Night of the Living Rednecks
Encyclopedia
Night of the Living Rednecks is a live improvisation
by the American hardcore punk
band the Dead Kennedys
. It features frontman Jello Biafra
recounting a story to the audience with a bebop
style bass guitar
and drum
backing, as guitarist East Bay Ray
fixes his "broken" guitar.
on November 19, 1979. At the end of the song East Bay Ray's guitar cuts out abruptly, and Biafra announces to the audience, "Ray's guitar broke!" The audience then tries to get them to play their version of the theme song to Rawhide
, to which Biafra responds "No, he won't play 'Rawhide,' won't play anything." He also humorously invites a member of the audience to be Dinah Shore
for a performance of the theme from her show
, asking them "whose alter ego is Dinah Shore?" while some members of the audience still try to cajole them into playing "Rawhide". Apparently unsatisfied by the audience's response, he then makes note of a particular fan's lack of enthusiasm for the suggestion ("Oh, his fist didn't go up so quickly this time!"). Drummer Ted then does a quick drum roll, which Biafra appears to find unsatisfactory for the performance, as he then repeats the word "yawn." Klaus Flouride
then begins a bebop
style bass line while Ted begins drumming again, then Biafra starts telling a story.
The story begins while Biafra was walking the street at 10:30 PM on November 6, 1979, the night before the group performed at Portland's famous rock club The Long Goodbye (recent research confirmed that the band had played a concert at the venue on November 7, 1979, which pinpoints the date of the incident as November 6). While out walking, he was attacked by jocks in a bright blue pick-up truck
that Biafra described as looking like a "life size Hot Wheels
car" with giant tires and overhead lights. The jocks shouted "hey faggot" at Biafra, and apparently "showered [him] with some water." After the first time this happened, Biafra picked up a rock, expecting them to come back, and kept walking until he came to a Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant. The jocks did come back a few seconds later, yelling at Biafra "hey, faggot, where's the nearest McDonald's
?" and squirting him yet again. Biafra responded by throwing the rock and putting a dent in the truck.
After the jocks realized what Biafra had done, they stopped the truck in a parking lot near a Fred Meyer
store (which for some reason elicits a "Fred Meyer!" cheer from one member of the audience) and come charging at Biafra with clubs and threatening to kill him. Biafra decides to hide in a phone booth in front of the Kentucky Fried Chicken while the jocks try to get in. After a few seconds of the jocks trying to get into the booth and a crowd of people saying he was crazy, Biafra, who thought that acting like he was crazy would be his way out of the situation, decided to goad someone into calling the cops, which the jocks did. However, the jocks were sent home by the officer after the incident was reported because one of them could not control his anger. Biafra reflects on the incident, saying "So this is Oregon. Tolerant Oregon," and then hassles East Bay Ray to finish fixing his guitar, because he is out of stories.
Improvisation
Improvisation is the practice of acting, singing, talking and reacting, of making and creating, in the moment and in response to the stimulus of one's immediate environment and inner feelings. This can result in the invention of new thought patterns, new practices, new structures or symbols, and/or...
by the American hardcore punk
Hardcore punk
Hardcore punk is an underground music genre that originated in the late 1970s, following the mainstream success of punk rock. Hardcore is generally faster, thicker, and heavier than earlier punk rock. The origin of the term "hardcore punk" is uncertain. The Vancouver-based band D.O.A...
band the Dead Kennedys
Dead Kennedys
Dead Kennedys are an American punk rock band formed in San Francisco, California in 1978. The band became part of the American hardcore punk movement of the early 1980s. They gained a large underground fanbase in the international punk music scene....
. It features frontman Jello Biafra
Jello Biafra
Jello Biafra is an American musician, spoken word artist and leading figure of the Green Party of the United States. Biafra first gained attention as the lead singer and songwriter for San Francisco punk rock band Dead Kennedys...
recounting a story to the audience with a bebop
Bebop
Bebop differed drastically from the straightforward compositions of the swing era, and was instead characterized by fast tempos, asymmetrical phrasing, intricate melodies, and rhythm sections that expanded on their role as tempo-keepers...
style bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
and drum
Drum
The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
backing, as guitarist East Bay Ray
East Bay Ray
Raymond John Pepperell , better known by his stage name East Bay Ray is a guitarist best-known for his membership in the San Francisco Bay area-based punk band Dead Kennedys...
fixes his "broken" guitar.
