Don't Judge A Vinyl By It's Cover

by Matt Metzler

I’m a big fan of music and I love all different genres. In general, I gravitate toward more thoughtful, singer-songwriter music, the kind you would hear locally on 91.1 The Avenue. I’m willing to listen to new styles and I’ll sometimes get ideas of what to listen to next from the suggestions of others. That’s what happened one day when a former co-worker said I should check out Green Bay’s Boris the Sprinkler so I could learn more about punk rock and their wacky lead singer, Reverend Nørb. I should mention that I grew up in a Catholic home and, because I don’t like to swear or tell dirty jokes, I still, somewhat humorously, consider myself a “nice Christian boy”. I know that the views often expressed in punk music clash with my own beliefs. Many punk songs contain vulgar language and anti-authoritarian messages. Add to that, I think I would have gotten in big trouble growing up if I had owned some of Boris The Sprinkler’s albums based on just their titles. I originally mentioned the offensive album names here but there was a young boy present when I read this out loud at a storytelling event and I don’t think he should be exposed to such filthy ideas. As much as I’m not a fan of censorship, I won’t repeat the titles here. Prudence is just as important as honesty.

At this point, I was still curious about the band because they are from the area and have toured worldwide. More specifically, I wanted to know more about lead singer Reverend Norb. The first thing I learned is that he’s known for dressing in the most outlandish costumes while performing, including Wolverine from X-Men, and a giant, green M&M. Often, he would pair his clothing with a motorcycle helmet that had deer antlers stuck to each side and the words “punk” and “geek” in big vinyl letters, similar to the kind businesses use on outside promotional signs, pasted on it.

I also checked out various radio interviews he’s done and nothing could have prepared me for what I heard. While answering the questions, Norb often sounded like a game show host with the energy of an overly-caffeinated child. Despite his rather bizarre performance persona, I sensed from the interviews that Reverend Nørb has an obvious love of music. He also seemed like a kind and conscientious man.

Now, I was really curious about the band, so I listened to a few of their songs. I can best describe their music as what you would hear if The Ramones teamed up with Devo and they doubled the tempo. It’s punk performed at breakneck speeds with very quirky lyrics. The band’s latest EP, a concept album inspired by the board game “Clue”, begins with a fake news report. Immediately, I recognized the voice of Paul Wanish, News Director at WDOR radio in Sturgeon Bay, delivering the story. Sure enough, Wanish is Boris The Sprinkler’s longtime drummer. I was inspired to email him for some much-appreciated advice on writing.

I had another experience with a punk rock band but I didn’t realize it until after the fact. I went to a restaurant called Hot Daugs that recently opened in Manitowoc. Their menu focuses on the many ways you can dress up a sausage on a bun. There’s a wonderful retro vibe to the place. The nostalgic feeling even makes it to the menu, which references old school video gaming, with hot dog options including the “8-Bit Bite” and “Konami Code”. Speaking of classic gaming, just to the left as you walk in the door, there’s an old Ms. Pac-Man machine where you can attempt to set the high score to, just maybe, win a prize. The owners, married couple Brad and Amber Daugs, love playing DJ with their fine selection of LP’s. During my visit, they played through 2 different albums from Rush, Hemispheres and Permanent Waves. I chatted with both Amber and Brad about what led them to open this restaurant and also the many fun experiences they’ve had since officially opening on April 15th.

About a week after visiting Hot Daugs, I was doing some music research and found out that both Brad and Amber are involved with well-known Manitowoc punk band, The Onions. At one point, Reverend Norb was their lead singer. I thought those were great facts, but I’m also glad I didn’t learn all that until well after I visited the restaurant. Had I known about their association with punk music beforehand, I think I would’ve made some poor assumptions about
Brad and Amber’s values instead of seeing them as the caring and thoughtful individuals they are.

I can only hope to be as objective of a reporter going forward as I was with my experience at Hot Daugs. In journalism, I’d like to set aside any preconceived notions I may have so that I may inform, rather then indoctrinate, readers. I also can’t wait to meet both Reverend Norb and Paul Wanish when Boris the Sprinkler plays at Badger State Brewing Company in Green Bay as part of GBUFO’s Invasion Fest on Friday, July 25th. They’re celebrating the 30th anniversary of their Saucer To Saturn album that night by performing it live in its entirety. It should be another eye-opening experience. The fun moves to Riverside Ballroom for Day 2 of Invasion Fest, Saturday, July 26th. Reverend Nørb also plays bass for Smart Shoppers, the headlining band the second, and final, night of the festival. I hope I have the energy to keep up both nights, and an open mind to document it all.

After 15 years working in radio, Matt Metzler stepped away from the microphone in 2018. Now, spurred by a love of local music and culture, he is pursuing a career in journalism.