Welcome to Marginalia. While our stated goal is to keep everyone up to date with the services we provide here at the Diana M. Priestly Law Library circulation desk, the general idea is to present that information in a light-hearted, but relevant manner. With that in mind, we’d like to dedicate this edition of Marginalia to the 45RPM record on it’s 70th Birthday – long may you spin (w/ thanks to Kim Nayyer for the tip).
Marginalia Presents: CirC Beat Magazine.
Hey, hi and hello to all you groovy guys and gals out there from your fabulous friends here at CirC Beat Magazine (where we only chatter about the platters that matter).
The name’s Riff Riley and I’m your Rock & Roll reporter (substituting for Lester Bangs – who is on assignment). Our ‘Feature Story’ today concerns everybody’s favorite all night party band, The Check-Outs. In case you’ve been lost in the ozone lately, they’ve been busy pleasing patrons at the Diana M. Priestly Law Library and we finally got a chance to interview them.
The Check-Outs latest chart topper is called ‘On My Way to You’ and it’s available on from Reference Desk Vinyl at your favorite independent record store (and we highly recommend The Turntable in Fan Tan Alley). Trust me here folks, ‘On My Way to You’ rocks harder than a sledgehammer on steroids.
The sound is loud, rough and raucous with a classic early ‘60’s style garage vibe. They’ll play anywhere at the drop of a hat as along as the venue is easy to find and wired for sound. Take note that their next big gig is an all ages affair at the Purple Onion with label mates Zero Deluxe and Flashback Academy on April First.
Now that you’re up to date, let’s meet The Check-Outs in person (please note that the individual band members have politely requested that we refer to them by their self-assigned stage names).
The newest member of the group, Ramona, doubles as their Bass & Furboard player (it’s a Furby covered synthesizer that provides the band with its warm, fuzzy sound). Ramona is a Scorpio/Sagittarius cusp who thinks ‘Tripoli’ by Pinback should be played much more often than it is. When she’s not slapping strings or twisting knobs she helps out at the loan desk with Papercut and wireless set-up questions and anything else that comes her way.
Juanita plays ‘Air’ guitar with the group in between shifts at the loan desk. Her song of choice is ‘Margaritaville’ and cites ‘Stop’ as her favorite astrological sign. Her library duties include organizing reserve room material, coordinating the desk staff, as well as responding to any number of Faculty requests and whatever else is necessary, whenever it’s necessary.
‘South-Side’ Mike runs his left-handed guitar through a ‘66 Pathfinder tube amp with the volume control locked on twelve. His duties at the Priestly include assigning graduate carrels, facilitating Inter-Library Loan requests and handling whatever else comes up during the course of his shift. He‘s a Capricorn who likes to listen to ‘Enjoy the Silence’ by Depeche Mode as often as possible on his portable cassette player.
Flossie Mc P. strums a 12 string guitar and sings harmony. Her day time duties include room bookings, item processing, answering emails, phone calls and loan desk requests along with a plethora of related services essential to the day to day operation of the loan desk.
‘Downbeat’ Dave manages (more or less) to keep his drum kit in tune, while preaching the importance of a basic backbeat. When he’s not playing with The Check-Outs you can find him working the late shift at the library where he updates loose-leaf binders, provides desk coverage and shelves books (both big and small). He claims to be a Taurus, but we all know that’s a lie.
‘Brother’ Paul plays piano, organ, and sings. He runs the show.
On stage visuals are courtesy of the Ectoplasmic Assault Light Show.
The Check-Outs are managed by Short Change Charlie at Hyperbole Entertainment.
The band would also like you to know that their instruments of choice include Rickenbacker Guitars, Farfisa Keyboards, Vox Amps and Premier Drums.
You can catch them in person ‘Eight Days a Week’ at the Diana M. Priestly Law Library.
CirC Beat Magazine’s Sweet Sixteen:
1- On My Way to You by The Check-Outs
2- San Francisco Girls – Fever Tree
3- Talkin’ Environmental Blues – ELC
4- Grand Slammin’ Jam (in ‘A’ Major) – Frozen Rope
5- I Want You Back – The Recalls
6- 60 Cycle Hum – Microphonics
7- In the Year 2525 – Zager & Evans
8- Short Term Loan – The Overnighters
9- Look it Up – OPAC
10- (This Ain’t No) Bureaucracy – The Rubber Stamps
11- Lost & Found – The Callslips
12- Mid Term Blues – The Dew Daytes
13- Tin Foil Hat – Alien Invasion
14- What’s the Problem – The Torts
15- Melody Hill – The Archies
16- Best Be Leaving by Sundown
Prose: david eugene everard © 2019
Photo Credit: Paul Totzke © 2019