The son of a North Carolina radio DJ, “psychobilly godfather,” serious road warrior and armchair politician*, Mojo Nixon and I go way back.
I saw him at one of Curt Schieber’s “No Other Presents” concerts at the Newport. He was opening for the Pogues, still paired with Skid Roper on the washtub bass (and other instruments). Curt probably had a hefty bar tab to pay that night.
I remember Mojo beating on a huge plastic water jug — the kind that offices use for the water cooler. He was singing “Mushroom Maniac,” and instantly, I felt a kindred spirit.
For anyone unfamiliar with the genius of Mojo Nixon, I need only give the titles of some of his “hits”: “Don Henley Must Die,” “Burn Down the Malls,” “Debbie Gibson is Pregnant with my Two-headed Love Child,” “Bring Me Head of David Geffen,” “Elvis is Everywhere,” and “When Did I Become My Dad?”
I saw him in the Queen City (Cincinnati) in the Reagan years. He was ranting about Nancy being an astrology cultist.
“We all know that star worship is the work of the Devil,” he said. “So repeat after me: Nancy Reagan sucks Satan’s dick!” Even the obvious frat boys in the crowd were chanting along.
In the 1980s, he popped up on MTV with mini-rants and guest appearances, which landed him in bigger rooms than mine. But from the mid-90s until Little Brother’s closed, he played my rooms roughly once a year. From For a time, he lived in Cinci and hosted a libertine Libertarian-ish radio show on WLW.
I have my own band, “The Wahoos,” and we are a big hit at the Columbus Community Festival. Nuthin’ like a free festival to bring out the crowds. We once opened for Mojo Nixon and the Toadliquors. Mojo actually got there early enough to catch our set and gave us a great backhanded compliment. He said “ya know, when a promoter opens the show, they usually suck real bad. But you guys didn’t suck too bad at all!”
I ought to put that in the band’s press package.
When he did a “Bingo for Mojo” for local station CD101 at Chelsie’s (a club that often competed with mine for shows), he came to Stache’s later that night. I asked him how it went and he said “well, you know – too many radio weasels.”
Another time he came to Stache’s after a gig at campus club The Newport and jammed with local blues dudes the “Men of Leisure.”
He was also quite the ladies’ man. He tried to pick up one of my female bartenders by showing her pictures of his newborn baby – a truly suave gentleman.
The Moj also made a great impression on my Mrs. He came to town to play on three separate occasions when she was saying goodbye to a job – great comedic timing.
Mojo retired from the road around the time I closed Little Brother’s, although I hear he’s coming out to play a couple of Texas gigs with Dash Rip Rock and the New Duncan Imperials – another bar tab I’d hate to be responsible for. He hosts several shows on satellite radio about “outlaw country music,” NASCAR and politics.
For just a couple more days, you can get most of Mojo’s catalog for free on Amazon, including a live performance of his latest mega success, “What’s Up Judge Judy’s Ass?” – a dark and scary place, I’m sure, having once been a participant on that infamous TV show. (Someday, through the wonder of the blogosphere, we’ll go there.)
* Campaign slogan: “Put another Nixon in the White House: Mojo Ain’t No Dick.”
Mojo Nixon is a patron saint of us Moops.
Thanks for the tip on the Mojo. Is 80 songs enough?
.-= Ed P.´s last blog ..Saturday Pictures =-.