Creating a Folklore of the Present and Future: Peter Laughner, The Black Orchid Society, and The Northeastern Ohio Music Scene, 1969-1977
Panel discussion with
Frank Mauceri, Nick Blakey, Andrew Russ
Co-sponsored by Smog Veil Records, The Barnett Center for Integrated Arts and Enterprise, Wexner Center for the Arts, the Departments of English, Comparative Studies, Dance and History, and Used Kids Records.
Breakfast and coffee will be served
During his brief career, Peter Laughner was more than just a significant Cleveland musician, writer, and poet: he and wife Charlotte Pressler formed the Black Orchid Society as a central network point for a group of like-minded talented friends who all played a critical and often overlooked role in the punk/new wave music revolution of the late 1970s, and whose influence continues to reverberate into the present. Join us as we explore Smog Veil Records' ambitious project to definitively document and archive the music, writing, people, and oral histories in the life and times of Peter Laughner. In addition to Laughner’s music and writing, the discussion will focus on some of the unique aspects of rock music culture in Cleveland and look at the methods, problems, and solutions in researching rock history from a pre-internet time in our present wired world.
Smog Veil Records was founded in Cleveland, Ohio in 1991 and focuses on underground, challenging and bombastic music. The label roster includes Rocket From The Tombs, Batusis (Cheetah Chrome and Sylvain Sylvain of New York Dolls), Peter Laughner, Pere Ubu, Complaints Choir, This Moment In Black History, OBNOX, The New Hope v/a compilation, Tin Huey, Easter Monkeys, Pistol Whip, Unknown Instructors (Mike Watt, George Hurley, Joe Baiza, Dan McGuire, Raymond Pettibon, David Thomas), Teacher’s Pet, Thor, Amps II Eleven, New Christs (featuring Rob Younger of Radio Birdman), Rubber City Rebels and others. The label and various bands on the roster have been featured in esteemed publications including Rolling Stone, Wire, SPIN, The New York Times, Artforum Magazine, Audubon Magazine and CBS Sunday Morning.
Students interested in getting course credit for this event can find out more about signing up for a Comparative Studies workshop here.
If you require assistance to attend these events, please contact the organizers at karna.5@osu.edu.