By 1982, the Meat Puppets were all living together: dogs, girlfriends, hangers-on (i.e. drummers), all of squeezed into one little house in Phoenix’s historic Fairview district. None of us worked (well, the girlfriends did, but that stopped shortly after they moved in). I slept in the practice room behind the drums and subsisted on coins cadged from under the sofa cushions.
In the fall, we all moved clear out to Peoria. We stayed there until Curt’s twins were born, after which I moved back in with my mom and everybody else relocated closer to the center of town. The first two of these pix are from the Peoria compound. Note the three-foot high dead weeds behind us in the first photo.
The next two were taken the same year on a couple different west coast tours. I don’t remember the location of the waterfall (probably somewhere around Yosemite), but I know the book I’m holding is about Elvis. The target practice took place on a mountain near Bakersfield. Our van got stuck on the way back down, so I had to walk a couple hours to a filling station for a tow.
The next two pix are from a 1985 visit to Graceland. That’s me at the King’s graveside, and that’s Cris across the street in the gift shop that had Elvis’ plane in front of it. I bought a cool shirt with the TCB logo on it. I still have the shirt, but it no longer fits.
Eventually, we all moved down to Tempe and wound up in separate houses. But we were still within walking distance of each other. Basically, we lived in each others laps for about a dozen years. Curt eventually moved to California, settling finally in Texas.
The final pic was taken in New York, at the party where we received our gold records for “Too High To Die.” I still have mine; it hangs in the back bedroom, right under my wife’s college diploma.
love the first and last one. everyone looks happy.
Left by red on April 18th, 2006
I like the 2nd photo; you guys look just as crazy as the people in Curt’s various paintings. I also have some questions concerning
Mr. Bostrom: Do you play the sax? Or are you just fooling around in that photo?
Left by Ian Goodell on April 20th, 2006
I don’t play the sax, actually, which you can probably tell, since I’m trying to play it like a flute.
Left by Derrick Bostrom on April 21st, 2006
I’ve been a Meatpuppets fan since I was 12 years old. I’m now 37. After moving to NJ, a friend of my older brother turned us on to the first EP (IN A CAR). We never heard anything like this, but love it. Shortly thereafter, I purchased I and begged my parents to take me to see you live. They agreed that I could to the show at CBGB with my brother.
We showed up and smoked some great pot with you and Cris and Kurt. The show I saw that night still ranks in my top 5. I wrote to Meatpuppets with a S.A.S.E. noting the show and discussing a poor review I had read in The Voice. Kurt replied with a small drawing of dancing creatures and advised that I stop reading anything that critics write.
While the drawing hung on my wall from 7th grade through high school, I lost it. Last week I purchased II (again) on vinyl over the Internet.
Left by Chris Rogers on May 11th, 2006
Hey Derrick-
New discovery was made (by me) when ‘Too High to Die’ was sitting in the Beverly Hills library CD section. I’d never heard the music but was always intrigued by the band’s name.
Apparently, Too High ranks with the very best, so it was a good place to start.
Nice, tight drumming on it my friend (I was a drummer for 10 years)!
The CD runs the gamut of all genres. 14 years later-you finally hit pay dirt!
Will make further dicoveries with time into the MP chapter…
I’m a little puzzled as to why you did not reunite with the Kirkwoods since Curt announced it…
Yerz,
Paul
Left by Paul-Christian Roberts on June 1st, 2006
Could Curt, Cris, and you compile a best or Anthology of Meat Puppets CD please?
I know it would be hard considering all the great songs you made, but
I would be neat if you did. If not atlast release the albums on CD if you haven’t (besides too high to die) because, no offence, I’m not paying 30 bucks for a beat up vinyl over the internet.
Left by James on June 12th, 2006