This clip is from a live show the Cramps did at the California State Mental Hospital in Napa in 1978. I found it in a blog post about the excellent music that has come from Ohio over the years. This is kind of funny because a few days ago my daughter played me some music by a band called Twenty One Pilots. They play in that style of modern rock that has a huge drum sound but no guitars, is sometimes rapping and sometimes singing, and lots and lots of added noises from various machines, which means they don’t really rock at all. But they’re from Columbus, Ohio. I asked her if she knew that and she said she didn’t care. I’m not sure why I do.
I played a mental hospital with the cover band I was in in college. They had a band in every couple weeks, saying it was therapeutic. The music wasn’t as cool, of course, but the scene was very similar.
I remember the patients lined up for our autographs afterward. First and last time that ever happened. And we got paid too, so take that Cramps!
P.S. – That’s the healthiest I’ve ever seen Bryan Gregory look.