The Center for Disease Control Boys were a country and western swing band from Seattle that warned o Reagan?" on their own Fin De Siecle label.
FROM WIKIPEDIA:The Center for Disease Control Boys were a satirical Western swing band formed in Seattle, Washington in 1986. Their performances included a mixture of original compositions and older songs written by such artists as Bob Wills, Asleep at the Wheel, and Woody Guthrie. Their stage show used an extensive array of props and costumes such as bales of hay, stuffed roosters, rubber trout,
and wads of self printed 'country currency'. Although the band was only in existence for six months, they are noteworthy for their ever changing lineup of musicians and performers which included Chris Cornell with Soundgarden,[1] Jonathan Poneman, founder of Sub Pop Records, and Ben McMillan, lead singer for Skin Yard and Gruntruck. Contents
[hide] 1 History
2 Lineup
3 Discography
4 Additional information
5 Notes
6 References
7 Posters
[edit] History
The CDC Boys was a design and musical collaboration between Dean Wartti and George Hackett in 1986. Wartti was manager and booking agent for the Ditto Tavern, which filled a void in the local music scene by providing a venue for folk, punk, art rock, and emerging grunge bands from the Northwest. Hackett was an accomplished guitarist who worked at Boeing and shared Wartti's interest in cultural satire, diverse musical tastes, and leftist politics. Wartti had a background in theatrical performance and design. As they wrote the songs and assembled the props and graphics, the two realized that a diverse cast of band members could be found within the roster of Ditto performers. Rehearsals were held at the SKUD artists collective in Belltown, Seattle, Washington and an opening performance was booked at the Rainbow Tavern as part of a KCMU Showcase. Thus began the band's short but illustrious career.
[edit] Lineup
The line up for the debut of the CDC Boys was:
Dean Wartti: vocals, washboard, accordion
George Hackett: Twelve string guitar, vocals, waders
Ben McMillan (Skin Yard, Gruntruck): vocals, cowbell
Tamara Jones (Brides of Frankenstein): Double bass, vocals
Bob Maguire (The Subterraneans): vocals, guitar
Gary Heffern (Penetrators): vocals, stage presence
Chris Cornell (Soundgarden): drums, vocals, overalls
They were joined onstage by accomplished Seattle instrumentalist Orville Johnson: fiddle, mandolin
The show also featured singing cowgirls who freely dispensed hay, empty Shake 'N' Bake boxes, and wads of 'country buckeroos.'
Cowgirl No. 1: Juliana Wood
Cowgirl No. 2: Debra June Connor
As the CDC Boys existed mainly as a comedic side project for all concerned, the band's line up continued to change, and included the following at times:
Jonathan Poneman (bass)
Artie Palm (mouth harp, saxophone, and guitar)
Tim Bowman (accordion and musical saw)
The CDC Boys concluded their brief career by releasing a 45 single "We're The Center for Disease Control Boys" b/w "Who We Hatin' Now Mr. Their final performance was at Seattle's annual Bumbershoot Festival, where they debuted a stirring opus to the Kennedy Assassination entitled, "Grassy Knoll".
[edit] Discography
Throughout their career, The Center for Disease Control Boys played only nine shows, but they put out a 45 vinyl single on Fin de Siecle Records in 1986.
[edit] Additional information
• George Hackett, who worked at Boeing at the time of the CDC Boys, went on to become Andrea Hackett, founder of the Las Vegas Dancers Alliance, the most widely-known organization of st*****rs in Las Vegas.[2]
• Ben McMillan died in January, 2008 in Seattle from complications related to diabetes.[3]
