Folks Y'oughtta Know: Shane O'neill

The first time I saw Shane O'neill was about seven years ago.  Shane was fronting the local rock outfit "Screamin Cyn Cyn and the Pons".  I hugged him and thanked him for being awesome, and went on my way.  Three years later I started dating one of his best freinds, Grace, who eventually became my wife.  I moved in with Grace and Shane, and we lived together for a couple of years.  Sometimes you hear someone say how such-and-such's life would make for a good reality show.  This is true for Shane.  For real.  Every day, every moment of Shane's life is a story to behold.  He is genuinely one of the funniest people I have ever had the pleasure of knowing.  Sometimes he's funny on purpose.  Usually he just is, whether he's trying or not.  Shane moved to New York City awhile back.  Screamin Cyn Cyn and the Pons still get together for a show once in awhile, otherwise Shane performs on his own under the "Shane Shane" moniker.  He has opened for Del tha Funky Homosapien, and Lady Miss Kier, among many, many more.  Shane exudes creativity, originality, and do it yourself positive energy.  He is sweet, kind, and human.  Shane is a great American, he should be a household name.

Folks Y'oughtta Know: Joe Pickett and Nick Prueher

I met Joe Pickett when his family moved to Neillsville around 1990.  I can't imagine how dull and sad my middle/high school years would have been if Joe had never moved to town.  Joe would make me be part of his pranks, and real-life comedy improv, like dressing up like old men and going to the movies, or acting like I didn't speak english and he was my interpreter. Joe's interest in good underground hip hop in rural Wisconsin in the early 90's made him more punk rock than anyone I knew.  Joe would print up signs saying things like, "smoking encouraged in gymnasium" and hang them up before basketball games.  Joe and Nick Prueher had been close friends before Joe moved to Neillsville, and they got back together during their college years, and began making short films.  Soon they began work on "Dirty Country", a documentary on R-rated country musician Larry Pierce, but when their budget ran out, they put together a show featuring the best of the worst found VCR tape footage they had acquired in thrift stores and garage sales over the years, and called it the "Found Footage Festival", to fund their movie.  The FFF struck a chord with audiences all over the world, and they've been on tour with the show since 2004.  Joe and Nick are comedic geniuses  and great Americans, I think they should be household names.

Folks Y'oughtta Know: Jacy Catlin

I met Jacy Catlin almost twenty years ago in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.  I was fresh out of high school, playing in  a punk rock comedy troupe called the Beatles, and I knew this man was destined for great things.  Jacy and I were never really friends, more like casual aquaintences, I admired him from afar.  In truth, I felt he was a comedic mastermind, to the point that I was truly intimidated by him, even though the man is one of the nicest and most humble people I have ever met.  Before I had even met Jacy, I had come across a couple issues of "Boba Fett", a kind of cartoon zine he had put together in a punk rock format.  Later on, I got my first look at the legendary zine, "I Eat And Drink Diarrhea", a love it or hate it collection of childish comic strips and essays based on poop and pee humor.  I have three issues that I read to this day, nothing makes me laugh out loud, over and over again like IEADD.  Jacy put together a few bands, most notably the Pale Riders, a perfect blend of Ennio Morricone and punk rock.  Jacy also had a few short videos online that were absolute comic genius.   I felt like he was one of my great comic secrets until recently, with the advent of twitter, Jacy has tens of thousands of followers, and is getting more attention everyday.  Most recently, his Vines have been getting a lot of attention, this shit is funny to the max, and if you don't get it, I don't get you.  Jacy is a great American, I think he should be a household name.
 

Folks Y'oughtta Know: Sam Mcpheeters

About fifteen years ago, a friend turned me on to Born Against, and it was one of those moments where you discover exactly what you have spent the great majority of your time looking for.  Born Against was crusty and mean, while retaining a sense of humor and ripping riffs that were infectious, powerful and unique.  The lyrics were actually smart and insightful.  Born Against's brand of punk rock would become the standard for me, even to this day.  Sam Mcpheeters was the voice of Born Against.  In the early 90's he started Vermiform Records, I still buy anything I can find on the Vermiform label, and am rarely disappointed by what I get.  In '94, I came across a cd by the band "Mens Recovery Project", featuring none other than my man Sam.  MRP was to the synth/noise genre what Born Against was to punk.  It was kind of in the genre, but way more than that.  It was weird, funny, scary, timeless.  Later still, Mcpheeters came out with his spazzy-rock band "Wrangler Brutes".  I recently bought their album Zulu for the second time.  Again, ahead of it's time, Zulu is raw and real. Sam is also a fantastic artist and writer, he has written pieces for Huffington Post, the Village Voice, and Vice, and has recently finished his novel "The Loom of Ruin".  I think Sam is a great American, and should be a household name. Somehow, Sam's writings and artwork perfectly encapsulate mankind's tendency to be, and to remain completely, hilariously, and frighteningly absurd.  Check out the jams: