RECORDINGS: 1998 was a busy year for The Crowd. Most of the original 800 pressings of their new EP on Hostage Records - $kad - were snapped up in a hurry. With a lineup featuring Mike Rouse on bass and Brad Logan on guitar, the EP contained two new songs on the A side, Skad (Ska+Fad) and The Real Beginning. The B side had two live tracks from the Beach Blvd reunion show (1991) - End Your Life and Missionary Soldiers are completely unreleased songs from the 1978-79 era. A purple vinyl edition was also available.
As the year ended, work continued on another new Crowd release on Hellcat Records. Jim has been writing new songs and the band planned on studio time in November and December. The Crowd also had a coupld of songs featured on the "Old Ska'ers and Upstarts" compilation CD (from HB's Disaster Records)
Plans were also in the works for a live CD on Grand Theft Audio records! This would cover the past 20 years worth of material and could be on the shelves in the spring.
CONCERT NEWS: The band continued to play shows around Orange County and LA, with Mark from the Humpers appearing in the lineup about 2/3 of the time.
Other appearences included the 5/31 anniversary party for You've Got Bad Taste (Exene Cervenka's shop in Silverlake - only fitting, considering that The Crowd opened for X a few times in the early 80s,) a show at Bar Deluxe in Hollywood on 7/25 (with Smogtown and the Stitches,) and in a return to their roots, a huge backyard party gig in HB on August 8.
The summer and fall also saw concerts at Al's Bar in LA, a Redondo Beach show, a Halloween appearence in Santa Ana with the Dickies and Pushers (see the link to the review below) and another show with the Dickies at Clippers in Long Beach. Although The Crowd will take a break from playing shows during the winter to work on their new Hellcat release, there's still talk about a Nor-Cal tour in early 1999, with stops in Sacramento and San Francisco.
MEDIA NOTES:
The last five 1998 issues of Flipside had multiple references to The Crowd, including concert reviews, photos, and a review of $kad.
Germany's Third Generation Nation featured an interview with the band in late '98; reprints soon available here.
Hot off the press: the LA Times'
review of the recent Crowd show in Santa Ana.
Jim Kaa is quoted in the Times' recent article on the closing of Costa Mesa's venerable Cuckoo's Nest.
Mike Boehm's history of Orange County rock gives The
Crowd their props - be sure to read this huge 12/31/98 article from the LA Times
Calendar section.
Fifteen Minutes of Fame: Read the Orange County Register's 2/8/98 article on our site!
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