Limbo Race
Encyclopedia
Limbo Race was an American post-punk
band formed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1979 by Randy Black on guitar, John Neidhart on bass, and Peter Keaveney on drums. In 1981, Keaveney was replaced by drummer Mark Poulin and the band added saxophonist Mark Chenevert. Limbo Race featured an angular, sometimes harsh sound that some critics compared to the Gang of Four
and The Cure
. Black's lyrics described an unsettled world where communication was difficult, and drew upon dark anthropological references, images from childhood, and intimate details of his relationships with friends and lovers.
Limbo Race developed a passionate cult following and, after winning the WBCN Rock & Roll Rumble
in 1982, the band added keyboardist Catherine Coleman and toured extensively throughout the Northeastern United States until 1984 when the band finally broke up.
and experimental music scene in Boston. For two years, the band played in other small Boston and Cambridge venues including Cantones, Mavericks, The Rathskellar ("The Rat"), The Club, the Inn Square Men's Bar and in alternative venues along Thayer Street in Boston's South End.
Among the many Boston bands that Limbo Race shared bills with were Someone & The Somebodies, Mission of Burma
, The New Models, V;, Art Yard, The Neats
, The Proletariat
, The Neighborhoods, Lou Miami
& The Kozmetix, Native Tongue, The Young Snakes, 'til tuesday
, The New Models, and The Del Fuegos
.
Drummer Peter Keaveney left the band in early 1981 and was replaced by Mark Poulin. At this time, the band recorded their first tape of the song Cigarettes which received airplay on the MIT radio station WMBR
as well as on WERS
from Emerson College
.
In 1981, the band caught the attention of producer and engineer Dan Salzmann who brought them into the studio to record a song, There Goes Kafka, which was included on a compilation of Boston-area bands called A Wicked Good Time Vol.2.
In early 1982, the band added saxophonist Mark Chenevert and recorded their first single, Down & Backwards b/w What It Is, which received airplay on the commercial radio station WBCN. The band began to receive media attention and was invited to play at the 1982 WBCN Rock & Roll Rumble
which they went on to win. Interestingly, Limbo Race was not included in the list of bands originally invited but as an alternate; they entered the competition only when another band had to drop out.
The band was picked up by manager Jim Coffman, who also managed Mission of Burma
, and began playing shows throughout the northeast including the famed CBGB
in New York, the 9:30 Club
in Washington DC and other venues. In 1983 they also opened for the Thompson Twins
and Echo & the Bunnymen
at the Channel in Boston, as well for R.E.M.
at Streets in Allston.
Randy Black went on to form a new ensemble called Dr. Black's Combo which also included saxophonist Mark Chenevert. He also has a lengthy career as a solo artist playing primarily acoustic and recorded a critically well received CD Below The Tapering for Waterbug Records.
Bassist John Neidhart continued playing in numerous Boston-area bands that included The Wickermen, The Sextons, Stardarts, and Jack Frosting.
Mark Chenevert continues to perform as a respected clarinetist and sax player and has played and toured throughout the United States with bands that include Hypnotic Clambake, Chandler Travis
, Stone Lily, and others.
Mark Poulin continues to perform as both a drummer and guitarist, notably in a tribute to Roy Orbison
.
Waterbug Records
Post-punk
Post-punk is a rock music movement with its roots in the late 1970s, following on the heels of the initial punk rock explosion of the mid-1970s. The genre retains its roots in the punk movement but is more introverted, complex and experimental...
band formed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1979 by Randy Black on guitar, John Neidhart on bass, and Peter Keaveney on drums. In 1981, Keaveney was replaced by drummer Mark Poulin and the band added saxophonist Mark Chenevert. Limbo Race featured an angular, sometimes harsh sound that some critics compared to the Gang of Four
Gang of Four
The Gang of Four was the name given to a political faction composed of four Chinese Communist Party officials. They came to prominence during the Cultural Revolution and were subsequently charged with a series of treasonous crimes...
and The Cure
The Cure
The Cure are an English rock band formed in Crawley, West Sussex in 1976. The band has experienced several line-up changes, with frontman, vocalist, guitarist and principal songwriter Robert Smith being the only constant member...
. Black's lyrics described an unsettled world where communication was difficult, and drew upon dark anthropological references, images from childhood, and intimate details of his relationships with friends and lovers.
