The Embarrassment

The Embarrassment was an American rock band formed in 1979 in Wichita, Kansas, that was initially active from 1979 to 1983 and has reunited several times since then. The band consisted of guitarist Bill Goffrier, lead singer and organist John Nichols, bassist Ron Klaus, and drummer Brent Giessmann. After the band broke up, Giessmann played for the Del Fuegos and Goffrier formed Big Dipper. The band was considered a prominent part of the Lawrence music scene of the early 1980s.

The Embarrassment
Lawrence 2006
Lawrence 2006
Background information
OriginWichita, Kansas, United States
GenresPunk rock
Years active1979–1983
Labels
Members
  • Bill Goffrier
  • John Nichols
  • Ron Klaus
  • Brent "Woody" Giessmann
WebsiteOfficial website Edit this at Wikidata

History

Although some considered the band punk rock, the band described themselves as "Blister Pop". The Village Voice's long-time chief music critic Robert Christgau called them a "great lost American band".[1] Along with bands like Get Smart! and the Mortal Micronotz, the Embarrassment were prominent in the Lawrence punk scene of the early 1980s[2][3] and they would regularly play at venues like the Lawrence Opera House (now called Liberty Hall) and the Off the Wall Hall (later called Cogburn's, now called the Bottleneck).[4][5]

The Embarrassment stopped performing when two of the members moved to Boston, Massachusetts. Giessmann drummed for the Del Fuegos, and Goffrier formed the band Big Dipper with former members of the Volcano Suns. Several of the Embarrassment's unreleased songs were recorded by Big Dipper, including "Faith Healer", which was later covered by the Japanese all-girl group Shonen Knife.[6]

Reunions

1980s

The Embarrassment played a reunion show on New Year's Eve in 1985 at Cogburn's in Lawrence. Geissmann was unable to participate, as he was on tour with the Del Fuegos.

They played the following New Year's Eve at Cogburn's, with all four original members participating. Also on the bill was another Kansas band, the Micronotz.[7] In 1988–1989, they converged again for three reunion shows: one on New Year's at Big Dog Studio in Wichita and the next two at the Bottleneck on January 5 and 6. The Moving Van Goghs opened the show on January 5, and the Sin City Disciples opened the show on January 6.[8][9]

2000s

The Embarrassment played a few reunion shows in 2006, first at the Roadhouse in Wichita, with Local Band on August 18 and the Sluggos on August 19. On August 20, the band performed at Liberty Hall, with special guests Kill Creek and the Micronotz.[10][11][12][13] The Embarrassment performed an acoustic concert on August 30, 2008, at John Barleycorn's in Wichita.[14] The performance was opened by Giessmann solo on electric piano for a few songs, then the local group the Sluggos. The original trio of Goffrier, Nichols, and Giessmann then took the stage with Eric Cale (cover artist for the 1983 Death Travels West album) on upright bass and Freedy Johnston on additional guitar and backing vocals. Some new or previously unperformed work was presented, including the song "Carpshoot", written by Ron Klaus, who was not able to attend. Johnston closed the night with his solo work.[14]

2020s

Following a screening of We Were Famous, You Don't Remember: The Embarrassment, on June 30, 2023, Goffrier and Nichols reunited for an 18-song set at Liberty Hall.[15] The duo was joined by Britt Rosencutter on drums and Cale on bass.

Legacy

Kansas-born political writer Thomas Frank quoted lyrics from their song "Sex Drive" in his bestselling 2004 book What's the Matter with Kansas?.[16]

A feature-length documentary about the band, titled We Were Famous, You Don't Remember: The Embarrassment, premiered at the 2022 Tallgrass Film Festival in Wichita, Kansas.[17][18][19]

Discography

Singles/EPs

Albums
  • 1983: Death Travels West (Fresh Sounds - mini LP)
  • 1990: God Help Us (Bar/None - LP and CD)[21][22]
  • 2001: Blister Pop (My Pal God - CD)[23][24]

Compilation albums
  • 1984: The Embarrassment Retrospective (Fresh Sounds - cassette)
  • 1987: The Embarrassment (Time to Develop - LP)[25][26]
  • 1995: Heyday 1979–83 (Bar/None - double CD)[27]

Compilation appearances
  • 1981: Battle of the Garages (Bomp! Records - LP)
  • 1981: Sub Pop 5 (Sub Pop - cassette)
  • 1982: Sub Pop 7 (Sub Pop - cassette)
  • 1988: Human Music (Homestead - LP, CD, cassette)
  • 1989: Time for a Change: Bar/None Sampler No. Two (Bar/None - CD, cassette)

[28]

Reception
  • "In the early 1980s, Wichita, Kansas's Embarrassment secretly set a template for American indie-rock: edgy, rocking tunes full of clever wordplay and subtle wit, as played by four guys in thick glasses. They fell somewhere between the Feelies' perpetual nervousness and the Replacements' inebriated garage-rock; it's hard to think of many other peers from their era."—Mike Appelstein, [29]
  • "From exotic Wichita, with a gift for hookily hypnotic guitar lines that need a haircut... Now that I've finally gotten the message, a year and a half after this great lost American band dispersed into the wilds of Wichita, I still can't repeat it back to you."—Robert Christgau, The Village Voice[1]
  • "Before they broke up in 1983, this quartet from Wichita, Kansas rocked furiously, with less brittle/more melodious guitar than the Scottish new wave pop bands Orange Juice and Joseph K to whom the Embos were sometimes compared."—Jim Green/Ira Robbins/Jack Partain, Trouser Press[30]
  • "The group's eclectic yet distinctive sound wrapped a post-punk approach and a deadpan sense of humor around pop, country, disco, and metal elements, crafting songs that rivaled the work of better-known contemporaries like Gang of Four, Mission of Burma, and the Feelies."—Heather Phares, AllMusic[31]
  • "They played tight, blistering pop songs when overproduced stadium-rock anthems and repetitive disco tracks were the norm... The Embarrassment continues to foster a national reputation as 'The best band you never heard of.'"—Jon Niccum, Lawrence Journal-World[10]

