Hat City Stories

Samantha Levin is an archivist documenting the teen nightclub, Images that was located in Brewster, NY in the late 80s. It was the place to hear new wave, goth and industrial music. It wasn’t uncommon for a New Order song to play followed by Ministry where the crowd cleared and a pit was formed. Temporarily of course until a danceable Blondie track come on. That was a generation before my time when it was turned into Boardwalk. I’ll be sharing Samantha’s interviews from time to time in the feed. They’re a great fit and further help to document the scene around that time. This interview is with Jeff McKay and his experience as a DJ at Images and the Danbury are in the late 80s and early 90s. Jeff talks about the new music scene at WestConn at the time and his experiences at other local clubs. He reminisces about some of the people he’s still friends with to this day, and how he started off learning from Morgan Williams at WXCI who sadly passed in August of 2022. You can hear Samantha's interview with Morgan in Episode 8. Enjoy this interview with Jeff McKay. -- Recorded, edited and produced by Ben Guerrette. Theme music by Malcolm Tent https://malcolmtent.net For comments, questions or feedback: Email: ben.guerrette@gmail.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/benguerrette/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/benguerrette

In high school we spent our evenings and late nights drinking coffee at diners because there was no where else to go and we thought it made us look cool. How hilarious that is when I think about it now. Early on in my Junior year at Bethel High School a new business popped up in Downtown Bethel. We always noticed when something new opened. Change was rare and slow in Bethel. I believe it was Mike Dobsevage and I who walked into Dr Java’s together for the first time. Maybe Mark Straiton was there too. My memory is a little foggy from those days. Mike Weiland was welcoming and introduced us to good coffee and the wonders of consuming large amounts of much espresso. That day kicked off where I would spend much of the next 3 years learning about myself, relationships and what it meant to being opened minded. Dr java’s also introduced me to culture. Music and art of many different genres along with some inspiration from New Orleans where Mike lived for a few years before moving back to CT to open a coffee shop. Pretty much at any given time you could show up to Java’s and run into a friend, or make a new one over a latte and some red beans and rice. It was the meeting place to kick off whatever happenings or trouble we’d scheme and plan to get into that day. When I start to think about it, the stream of memories that pop into my head over those three years seems endless. What an amazing time it was. I could probably tell stories for days. We’ll save that for another time. Enjoy this interview with coffee and culture proprietor, Mike Weiland. -- Recorded, edited and produced by Ben Guerrette. Theme music by Malcolm Tent https://malcolmtent.net For comments, questions or feedback: Email: ben.guerrette@gmail.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/benguerrette/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/benguerrette

This episode is about 24 Buttonball drive in Newtown CT, The home of Jim and Joe Roberto back in the day. It’s in that basement where amps were blown, distortion pedals were engaged and many bands were formed. I chatted with Ernest Latanzio and Joe Roberto as they reminisced and shared that deep history and all the music and collaborations that came out of it. One quick note. As you’ve probably noticed, these episodes come out pretty sporadically. Life gets in the way life and there’s too many projects to keep up on. I’ll continue to find great stories but I make not promises on how frequently they’ll be released. Thanks for joining me on this ride. There will be more. HED https://found.ee/qrQ31S "Chipped Beef" by G'nu Fuz https://songwhip.com/gnufuz/chipped-beef -- Recorded, edited and produced by Ben Guerrette. Theme music by Malcolm Tent https://malcolmtent.net For comments, questions or feedback: Email: ben.guerrette@gmail.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/benguerrette/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/benguerrette

Litmus is an ever expanding and contracting improv band who started in 1996. There’s a core group of 6 musicians but they’ve had as many as 12 musicians on stage at one time. Each show is a totally unique experience. There’s no songs, no plan and no one knows what to expect. Neither the musicians or the audience. I got to chat with 4 of the members. Justin Emerson - Keys, Samples, Effects Edward Murphy - Drums, Percussion Andrew Kraemer - Guitar, Effects Jared Koehl - Visual Manipulations Two other members who couldn't make it Gene Moore - GUitar, Effects Ernest Latanzio - Bass, Effects, Electric Ukelele I got to learn about the process or lack there of and what happens if things fall off the tracks. It’s those moments that they sometimes look for because those train wrecks can many times produce something magical from the rubble. Enjoy this conversation with Litmus. A quick note that my audio wasn’t the best. I’ll do better next time. Bandcamp https://thelitmustest.bandcamp.com/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/litmusound -- Recorded, edited and produced by Ben Guerrette. Theme music by Malcolm Tent https://malcolmtent.net For comments, questions or feedback: Email: ben.guerrette@gmail.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/benguerrette/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/benguerrette

Morgan Williams was a DJ in the early days of WXCI. It was a platform for him to play alternative and new music that wasn't being played on commercial stations. He worked with Darryl Ort during WXCI's transition into a platform for new music. He went on to host New Music Wednesday at City Limits in Danbury. He also mentored Jeff McKay and Anne who DJ'ed at Images, the all ages club in Brewster, NY that attracted the freaks, geeks, goth, punk and new wave crowd. A place for kids coming from troubled families to be themselves and let go a little. Samantha Levin is an Archivist documenting attendees of Images during 80s. She was lucky enough to connect with Morgan Williams about a month before he passed. She reached out to me to see if there was something we could do together in this archival space and more importantly, share her conversation with Morgan. I didn't get the chance to talk to Morgan myself so this was a gift. I'm thankful Samantha got to talk to Morgan and thankful to be able to share it with listeners. Thank you Morgan for your contribution to the Danbury scene. Thank for you paving the way for those of us who wanted to DJ at WXCI and to share our own rhythms with the community. Thank you for giving me my first opportunity to play records live on air at WXCI. You will be missed friend. -- Recorded, edited and produced by Ben Guerrette. Theme music by Malcolm Tent https://malcolmtent.net For comments, questions or feedback: Email: ben.guerrette@gmail.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/benguerrette/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/benguerrette

I didn’t get to attend as many ska shows as would have liked, but the one band I would try to catch was Sgt. Scagnetti. Front man Steve Lonergan and I got to connect recently as he shared his own Danbury stories. A hip hop kid out of Seymour, CT who somehow found his way to WXCI one night long before Google maps were a thing as his parents were suddenly cool about a 2am curfew to hang out at a college radio station at the age of 16. Steve realized early on that he wanted to be involved in live music in any way possible even if that just meant lugging gear around and running cables. He soon found himself as singer for Sgt. Scagnetti and quickly starting filling venues with their big sound and energetic vibes. After a great run through the second part of 90s and a few other musical explorations the band put things on hold. 10 years later invitations started coming in for them to get back together. Slowly over time, things starting picking up. Steve and the band are back at it and playing to loyal fans from 25 years ago and introducing their music to new ones. As he said, the music you listened to as a teenager meant more to you at that time than at any other point in your life. Thanks to him and the whole Scagnetti crew, they’re bringing some of that nostalgic energy back to those 15 year olds who are now in their 40’s. Enjoy this conversation with Steve Lonergan. Website https://www.sgtscag.com Facebook https://www.facebook.com/SgtSCAG Instagram https://instagram.com/sgtscag/ Spotify https://open.spotify.com/artist/5WMV8IQPuO3I2lTfeZNfmI Apple Music https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/sgt-scag/1297035046 YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCixOJGVpcwzVqIvS_qx0h9w Bandcamp https://sgtscag.bandcamp.com/merch -- Recorded, edited and produced by Ben Guerrette. Theme music by Malcolm Tent https://malcolmtent.net For comments, questions or feedback: Email: ben.guerrette@gmail.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/benguerrette/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/benguerrette

In this episode I had the honor of speaking with Greg Vegas. A pioneer in the early days of WXCI with his show Large With Everything where he played pretty much anything as long as it was new and cool. Greg was also singer, songwriter and guitarist for local legends Monsterland. The only band at the time who got signed and even had a music video on MTV, which at that point was a huge deal. This ones packed with tons of history and stories so let’s jump right in. Enjoy this conversation with Greg Vegas. Greg's label Declared Goods on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/declaredgoods/ Declared Goods Spotify playlist https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1juZyyPi1yqQ3zH6jUV56E?si=afd23d2acfcd4532 Some CT early 90’s music on Youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2HwqIPrc8r4&list=PLcGNzJdnjOljcbWeBtr0Xg9HTIo6hAzka SAVAK Tunes Greg plays sax on https://youtu.be/8jN-C-t5qSE https://youtu.be/QpKqy6fU24I https://youtu.be/mRDpPxOStFk THE HAT CITY INTUITIVE https://soundcloud.com/crankautomotive/sets/they-must-be-clapping-for-me https://soundcloud.com/intlrescue/hat-city-intuitive-marzipan-55?utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing BUICK FROM HELL – Thom Monahan Of Monsterland and Greg pre-Monsterland performing live on WXCI late night https://soundcloud.com/robert-druyff/sets/buick-from-hell RADIO PLASTIQUE, the Radio station Greg will be doing a weekly show on starting in May https://www.radioplastique.com/ -- Recorded, edited and produced by Ben Guerrette. Theme music by Malcolm Tent https://malcolmtent.net For comments, questions or feedback: Email: ben.guerrette@gmail.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/benguerrette/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/benguerrette

This is episode 5 where I talked with Craig Colorusso from the band China Pig that performed in Danbury in the mid 90’s and toured throughout the country. He ran the indie label Mudd Industries and produced albums for G’nu Fuz, Hed and Monsterland. After catching a live show from G’nu Fuz he wanted to find a way to contribute to the band but wasn’t sure how. He decided he’d help them put out a record. He didn’t know where to start though. While working at Trash American Style, Malcolm Tent encouraged Craig to give it a shot by dropping a record pressing catalog in his lap one day. It was this kind of motivation and energy that proliferated throughout the Danbury scene. Early on in high school, a friend told Craig that he was weird and girls probably wouldn’t like him. His friends solution? Learn how to play the guitar and join a band. Then he might get noticed. This conversation helped educate me more about the punk and hardcore scene in Danbury and throughout CT. Craig currently lives in Rogers, Arkansas with, as he says, one wife, one kid and three cats. He spends his time creating installations that explore sound, light and space. Enjoy this conversation with Craig Colorusso. Website: http://www.craigcolorusso.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/colorusso.craig/ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/craigcolorusso/ Music: https://songwhip.com/craig-colorusso Short film: https://vimeo.com/49542621 -- Recorded, edited and produced by Ben Guerrette. Theme music by Malcolm Tent https://malcolmtent.net For comments, questions or feedback: Email: ben.guerrette@gmail.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/benguerrette/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/benguerrette