Limbo Race developed a passionate cult following and, after winning the WBCN Rock & Roll Rumble
WBCN Rock & Roll Rumble
The WBCN Rock 'n' Roll Rumble, begun in 1979, is a Greater Boston "battle of the bands" competition co-sponsored by WBCN-FM and its local music show Boston Emissions....
in 1982, the band added keyboardist Catherine Coleman and toured extensively throughout the Northeastern United States until 1984 when the band finally broke up.
History
Limbo Race played their first show in 1980 at the legendary Underground, a rock club in Allston, MA, notable for being one of the first venues to feature acts from the burgeoning post-punkPost-punk
Post-punk is a rock music movement with its roots in the late 1970s, following on the heels of the initial punk rock explosion of the mid-1970s. The genre retains its roots in the punk movement but is more introverted, complex and experimental...
and experimental music scene in Boston. For two years, the band played in other small Boston and Cambridge venues including Cantones, Mavericks, The Rathskellar ("The Rat"), The Club, the Inn Square Men's Bar and in alternative venues along Thayer Street in Boston's South End.
Among the many Boston bands that Limbo Race shared bills with were Someone & The Somebodies, Mission of Burma
Mission of Burma
Mission of Burma is an American post-punk band formed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1979. The band was formed by Roger Miller , Clint Conley , Peter Prescott and Martin Swope...
, The New Models, V;, Art Yard, The Neats
The Neats
The Neats were a Boston rock band that existed from the late 1970s to early 1990s. They first recorded for the independent Propeller label, which in 1981 released the song, "Six", a swirling, Vox-washed slab of garage rock reminiscent of Question Mark & the Mysterians...
, The Proletariat
The Proletariat
The Proletariat was a punk band from Fall River, Massachusetts. They were active during the 1980s in the Boston Hardcore scene, despite their recorded output having a decidedly non-hardcore sound; The Proletariat show more strongly the musical influences of bands such as Wire, and Gang of Four in...
, The Neighborhoods, Lou Miami
Lou Miami
Lou Miami was an American punk musician based in Boston, Massachusetts. His group, The Kozmetix, was popular on the local scene and released two EPs...
& The Kozmetix, Native Tongue, The Young Snakes, 'til tuesday
'Til Tuesday
Til Tuesday was an American New Wave band formed in Boston in 1982. Its original lineup was bassist/vocalist Aimee Mann, guitarist/vocalist Robert Holmes, keyboardist Joey Pesce, and drummer Michael Hausman.-History:...
, The New Models, and The Del Fuegos
The Del Fuegos
-History:Formed in 1980, the Boston-based band gained success in 1984 due to success of their songs "Don't Run Wild" and "I Still Want You" and appearing in a widely-seen television commercial for a beer company...
.
Drummer Peter Keaveney left the band in early 1981 and was replaced by Mark Poulin. At this time, the band recorded their first tape of the song Cigarettes which received airplay on the MIT radio station WMBR
WMBR
WMBR is the Massachusetts Institute of Technology student-run college radio station, licensed to Cambridge, Massachusetts, and broadcasting on 88.1 FM. It is all-volunteer and funded by listener donations and MIT funds...
as well as on WERS
WERS
In June 2007, WERS inaugurated a translator station on 96.5 MHz in New Bedford, Massachusetts, relaying WERS's programming to New Bedford and nearby communities...
from Emerson College
Emerson College
Emerson College is a private coeducational university located in Boston, Massachusetts. Founded in 1880 by Charles Wesley Emerson as a "school of oratory," Emerson is "the only comprehensive college or university in America dedicated exclusively to communication and the arts in a liberal arts...
.
In 1981, the band caught the attention of producer and engineer Dan Salzmann who brought them into the studio to record a song, There Goes Kafka, which was included on a compilation of Boston-area bands called A Wicked Good Time Vol.2.
In early 1982, the band added saxophonist Mark Chenevert and recorded their first single, Down & Backwards b/w What It Is, which received airplay on the commercial radio station WBCN. The band began to receive media attention and was invited to play at the 1982 WBCN Rock & Roll Rumble
WBCN Rock & Roll Rumble
The WBCN Rock 'n' Roll Rumble, begun in 1979, is a Greater Boston "battle of the bands" competition co-sponsored by WBCN-FM and its local music show Boston Emissions....
which they went on to win. Interestingly, Limbo Race was not included in the list of bands originally invited but as an alternate; they entered the competition only when another band had to drop out.
