Mushroomhead member Skinny stated, "We don't do this to make money ..." If this is the case, why does Mushroomhead charge $10 for admission to their shows, and why are their T-shirt prices so high? I'll tell you why. Their dumb gimmick allows them to charge such outrageous prices. The fact that Mushroomhead has simulated sex acts on stage, as well as scantily clad dancers, only reinforces this theory. What do you get when you mix an almost-nude dancer giving oral sex and a bunch of guys? The ability to make lots of money.
If the music is so important, why does Mushroomhead sell T-shirts with Roxy's picture on them? Does she play an instrument other than the skin flute? What impact does she have on the recording process?
If Mushroomhead really is about the music, why was the article dedicated almost entirely to the band's theatrics? There was only one paragraph dedicated to the style and sound of Mushroomhead. The rest of the article focused on a whole lot of nothing.
If I was in a local band and lucky enough to be featured in Scene, I certainly wouldn't waste my interview with a bunch of crap. The very least I would do is promote my music and my band--oh, and my dumb gimmick.
PS: I also would like to let you know that I think Scene is headed in the right direction. While I am not used to the new format, I am still very impressed with the more informative approach you have taken toward the Cleveland scene.
Nikki Ziolek
South Amherst
Sowd's Shifting Views
Let's see, David Sowd (who, incidentally, is quite proud of the fact that he does not vote) bitches and moans about U.S. drug policy and its incursions against our freedoms.
The week before, he applauded the fact that Barberton officials now have the power not only to confiscate the radios of drivers (whom Sowd opines should be "summarily executed") with loud stereo systems, but also to confiscate their cars.
Yeah, what a civil libertarian this guy is. If he was ever logically consistent two weeks in a row, my heart might stop.
Phil Dennison
Lakewood
Don't Dis My Childhood Heroes
Imagine my delight to see my childhood heroes, Kiss, on the cover of our newly improved Scene as I wandered down the street today ["Kiss the Culprit," December 3]. My delight lasted about thirteen seconds as I began to read the cover story by Serene Dominic. I'm not really sure what purpose this article was supposed to serve except to stir the ire of thousands of Kiss fans in the Cleveland area. In the past, Scene used to write articles celebrating a group that was coming to town--something to rally the troops, so to speak. Dominic's article was an out-and-out hatchet job. If a band got here and sucked, the review of the show was the place for negativity.
Imagine Dominic's premise: Kiss, riding a wave of popularity it's not enjoyed since the late 1970s, decides that if it rips off an Alice Cooper song that has been overplayed to the point of obsolescence, it might increase its wave of popularity to new heights. Kiss is ripping off Alice Cooper to further its career?! Alice Cooper could not get arrested today. I'm a fan of both bands. Kiss owes Alice Cooper very little. Whether or not the song sounds like "I'm Eighteen" (it does) is really immaterial. Kiss did not become a worldwide phenomenon for the second time by loosely rewriting an Alice Cooper song.
So my issue is with Scene in general and Serene Dominic in particular. Don't rain on my parade. Kiss is coming to town, and I can't wait to be at Gund Arena Sunday evening with a beer in my hand and, dare I say it, having fun. Yeah, I might even put on the greasepaint myself. Kiss is rock and roll taken and blown up to the extreme.
So, in short, I'd rather listen to Gene and Paul sing about their dicks from this day until my last than listen to our "modern rockers'" self-loathing and depression hour after hour.
Jerry Kupetz
Cleveland
Kiss Has Nothing to Prove
After reading "Kiss the Culprit," I have reached the conclusion that the author, Serene Dominic, is an ass. The main theme of your article appears to be what you, or the general public, should get from bands for free. Most national acts that have any credibility are, for the most part, a business, and a business does not make money by giving things away. As for the things Kiss is selling on the tour, they are not forcing you or anyone to buy them!
The idea that a band with the longevity, history, and continued relevance of Kiss would steal songs only shows your ignorance. I would think that after 25 years, thirty albums--with about eighty million sold, and numerous sold-out tours around the world, they shouldn't have to prove anything to anyone, let alone a bitter-sounding hack like you. And Kiss does give something to its fans. When you see them live, instead of seeing a bunch of depressed guys in flannel shirts singing about how horrible life is, you get the most awesome stage show any band has ever bothered to put together.
But hey, Serene, the Stones are coming to town soon; maybe if you give them a free copy of the free rag you write for, they just might spring for one more free bus ride so you won't have to pay for gas to get to the show.
Name withheld upon request
