A couple months ago, I got to meet and see The Posies at the Cactus Cafe. You may remember them from the Nineties but they never stopped performing after they left DGC Records. Ken and Jon have produced solo albums as well as participating in other projects; Jon helped Ben Folds out on William Shatner’s awesome 2004 record Has Been and a while back, Ken was REM’s touring keyboardist.
If I haven’t gone on enough about the Cactus Cafe, I can’t help it. This is Austin’s best and most intimate live venue. Nestled inside UT’s Student Union, the place is smaller than my house with its small stage and a bar in the back. To me, the Cactus is the ultimate spot for anyone who shares my obsession because of the intimacy.
So the Posies came to play primarily their hits from the first three major albums: Dear 23, Frosting on the Beater and Amazing Disgrace. These are being re-issued in deluxe editions via PledgeMusic, I threw in my money after promising Ken I would. Can’t wait to receive them in the mail. It was just Ken and Jon with their electric guitars and an electronic piano for some numbers Ken does. What a show.
Obviously as you can see above, I had face time with them. They were impressed I remembered their 1996 show at Liberty Lunch, I’m wearing the tour shirt from it. I mentioned how I always recall Ken’s guitars with the different Michael Jackson stickers and Jon’s huge array of pedals. Jon realized, he has the original silkscreen if they wanted to make more. They told me a fan created the design, it wasn’t drawn by an actual Archie artist. Jon explained how he got to work on Shatner’s record which I mentioned earlier. He said he witnessed the sessions involving Henry Rollins’ “I Can’t Get Behind That,” yet no dice on the country number. Ken clarified his involvement on finishing production for a Game Theory remaster via Scott Miller’s widow. Man these guys are talented, they have their hands in working on numerous things. I finally told them how much “Throwaway” is my favorite song. Jon then said, “We forgot to do that one!”
Here’s some other good news the Posies told the audience. They will be returning this late Spring/early Summer on a Frosting on the Beater 25th anniversary tour with the original bassist Dave Fox and drummer Mike Musberger in tow. I cannot wait. Should they be passing through your neck of the woods, you need to see them. The Posies were a bright spot of incredible Power Pop in the Nineties amongst the Grunge bullshit.