Where Are They Now?

Metro Sept 30

Over nearly two years whenever I’ve take the train, I’ve seen that old sign on a fence on an abandoned lot just outside of downtown. Curiosity finally got the best of me, so today I decided to try to find out whatever became of the legendary Slitheryn. Or who they were to begin with. And how the gig went.

First I discovered that the gig was in 2001 and the whole lineup for the night was Gravelbone, Lungbrush, Slitheryn, Eli Stone, Taxi War Dance. Right off the bat, they aren’t even top three as far as band names are concerned. Lungbrush wins that, followed by Taxi War Dance and Gravelbone. I’ll research them another day. I don’t know how the gig went, but it was a Sunday show and judging from their names I’m guessing that they tried to rock.

They do have a myspace page. But so does every three year old that can sing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and My Ding-a-Ling. But Slitheryn’s page at least gave me a taste of their music, which seems to be often classified as Nu Metal. I thought Nu Metal was some sort car wax sold on late night infomercials but it’s apparently some sort of post-grunge, heavy metal fusion stuff. I enjoy some metal on occasion, but not being a connoisseur it all sounds pretty much the same to me. Oh, and Slitheryn is on hiatus. That means that one of them either knocked up a girlfriend, ended up in jail or rehab, or lost the fire in his heart and got a job at Jiffy Lube, and you probably won’t get a chance to see them together again.

Unless you go to YouTube.

I'm not like you
In anyway
Back away
I don't care what you have to say to me

Those are lyrics from their hit Different. I’m guessing that’s their hit since they somehow ended up with a video of them performing it in Japan. I don’t think it quite sold as many as Cheap Trick’s Live in Budokon, but they did what they could without the magnetism of Robin Zander or the charisma of Rick Nielsen. I want you to want me… the dream police, da-na-na-na-na-na… your mama's all right, your daddy's all right, they just seem a little bit weird… Sorry, I digress.

In a previous post I mentioned that I never regretted missing a night of television, but I have regretted missing too many concerts. I don’t think this is one of them. But maybe I’ll start asking around the train. I’m sure some of my fellow commuters just saw that bitchin’ sign on the side of the tracks and were lined up early that Sunday to catch that once in a lifetime show. And when I find that person, oh, the stories they’ll tell....