This is episode four where I talked with Malcolm Tent to learn about the history of Trash American Style, an indie record shop and used clothing store, or a psycho thrift shop as he describes it. Trash had a physical location in Danbury from 1986-2007 and now continues it’s legacy online. Trash was all things punk rock, goth and new wave. A place to dig through cassettes, CDs and vinyl from only indie labels while shopping used clothing long before thrift shops were cool. It was the local source for DIY body piercing, Manic Panic, used Doc Martens, incense, books and posters among many other things. A true misfits marketplace. Malcolm, grew up in South Florida and discovered punk rock while looking for an escape the drab and boring suburbs. He had his first band in 1983 and shortly after connected to the national punk scene through a zine called Maximum Rocknroll. 2 years later he rang up a phone bill exceeding more than $300 over one summer while connecting with others in the scene all around the country in order to book gigs. Later on he landed a dream job at Open Books and Records. There he met his then business partner Kathy Kelly who originated from CT but was living in South Florida at the time. Kathy convinced Malcolm to move to CT to escape the doldrums of South Florida and take a stab at opening their own shop. From opening the store at 1 in the morning for Stereolab to do some record shopping, to the bottom that dropped out in 97 and almost had them filing for bankruptcy, Malcolms been through his ups and down with Trash. He hasn’t let anything slow him down though and continues to hustle to this day. As long as it’s his own hustle, that’s all that matters. Enjoy this conversation with Malcolm Tent and the history of Trash American Style. Malcolm Tent on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/malcolm.tent.12 Malcolm's Website https://malcolmtent.net Trash American Style on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Trash-American-Style-113977898676759 Trash American Style Website http://www.trashamericanstyle.us -- Recorded, edited and produced by Ben Guerrette. Theme music by Malcolm Tent https://malcolmtent.net For comments, questions or feedback: Email: ben.guerrette@gmail.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/benguerrette/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/benguerrette

This is episode three where I talked with Wendy Cahill. A singer from the band Sans Cherubs that was around in the mid 90s and the owner of Molten Java, a small coffee shop in Bethel, CT. Wendy talked about the importance of coffee shops, specifically Seattle Espresso and the role they played at the time. There was always support for local artists and musicians as well as being a place for community to gather and just hang out. An experience that in many ways led her to where she is today. We touched on the influence of WXCI, the student run college radio station of Western Connecticut State University. How it fostered and supported the punk scene. A scene that always welcomed Sans Cherubs to play alongside them even though they were a folk rock band. There was never any judgement and they were always inclusive and welcoming I really enjoyed this conversation with Wendy. It was crazy to connect with someone who lived in the same town I did without ever crossing path’s until now. This conversation was another point of validation for me thinking about the scene around that time. Even though we’d never met before, talking with Wendy was like talking to an old friend. Please enjoy this conversation with Wendy Cahill. You can follow Wendy on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/microgroov More info about Molten Java https://moltenjava.wordpress.com Sans Cherubs Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/sanscherubs -- Recorded, edited and produced by Ben Guerrette. Theme music by Malcolm Tent https://malcolmtent.net For comments, questions or feedback: Email: ben.guerrette@gmail.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/benguerrette/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/benguerrette

This is episode two, part two of my conversation with Dan Bishop about his journey to Gasball. A free outdoor music and art festival that went on for about 10 years. In this second half of the conversation Dan talks about meeting Chris Durante and the inception of Gallery 13 as well as the importance of Seattle Espresso and the role it played in bringing the community together. There was a sense that Danbury would be the next Seattle and it started to attract outside musicians to see what the scene was all about. That didn’t quite work out as planned but one thing everyone agreed on is that there was happening going on. Danbury was something special at that time. If you missed the first part, be sure to go back and listen to episode one. Enjoy this second part of my conversation with Dan Bishop. You can follow Dan on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/DRB01 -- Recorded, edited and produced by Ben Guerrette. Theme music by Malcolm Tent https://malcolmtent.net For comments, questions or feedback: Email: ben.guerrette@gmail.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/benguerrette/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/benguerrette

This is episode 1 of Hat City Stories where I had the chance to talk with with Dan Bishop about his journey to Gasball. A free outdoor music and art festival that went on for about 10 years. From building forts in the woods as a kid to his first show at the Danbury Music Center and Gallery 13. It was huge pleasure to catch up with Dan and learn how it all went down. We talked for almost 2 hours so this is part one. Enjoy this first part of the conversation and be sure to come back for part two. You can follow Dan on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/DRB01 -- Recorded, edited and produced by Ben Guerrette. Theme music by Malcolm Tent https://malcolmtent.net For comments, questions or feedback: Email: ben.guerrette@gmail.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/benguerrette/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/benguerrette