Episode 304 - Bill Goffrier of The Embarrassment

Hailing from the great plains of Witchita, Kansas, The Embarrassment, like their contemporaries R.E.M., The Replacements, and Husker Du, helped blaze the trail for what would become college or alternative rock in the early to mid 1980s. Affectionately known as The Embos, their smart, catchy, and quirky songs were a ballast to the moodier sounds of early R.E.M. and the more punkish sounds of the mats and Husker Du.

The band was guitarist Bill Goffrier, lead singer and organist John Nichols, bassist Ron Klaus and drummer Brent Giessmann.

Bill stops by Thunderlove Studio to talk about how the band went from a name like The Elastic Wasteband to The Embarrassment and how R.E.M. allegedly had them removed as an opening act - for fear they would outperform the headlining guys from Athens, Georgia.

Keith and Bill talk about the band, its place in history, and the upcoming documentary We Were Famous, You Don’t Remember.

LINKS

The Embarrassment Wiki

We Were Famous, You Don’t Remember

Bill Goffrier

Chucky Fume - Thoughts From the Universe

Bar None Records

Last Laugh Records

Fresh Sounds Records

Big Dipper

The Del Fuegos

Article about Documentary

We Jam Econo - The Minuteman Documentary

Los Straight Jackets