Who else has played with Wckr Spgt?

Over the years, many "special guests" have played with Wckr Spgt. While most of these talented artists only show up on a couple of recordings, others became full-fledged "members" of the band. From 1986-1988, Wckr Spgt enjoyed a small amount of success with the addition of Ian Carlson on drums and an on-again/off-again relationship with 'Papa' Bob Jones and Dave Carpenter. Rock and Roll imortality was achieved between 1990-1997 when Wckr Spgt was joined by the members of the incredibly talented and very successful band Nothing Painted Blue, the fruits of which can be found on 1997's Everybody's Dead (Oh, No)"".

Some of the other "special guests", notably Howard Drucker and John Darnielle, have been associated with Wckr Spgt for many years and have contributed in a variety of different ways, some musical and some not. A fairly complete list follows:

Howard Drucker (1982 - )

The Reverend Howard Drucker has been introducing Wckr Spgt shows since 1982. He is a brilliant speaker whose woolen yarns have put audiences on the edges of their seats, itchy and intrigued. He covers topics including Zen ideologies, toast and murder, childhood memories and, perhaps the most well-known, "An Appointment with Death" introduction included on "Everybody's Dead (Oh, No)". He was a regular contributor to "The Bowl Sheet" with his column "Duckpin's Ally" and Salmon Bosch with his column "Set a Spell". The Reverend Howard performed the wedding ceremonies for Joel and Kim as well as for Mark and Berit.

Carlos Gonzales (1982)

Wckr Spgt was drummerless in 1982 when the Bradbury show was being planned. Carlos was contacted through Mark's friend Mike Kern and, after one rehearsal, was ready to go. After the show, Carlos was never seen again.

Ian Smith (1982 - 1985)

Ian Smith has the distinction of being the only member to play three different instruments with the band. In 1982, for the Bradbury show, Ian played bass. In 1984 he played drums and, in 1985, he played guitar at Spgtfest '85. Ian was the well-versed guitar player of Halo and The Immigrants and is an accomplished hand-press printer with a degree from the Art Center of Pasadena.

John Moore (1984)

John Moore played drums on several recordings in 1984, most notably "Push It Aside".

Steve Arky (Arkonovich) (1984)

Steven Arkonovich, played keyboards during one recording session. He is a philosophy professor in Oregon. He is very smart.

Tim Kirk (1984)

Tim was the lead singer of The Love Bunnies and a long-time friend of Wckr Spgt who played bass in 1984 for the Live Oak Canyon performance. Tim and Dave have worked on a variety of different projects including Narcissus, an expose about pay-to-play clubs in the late 80s, for the LA Weekly. They continue to work together on a variety of covert projects. Tim is a multi-talented performer, his skills range from puppeteering to acting. With some writing thrown in the middle for good measure.

Greek Thunder (1984)

Greek Thunder played drums for the Live Oak Canyon performance. His incessant fills and ridiculous stage antics left a sour taste on the drum seat, a stench that was not removed until Ian Carlson wiped it off two years later.

Gary Murphy (1984-1986)

Gary Murphy was a bass-playing, hard-living, cheese-eating, yogurt-sharing local who shows up in several projects including Bddy Hckt and Positive Depression, a performance piece that he wrote and directed. Wckr Spgt supplied the music.

Caroline Poynter (Topalian) (1984 - 1986)

Caroline joined Wckr Spgt in 1984, playing a black banjo-necked bass that Mark built. She performed at one Madame Wong's West show, several Motley shows, and a host of gigs around the Pomona Valley. She was in the original Bloody Hawaiians, played bass for live performances of The Congress, and added an air of elegance to every performance. In addition to singing on many early Wckr Spgt songs ("Raw Suffocation", "Geometry", and "Charter" to name a few), Caroline's voice has also graced the likes of Desperation Squad and The Immigrants.

John Darnielle (1984 - 1995)

As The Mountain Goats, John has established himself as one of the pre-eminent independent artists of our time. John, a long-time friend of Wckr Spgt, appears in several projects including The Bloody Hawaiians and The Crunch Sisters. He has appeared in several Wckr Spgt performances doing a variety of different things, mainly puppet shows, but only shows up on a few Wckr Spgt recordings, most notably "Francis Mitterrand" of which he wrote the music. He also formed The Congress with Mark and played live with Chicken Damage and The Salvation Brothers. He is the editor of Last Plane To Jakarta with his wife, Lalitree.

Kim Dillbeck (1985 - )

Kim has been involved with Wckr Spgt for many years. A brilliant artist, painter, educator, and thinker, Kim's contributions surface occasionally on stage but stick predominately behind the scenes. She has appeared as "The Girl Under The Tree" in the DA Gallery X-Mas show (with Bonnie Gavel), as an operator of various equipment (the overhead projector at Humboldt State University and the cue cards at Cup of J), on recordings like "Heart of Loneliness", and as camera operator at several shows. Her biggest contribution has always been her valuable and knowledgable opinion that has shaped the way Wckr Spgt functions and influences the entire Wckr Spgt decision-making process. Kim and Joel were married in 1994 and live in Claremont.

