
Marcy Playground - Saint Joe on the Schoolbus Video The bastards have embedding disabled.
Does anyone remember the late 90's alterna-one-hit-wonder band Marcy Playground? I certainly do. I was a mere sixth-grader when the eponymous record came out in 1997, and while I didn't understand all of the lyrical content, I knew they had something going for them. Mostly the project of John Wozniak, the band had a talent for blending alterna-grunge riffs with psych and folk-rock elements that provided a base for great storytelling about topics such as suicide, hookers, opiates, and weirdos.
While best known for their Billboard Modern Rock hit "Sex and Candy," which stayed on the charts for fifteen weeks, the band's self-titled album is a great late 90's alternative gem that still shines today. Nonetheless, it seems as if the band was doomed from the beginning; their sophomore effort, 1999's Shapeshifter was a meager attempt at re-capturing the brilliance of the first album, and I lost track of them after that. I figured that they faded into complete obscurity and probably disbanded, but apparently they're still around. In 2004, they released MP3, and this year, they're back with Leaving Wonderland...In A Fit of Rage. Both are records that I haven't made an attempt to listen to, and maybe never will, but the self-titled debut will always hold a special place in my collection.
That said, Wozniak and crew are playing at The Icon in Pocatello this Thursday evening, along with locals Greyhouse Effect and Aaron Ball. If you dug MP way-back-when or are a fan of their later output, it's a great opportunity to see an almost forgotten band. They can't get away with not playing their old stuff, right? Or if you're just looking for something to do on a Thursday night in Pocatello, it might be worth checking out.
I guess my point is this: we here at Beat City Radio have a handful of tickets to give away, and all you have to do to score them is drop me a line here and let me know your favorite band and/or song from 2009 thus far. Of course, it's first come, first serve.
Thanks for listening, folks!
-LMK