Plot
The song begins with the end of a live performance of the band's song "Chemical Warfare" at the early show in the Earth Tavern at Portland, OregonPortland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
on November 19, 1979. At the end of the song East Bay Ray's guitar cuts out abruptly, and Biafra announces to the audience, "Ray's guitar broke!" The audience then tries to get them to play their version of the theme song to Rawhide
Rawhide (TV series)
Rawhide is an American Western series that aired for eight seasons on the CBS network on Friday nights, from January 9, 1959 to September 3, 1965, before moving to Tuesday nights from September 14, 1965 until January 4, 1966, with a total of 217 black-and-white episodes...
, to which Biafra responds "No, he won't play 'Rawhide,' won't play anything." He also humorously invites a member of the audience to be Dinah Shore
Dinah Shore
Dinah Shore was an American singer, actress, and television personality...
for a performance of the theme from her show
The Dinah Shore Show
The Dinah Shore Show is an American variety show which was broadcast by NBC from November 1951 to January 1956, sponsored by General Motors' Chevrolet division...
, asking them "whose alter ego is Dinah Shore?" while some members of the audience still try to cajole them into playing "Rawhide". Apparently unsatisfied by the audience's response, he then makes note of a particular fan's lack of enthusiasm for the suggestion ("Oh, his fist didn't go up so quickly this time!"). Drummer Ted then does a quick drum roll, which Biafra appears to find unsatisfactory for the performance, as he then repeats the word "yawn." Klaus Flouride
Klaus Flouride
Geoffrey Lyall , better known as Klaus Flouride, is best known as the bassist for the San Francisco, California, punk rock band Dead Kennedys from the group's inception in June 1978 until the band's break-up in December 1986, although he also produced four solo albums during the 1980s and...
then begins a bebop
Bebop
Bebop differed drastically from the straightforward compositions of the swing era, and was instead characterized by fast tempos, asymmetrical phrasing, intricate melodies, and rhythm sections that expanded on their role as tempo-keepers...
style bass line while Ted begins drumming again, then Biafra starts telling a story.
The story begins while Biafra was walking the street at 10:30 PM on November 6, 1979, the night before the group performed at Portland's famous rock club The Long Goodbye (recent research confirmed that the band had played a concert at the venue on November 7, 1979, which pinpoints the date of the incident as November 6). While out walking, he was attacked by jocks in a bright blue pick-up truck
Pick-Up Truck
"Pick-Up Truck" is a song written and recorded by Belgian acid house musician Praga Khan. It is the third single from Praga's eighth studio album, Soundscraper....
that Biafra described as looking like a "life size Hot Wheels
Hot Wheels
Hot Wheels is a brand of die cast toy car, introduced by American toymaker Mattel in 1968. It was the primary competitor of Matchbox until 1996, when Mattel acquired rights to the Matchbox brand from Tyco.-Models:...
car" with giant tires and overhead lights. The jocks shouted "hey faggot" at Biafra, and apparently "showered [him] with some water." After the first time this happened, Biafra picked up a rock, expecting them to come back, and kept walking until he came to a Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant. The jocks did come back a few seconds later, yelling at Biafra "hey, faggot, where's the nearest McDonald's
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948...
?" and squirting him yet again. Biafra responded by throwing the rock and putting a dent in the truck.
After the jocks realized what Biafra had done, they stopped the truck in a parking lot near a Fred Meyer
Fred Meyer
Fred Meyer, Inc., is a chain of hypermarkets founded in 1922 in Portland, Oregon, by Fred G. Meyer. The company was one of the pioneers of one-stop shopping, eventually combining a complete grocery supermarket with a drugstore, clothing store, shoe store, fine jewelers, home decor store, home...
store (which for some reason elicits a "Fred Meyer!" cheer from one member of the audience) and come charging at Biafra with clubs and threatening to kill him. Biafra decides to hide in a phone booth in front of the Kentucky Fried Chicken while the jocks try to get in. After a few seconds of the jocks trying to get into the booth and a crowd of people saying he was crazy, Biafra, who thought that acting like he was crazy would be his way out of the situation, decided to goad someone into calling the cops, which the jocks did. However, the jocks were sent home by the officer after the incident was reported because one of them could not control his anger. Biafra reflects on the incident, saying "So this is Oregon. Tolerant Oregon," and then hassles East Bay Ray to finish fixing his guitar, because he is out of stories.