Much as it pains me to say it, Zoom is a band of whom I'd always heard, but never actually heard until long after their passage from the local scene. Considering I was 14 when Helium Octipede was released, it's unsurprising I wasn't really aware of Zoom until I moved to Lawrence in 1997.
Of course, at that point, Jeremy Sidener was still in town, and playing guitar for Panel Donor, so there was still a connection. Now, I don't believe either of the members other than Sidener (he's in the Danny Pound Band) are still playing music locally, which is a goddamn shame.
This is one of those records that qualifies as a "hidden gem." The Wipers comparison is perhaps inevitable, especially considering Greg Sage produced Helium Octipede. The Minutemen are also a band to whom you can compare Zoom, right down to the point that they both had a song that was downtempo and almost jazzy, over which a note was read verbatim -- "Take 5, D" and "Letter to Allen," respectively.
Zoom does have that herky-jerky post punk sound, with weird time changes and the like, but I've always thought that they were the sort of band that you use as the starting point. The Beatles sound like the Beatles, period. You'd never try and describe them using other artists. Zoom is much the same way.
Considering all the local reunion shows we've seen the past few years (the Embarassment, Micronotz, Sex Offenders, Ultimate Fakebook, Danger Bob), I don't think a Zoom reunion would be too much to hope for. How can we make this happen?
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just saw 'em play in Chicago. sick. they tore the place they played a new asshole. they broke up 16 years ago...no band since has come close. period. end of story. and no, i'm not one of their moms, and i'm not a band member. i'm a guy who's a musician and a radio man.
Made a mistake about the Silver Maggies show. They are playing tonight at Crossroads Station. They are also playing next Saturday, the 16th at The Brick.
Not really sure about the other bands but the Silver Maggies(the band steve plays with)are playing at The Brick in Kansas City this Saturday Night. I saw them play at a first friday event at mid-western music last month and they rocked it!
Henning is in the National Trust out of Chicago or Indy, Cosgrove is producing and engineering records out of his own studio here in KC and Tubbert is actually playing bass and guitar in a low key local Kansas City Band that rarely makes it out of the garage, or so I am told.
I loved that Zoom record too. Thanks for the post.
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