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Music "the View From Nowhere"

Music "the View From Nowhere" image
Parent Issue
Month
November
Year
1994
Copyright
Creative Commons (Attribution, Non-Commercial, Share-alike)
Rights Held By
Agenda Publications
OCR Text

MUSIC

"The View from Nowhere"

by Alan Goldsmith

 

Ron Asheton: Rock and Roll Actor

You're watching MTV, a commercial for MCI comes on and CRASH! It's the classic "1969," from one of the best bands ever, The Stooges, and the guitar sounds just as hot, just as dangerous, just as perfect in 1994 as it did 25 years ago. Or you pick up Rolling Stone (or any other hipster music magazine) ad some Seattle grunge band is whining about angst, life, the poetry of rock, and how Stooges' guitar god Ron Asheton was the force that saved their soul. Or just look at your record collection and the light bulb goes on--The Stooges and MC5 leads to the New Dolls and The Ramones leads to The Sex Pistols, leads to any metal guitar band (pick one), to Nirvana and Pearl Jam (even Guns and Roses) on one level, and Wig and Big Chief on the local scene.

Ann Arborite Ron Asheton is/was one of the true originals of the rock 'n'roll guitar. Co-writer of two of the best tunes of all time--"No Fun" and "I Wanna Be Your Dog" from his days with Iggy Pop and The Stooges, he's still kickin' it out from his home on Ann Arbor's west side.

But today, the energy, the fire, and TERROR of being a unique American artist takes two different but related forms--film, as well as rock 'n' roll.

The rock 'n' roll is his band Dark Carnival. Fronted by artist/singer Niagara and featuring Asheton on killer guitar, the band is scary, mystical, and sounds like the soundtrack to a night in hell, or maybe a band that Edgar Allan Poe would have formed if he were alive today. In other words. more freshly original stuff that stretches the boundaries of rock 'n' roll.

Asheton is watching a video of clips of his soon-to-be-released movie "Mosquito," and talking about Dark Carnival's recent trip to New York City. "We played the Knitting Factory and Maxwell's and it was fantastic. Both places were packed with everyone from 18-year old punks to 60-year old Stooges fans. I must have signed a hundred autographs!"

The trip was Asheton's first NYC gig in 12 years and a weekend pick in both The New York Times and Village Voice. Record producer Don Fleming (Screaming Trees, Alice Cooper, etc) was on hand about a Geffen Records funded Dark Carnival release on Caroline Records. Thurston Moor of Sonic Youth was at both shows to pay his musical respects. And the night was another taste of the real thing for Motor City starved Big Apple music lovers in general.

With record releases on French, Australian, and even American independent labels, and a reputation that grows by the year, how come Dark Carnival rarely plays their hometown? Two words--no respect from local club owners. "The last time we played the Blind Pig we were treated like dog shit. And that's really the only place in town that suits us. The door person dropped the agreed-to cover charge, and though the place was packed, we made very little money. Who needs that? says Asheton. "I'd rather spend my time making films than beating my head against the wall in local clubs."

On the television screen are scenes from Asheton's new movie. "Mosquito," in contrast to local rock 'n' roll, is local cinema art. Directed by Gary Jones and filmed in southeastern Michigan, Asheton plays a cigar-smoking, wise-cracking forest ranger who helps fight off a nuclear invasion of giant killer insects. Judging from the clips it's funny as hell and looks like a million dollars in spite of its budget of a third of that. The actor who played Leatherface in "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" also stars, and with Asheton's comic presence, "Mosquito" is a hoot.

While still one of the great guitarists, Asheton's film resumé slowly has increased over the past few years. "Mosquito" is actually his eighth movie. "The Carrier" (ed. note--it's showing this month at the State Theater, see page 15), "Hellmaster," "Kill The Lawyers," and "Legions of the Night" (another soon-to-be-released flick) all feature Ron Asheton in what has become his trademark role--a character that has dark stuff bubbling under the surface while on the surface it's a smart-ass, carefully controlled, comic book film presence.

"Acting is just as important to me as writing a song like 'No Fun.' I love Dark Carnival, and playing the guitar and it's wonderful having someone come up to you and tell you how you saved their soul. But film and acting are the center of Ron Asheton as an artist in the 1990s. i want to be involved in films just as good as The Stooges and Dark Carnival were and are as rock 'n' roll bands."

And the Ann Arbor wave of record company signings ala Big Chief and Wig? "I've known Preston of Wig for years, from is days in The State. I wish him well, but the last time I saw him, he was driving a cab and picked me up. And Barry and the Big Chief guys used to come to my house all the time when they had their magazine (Motorbooty). It's cool that both bands tell me how much they love The Stooges and my guitar. I wish 'em well!"

Ron Asheton pops the "Mosquito" video from the VCR and mentions his next sci-fi flick, "Men in Black," he's working on, this time as a producer. From rock 'n' roll legend to films that rock and roll. An American original in more ways than one, Ron Asheton is making Ann Arbor less of a "nowhere" every day.

 

That's our living history lesson for this month. Don't forget to mail your music tapes, CDs, film scripts and whatever else to AGENDA, The View From Nowhere, 220 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI 48104.

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