The band was picked up by manager Jim Coffman, who also managed Mission of Burma
Mission of Burma
Mission of Burma is an American post-punk band formed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1979. The band was formed by Roger Miller , Clint Conley , Peter Prescott and Martin Swope...
, and began playing shows throughout the northeast including the famed CBGB
CBGB
CBGB was a music club at 315 Bowery at Bleecker Street in the borough of Manhattan in New York City.Founded by Hilly Kristal in 1973, it was originally intended to feature its namesake musical styles, but became a forum for American punk and New Wave bands like Ramones, Misfits, Television, the...
in New York, the 9:30 Club
9:30 Club
Foo Fighters Promise to come back to D.C. and play the 9:30 ClubNightclub 9:30 is a nightclub and concert venue in Washington, D.C. Originally located at 930 F Street, NW, Washington, D.C., in the 1970s it was called the "Atlantis Club", and hosted primarily rock, New Wave, and punk bands...
in Washington DC and other venues. In 1983 they also opened for the Thompson Twins
Thompson Twins
The Thompson Twins were a British pop group that were formed in April 1977 and disbanded in May 1993. They achieved considerable popularity in the mid 1980s, scoring a string of hits in the United Kingdom, the United States and around the globe. The band was named after the two bumbling detectives...
and Echo & the Bunnymen
Echo & the Bunnymen
Echo & the Bunnymen are an English post-punk band, formed in Liverpool in 1978. The original line-up consisted of vocalist Ian McCulloch, guitarist Will Sergeant and bass player Les Pattinson, supplemented by a drum machine. By 1980, Pete de Freitas had joined as the band's drummer, and their debut...
at the Channel in Boston, as well for R.E.M.
R.E.M.
R.E.M. was an American rock band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1980 by singer Michael Stipe, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills and drummer Bill Berry. One of the first popular alternative rock bands, R.E.M. gained early attention due to Buck's ringing, arpeggiated guitar style and Stipe's...
at Streets in Allston.
Beyond Limbo Race
In 1984, drummer Mark Poulin left the band. After attempting to find a new drummer and carry on, the remaining members of the band decided that the end had come and disbanded in the spring.Randy Black went on to form a new ensemble called Dr. Black's Combo which also included saxophonist Mark Chenevert. He also has a lengthy career as a solo artist playing primarily acoustic and recorded a critically well received CD Below The Tapering for Waterbug Records.
Bassist John Neidhart continued playing in numerous Boston-area bands that included The Wickermen, The Sextons, Stardarts, and Jack Frosting.
Mark Chenevert continues to perform as a respected clarinetist and sax player and has played and toured throughout the United States with bands that include Hypnotic Clambake, Chandler Travis
The Incredible Casuals
The Incredible Casuals is an American rock band based in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. They were formed in 1981 by bassist and songwriter Chandler Travis, guitarist Steve Shook, drummer Vince Valium and guitarist Johnny Spampinato, brother of NRBQ's Joey Spampinato. The band has been described as "The...
, Stone Lily, and others.
Mark Poulin continues to perform as both a drummer and guitarist, notably in a tribute to Roy Orbison
Roy Orbison
Roy Kelton Orbison was an American singer-songwriter, well known for his distinctive, powerful voice, complex compositions, and dark emotional ballads. Orbison grew up in Texas and began singing in a rockabilly/country & western band in high school until he was signed by Sun Records in Memphis...
.
Recordings & Discography
| Song | Year | Album/Label | Producer/Engineer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cigarettes | 1980 | Radio tape | Ted St.Pierre |
| There Goes Kafka | 1981 | A Wicked Good Time Vol. 2, Modern Method 011 | Dan Salzman |
| Down & Backwards b/w What It Is | 1982 | 7" Single, 45, Limborations | John Kusiak/Ken Kanavos |
| Ina's Song b/w Small Talking | 1983 | 7" Single, 45, Limborations | John Kusiak/David Butler |
| Bless Me Father | 1983 | Radio tape | John Kusiak/David Butler |
| Fluids | 1983 | Crawling From Within (Compilation), 77 Records | John Kusiak |
| In Your Breath | 1983 | Crawling From Within (Compilation), 77 Records | John Kusiak |
External links
A great listing of records from the eraWaterbug Records