us can share 2 bedroom suites. So, start thinking about the time it takes you to reach Point, the fact that the 4th is on a Sunday this year and consider blocking out those dates now either through your holiday or vacation time. We have people who are in other countries that can possibly plan a layover. Think about those of us who live in "connecting" cities and possibly flying in before they depart for Stevens Point. Many of us can carpool from cities in between our home and Pointski. Let's network people. Half the fun is going to be getting there.

The additional objective is to find a venue who'll take us in without any added expenditure of funds (beyond our own drinks). Having worked in some clubs for part-time jobs, I'm leaning toward (whatever The Flame is called now) the bar is probably going to need business that night. Most people should be out at fireworks, etc. for the holiday...not as likely in a bar. It's an otherwise 'dark' night for most clubs, especially those in a college town when school's out of session. Plans are to go to the present owner & ask if we bring our party to his/her bar that they will cater to us with the music they play--all 80s. We even have the MP3s (or records, if they prefer), so the club expenditure vs. its gains is rather obvious. If this club doesn't want at least four times its standard revenue for one night, then there will be another one that does. For nostalgia purposes, however, The Flame would be our preferred club of choice.

Now that everybody's on the same page, please offer up some feedback. We're looking forward to hearing opinions, options, ideas and just a scream or two of "it's good to be back in contact"!

Living in my own Private Idaho,

e

The B-52s:  Rock Lobster

Never Mind The Bollocks...

Welcome Oy Boys & Girls to that fabled place you thought would never exist...the H.Q. of The Flame's Nu Muzic Night Reunion: FLAMESTOCK 2010. After 30 years of hearing rumours about reunions, some of us have decided there is enough interest to pull us all together for one more night.

We're currently looking for a venue and a hotel to give us a group discount. Keep tuning in for further updates.

We mean it, maaaan!,

e

Anarchy In The U.K.: SeX pIsToLs