Ian Carlson (1986 - 1988)

After the stink of Greek Thunder soiled the Wckr Spgt drum seat it looked as if there would never be another drummer. Thankfully, Ian Carlson changed all that in 1986, playing several shows on KSPC, recording on a few occasions, and playing with Sol and Hank - The Metro Brothers. Ian was concurrently the drummer for The Desperation Squad, The Streetcleaners, The Immigrants, and Wckr Spgt as well as being the youngest member of these bands. His solid drumming cleared the rhythmic palette of Wckr Spgt, allowing for further experimentation in future projects.

Alan Waddington (1986)

Alan Waddington was the drummer for Nixon's Revenge and The Desperation Squad before joining The Unforgiven on Warner Brothers. He played with Wckr Spgt on several occasions, notably the side project Godseye. He is a brilliant drummer.

Climmer (Craig Sawyer) (1986 - 1987)

Climmer played guitar with Wckr Spgt on a number of occasions, once at Cal Poly and again in Humboldt County. He is commemorated in the song "Memories of Climmer".

Jeff Krones (1986)

Jeff and Pete Hopkins were in the Wckr Spgt side-project The Married Couple, a band that came out of the show "Positive Depression" by Gary Murphy.

Pete Hopkins (1986 - 1987)

Pete played drums for The Married Couple and for the Cal Poly performance.

'Papa' Bob Jones (1987 - 1988)

Bob Jones is a guitarist for The Desperation Squad. He joined Wckr Spgt for shows at Be Bop Records in Reseda, several shows at KSPC, and the side project Sol and Hank - The Metro Brothers.

Nikki Miller (1987 - 1988)

Nikki played a few shows with Wckr Spgt in the late 80s, The Limbo Lounge being the most memorable, as the drum machine operator. She was pretty.

Mike Kingston (1988)

Mike was a keyboard player in his own right when he joined Wckr Spgt in 1988. His unique fashion sense added a strange look and feel to the Wckr Spgt stage, wearing a tennis racket covered in chicken bones at the Fringe of the Fringe Festival and dressing as the Christmas Clown at the X-Mas show at the DA Gallery.

Scott Quackenbos (1988)

Scott was a big supporter of Wckr Spgt, hosting a performance in 1987 (captured on Live '82-'87), performing on drum machine at the Fringe of the Fringe Festival, and sitting in as the Card Dealer at the X-Mas show at the DA Gallery.

Jeremy Goff (1988 - 1989)

Jeremy was the tallest member of any Wckr Spgt line-up. He was a member of The Gels From Hell and Carne A, where he played bass. For Wckr Spgt he played percussion, once at the Fringe of the Fringe Festival in 1988 and again at The Galaxy Ballroom in 1989.

Henry Barnes (1989 - 1990)

Henry Barnes is a guitar craftsman and amplifier builder who plays guitar with Man Is The Bastard and Amps For Christ. His unique style can be heard on the Wckr Spgt song "(Oh, No) I'm In Trouble Again". He also played with the Wckr Spgt side project The Crunch Sisters. He is also very tall.

Randy Kovitz (1990)

Randy Kovitz played drums for one Wckr Spgt New Year's Eve show in 1990. His own band, Lies Like Truth, played around the Los Angeles area through the 1990s. He is an actor who lives in Los Angeles. You have seen him in the movies and on TV.

Roger Gee (1993)

Roger Gee, known as Curless Laverty in the band Chicken Damage, is a great guitar player and a creative genius. His lyrical prowess and slithy vocals shine prominently on Synapse Like Popcorn, Chicken Damage's only full length release. Roger played with Wckr Spgt for the Wckr Spgt release Fake Party.

Charlie McAlister (1998)

Charlie McAlister, owner of Flannel Banjo Tapes and an independent recording artist, joined Wckr Spgt for one session on January 20, 1998. The song "Tender Lenses" made its way onto Jazz Compositions in 2000.

Ben Fay (2000)

Ben first became involved with Wckr Spgt back in 1984 but it wasn't until Spgtfest 2000 that Ben joined Wckr Spgt on stage for an entire performance. A long time supporter of all things Spgt, Ben may not have played in the band but he has always been a member of the family.

Nothing Painted Blue:

Franklin Bruno (1990 - 1997)

Franklin is the singer/ songwriter/ guitar player of Nothing Painted Blue, a popular and talented Inland Empire band. He was also the first member of that band to join Wckr Spgt, on October 6, 1990 for a show on KSPC. His guitar can be heard prominently on 1997's Everybody's Dead (Oh, No). Franklin continues to play and tour with Nothing Painted Blue, write for magazines and newspapers, and enjoy his successful solo career while completing his graduate work at UCLA in philosophy.

Kyle Brodie (1992 - 1997)

Kyle, the powerful drummer of Nothing Painted Blue, joined Wckr Spgt in 1992. Kyle has a law degree and works for the District Attorney in Los Angeles.

Peter Hughes (1993 - 1997)

Peter, the bass player, was a long-time fan of Wckr Spgt before becoming the third, and final, member of Nothing Painted Blue to join Wckr Spgt. He is a talented solo artist, playing under the name "Party of One", as well as an accomplished guitar player for the incredible band Diskothi-Q, his band with his brother Kevin and their friend Kevin. Peter also ran Sonic Enemy, a delicious label and web site. Peter Peter Hughes is also the bass player in The Mountain Goats.