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Leath Shover Barnett
- Female
- Michiana Shores, Indiana
- United States
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Leath Shover Barnett's Page
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Boy does this make me homesick. Lived just around the corner, across from Peoples Park. Saw Purple Rain here, Cat People, and some crazy Ryan O'Neal movie that I think was called So Fine - about a blue jean fashion trend with the back pockets torn o…
Profile Information
- What Instrument(s) Do You Play
- Voice, Don't Play Anything
- About Me
- I first moved to Bloomington in August 1981. I rented an apartment across from Peoples Park, up the broad metal staircase above what was then the vintage clothes shop Eye Of Osiris. My first day in town I got a job at the Penguin on the corner of Kirkwood and Dunn. A great group of guys worked there, many of them musicians, who were fans of reggae, ska, and punk music. I had come from Michigan City where the entire punk scene consisted of my little brother Tom Shover (then 17), the 2 guys in his band - The Rodents, and me. We had fallen in love with the music and the clothes in around 1978. I don't know what Tommy's magic moment was, but I'll never forget mine. I was by myself one afternoon, working at Quality Bakery, and Elvis Costello's "Green Shirt" came on the radio. It was truly a pivotal moment in my life, as if something almost physical had shifted inside of me. I felt an immediate connection. I'm sure it's a very common story -- I was a loner, bookish, shy by nature, felt awkward socially and, although I had friends, didn't really feel like I fit in. There was something about that song at that moment that moved me and showed me a new door that I was eager to step through. Most important, it made me feel like I wasn't alone.
Back to Bloomington and the Penguin. I was thrilled to have met these amazing guys. They told me they were starting a reggae/ska band and said they were looking for someone to do backup vocals. I kind of lied and said I was a singer (I had messed around a few times in my mom's basement singing Patti Smith covers with Tom's band), they gave me an audition, and a few weeks later I was singing backup vocals with the X-Hostages at The Bluebird. It was SO MUCH FUN!! We were together from August 81 until May or June 82 and it was a wonderful experience for me. I haven't found any of my band mates on MFT yet, but I'm hoping they'll come along sometime soon. They were: Tom Dewers, Nico Alvarado, Mike Pease, Stuart Laughlin, and Marvin Kominarek.
My favorite Bloomington band at that time, hands down, was The Dancing Cigarettes. They were amazing. I don't think I missed a single show they played and a few very lucky nights the X-Hostages got to open for them. Original, creative, tight, they were in a league of their own. Their music made you want to dance like crazy -- I don't think we ever sat down at a Cigarettes show. Every night was blissful, sweaty, and exhilarating. My hat's off to you, Mr. Terrill. Many thanks indeed.
I moved home to M.C. in the summer of 82 and then back to Bloomington in 83. I finally graduated in December 86. During those years I kept my head in the books and worked for the West European Studies Department in Ballantine. I'm sorry that I didn't get out to many shows during that time period, especially after reading so many of the stories and memories you've all shared on MFT. I feel a deep sense of regret about that and, frankly, it surprises me. I also wish I had been there during the late 80's and early 90's, as it seems to have been an exceptionally explosive time for music in Bloomington. I'm now spending my free moments on MFT reading blogs, listening to music, and watching videos of your old bands that are now new to me. And being homesick for Bloomington.
P.S. I am married to Arson Garden drummer Joby Barnett - he mentioned that I had left that out...
- What bands are you or have you been in?
- X-Hostages
- What city are you from?
- Michigan City
Leath Shover Barnett's Photos
Comment Wall (94 comments)
- At 6:12pm on September 21, 2009,
Jyl Freed said…
- Well, my friend Mike said "everyone should have a drag name" - so I was lookin' for drag names for me and Wes, but I've always liked the roller girls' names, so I was thinking along those lines. They could be drag, too, but with a violent twist. If I was healthy, I'd be a roller girl. I used to be a great skater.
- At 3:23pm on September 21, 2009,
Jyl Freed said…
- Almost forgot - I was trying to come up with a roller derby name and thought you had a great name to start with. Pretty obvious, though : Lethe L. Weapon - or Lethe L. Dose... or ....
- At 3:26am on October 23, 2008,
Ra Bob said… - Dancing Cigarettes RULE! Er, RULED!!!
- At 4:14pm on October 15, 2008,
Jefferson Porter said… - shy of it no...just wistful. are you sure it's your copey poster, gabe? :) (strange how st julian weaves his way through our lives isn't it...didn't we first meet, via jennie, at a keg soak and i had the teardrops pin and you the roxy pin? or the other way around....)
- At 10:40am on October 14, 2008,
Gabe Saavedra said… - strange and dee-lish
- At 10:03am on October 14, 2008,
Jefferson Porter said…
- Ta for the scan. And that picture yikes!!!
- At 6:59am on October 13, 2008,
Jefferson Porter said…
- Jo and I found a bunch of pictures from B'ton and then Mich City yesterday. Yikes. Now at least I have material for my v own slideshow. Hey, Gabe/Leath, do you have a copy of the Hick cover that you could scan for me (front & back)?
- At 11:05am on October 1, 2008,
Gabe Saavedra said…
- Has Bachelorette week started yet?
- At 3:12pm on September 22, 2008,
Tom Shover said… 
- At 12:16am on September 16, 2008,
Gabe Saavedra said…
- STAND & DELIVER!
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I keep track of what I listen to, so honestly most of what I give a play is more older music, but these are the ones from the last decade that I listened to the most.
Godspeed You Black Emperor!- Lift Your Arms Like Antennae to Heaven
Boards of Can…
Arular - MIA
Alright, Still - Lily Allen
Parallel Play - Sloan
Cold & Kind - The 1900s
The Hazards of Love - The Decemberists
Robyn - Robyn
Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer? - Of Montreal
Tallahassee - The Mountain Goats
Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga - Spoon
T…
seconding 'the oughts,' except it is properly spelled 'the aughts,' as the ou-spelling meads 'should have' while the au-spelling means 'nothing' or 'zero.'
no list here.
off the top of my head the records that stay with me over the past decade:
W…
Jeb, where is Lady Gaga on your list???
I don't have a list — yet — but I say we call this decade the oughts.
I love procrastinating with this kind of stuff. Here is a start, no order or top 10, but what I would place in the top 100 or so:
Boris, "Pink" and "Smile" and "Amplfier Worship"
School of Seven Bells, "Alpinisms"
Keren Ann, "Keren Ann" and "la Disp…
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