References
  1. Christgau, Robert. "Consumer Guide Reviews". RobertChristgau.com.
  2. Mills, Mike (July 1985). "Our Town". Spin. p. 23. If the Embarrassment from Lawrence, Kansas, had become a huge national hit, people would have gone, "God, there's Get Smart!, and The Mortal Micronotz - LOOK AT ALL THOSE BANDS! What is it about Lawrence, Kansas, that produces these bands?"
  3. Fricke, David (December 18, 1986). "The Underground Empire". Rolling Stone. p. 116. Archived from the original on June 6, 1997. Lawrence, Kansas, has been a hotbed of alternative music for several years, thanks principally to the indefatigable Bill Rich, who runs the hardy, little Fresh Sounds label there. As far back as 1981, Rich was issuing the first pressings by the Lawrence bands Get Smart! and the Embarrassment, both of whom went on to underground-cult fame. Alt URL
  4. Gintowt, Richard (February 19, 2003). "Inside the Outhouse". Lawrence.com. Retrieved Jan 6, 2011.
  5. "The Bottleneck History". Retrieved January 6, 2010.
  6. Wall, Matt. "The Embarrassment History". Retrieved January 5, 2010.
  7. Hitchcock, Doug (December 14, 1986). "New year's Eve reunites Embarrassment". Lawrence Journal-World. Retrieved Jan 5, 2011.
  8. Hitchcock, Doug (December 25, 1988). "The Embarrassment reunites to rock after five-year hiatus". Lawrence Journal-World. Retrieved Jan 5, 2011.
  9. "The Embarrassment's back". Lawrence Journal-World. January 5, 1989. Retrieved Jan 5, 2011.
  10. Niccum, Jon (August 20, 2006). "The best band you never heard of". Lawrence Journal-World. Retrieved Jan 5, 2011.
  11. Brown, Ashley (August 24, 2006). "The Embarrassment with the Mortal Micronotz and Kill Creek". the Kansas City Star. Retrieved Jan 6, 2011.
  12. "THE EMBARRASSMENT TO REUNITE FOR TWO SHOWS". Wichita Eagle. August 18, 2006. Retrieved Jan 5, 2011.
  13. "The Embarrassment News". Retrieved January 5, 2010.
  14. Demolition Kitchen Video, produced by Joel Sanderson (2008), The Embarrassment - Who Pulled The Plug Reunion Show 2008, retrieved 2023-08-14
  15. "The Embarrassment Setlist at Liberty Hall, Lawrence". setlist.fm. Retrieved 2023-07-01.
  16. Thomas, Frank (2004). What's the Matter with Kansas? (paperback ed.). p. 57.
  17. Hudnall, David (September 21, 2022). "Kansas band flirted with success. 40 years later, these 'nerds' are having a moment". The Kansas City Star. Retrieved April 17, 2023.
  18. Beaudoin, Jedd (September 29, 2022). "'We Were Famous: You Don't Remember' tells the story of beloved Wichita band The Embarrassment". KMUW. Retrieved April 17, 2023.
  19. Olcese, Abby (July 15, 2022). "A film nearly 20 years in the making tells the story of Wichita's The Embarrassment". The Pitch. Retrieved April 17, 2023.
  20. Hitchcock, Doug (November 24, 1985). "Homestead mulls Embarrassment disc". Lawrence Journal-World. Retrieved Jan 5, 2011.
  21. Pick, Steve (April 27, 1990). "The Embarrassment Can Be Proud Now". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved Jan 5, 2011.
  22. "THE EMBARRASSMENT: GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN". Wichita Eagle. May 7, 1990. Retrieved Jan 5, 2011.
  23. "My Pal God Records - Blister Pop". Retrieved January 5, 2010.
  24. "PUNK PIONEERS -- NEARLY 18 YEARS AFTER ITS DEMISE, WICHITA'S THE EMBARRASSMENT HAS A NEW CD". Wichita Eagle. April 8, 2001. Retrieved Jan 5, 2011.
  25. Hitchcock, Doug (October 19, 1986). "The Embarrassment's time for album is coming". Lawrence Journal-World. Retrieved Jan 5, 2011.
  26. "The Embarrassment LP Review". Faster Louder. June 29, 2005. Retrieved Jan 5, 2011.
  27. "EMBARRASSMENT WON'T FADE AWAY". Wichita Eagle. November 1, 1995. Retrieved Jan 5, 2011.
  28. "Discography". The Embarrassment. Retrieved January 5, 2010.
  29. "The Embarrassment - Blisterpop". www.embos.org. Retrieved 2023-08-14.
  30. Robbins, Ira; Green, Jim; Partain, Jack. "Embarrassment". Trouser Press. Retrieved March 15, 2011.
  31. Phares, Heather. "The Embarrassment Biography". Allmusic. Retrieved March 15, 2011.
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