Monsters From The Surf

Monsters from the Surf first practice was in the spring of 1985. Mark “Smed” Muldoon (guitar), Ron Johnson (drums) and Kevin O’Brien (bass and vocals) had been playing together for several years, originally with Tommy and Pete Lancaster (now a popular Hagerstown, MD blues musician) as the Six Quick Beans. They then became a 3-piece known as The Six, doing surf, garage and standard rock and blues with Bob Malzone singing for a while including two memorable Krazy Otto’s shows. Rob Hornung, a guitar-playing friend of Kevin’s (both from New Carrolton, MD) came to a practice in 1985 and the rest is history. The band gradually began doing mostly surf, punk, garage and rockabilly stuff. Eventually Rob and Kevin began writing originals. At this time the band was influenced by the likes of the Ventures, Ramones, Cramps, Dick Dale, Link Wray and DEVO. They played one party as “Bud and the Intoxicators” with Jon Brown on vocals only to be quickly shut down by police. The band contemplated the names “Heavy Leaking Pumps” and “Boogers and Phlegm” before deciding on “The Cone of Silence” which only lasted a short time before Ron accidentally taped “Monster From The Surf” off late night Channel 20 (DC) . After watching the movie, following a Swirl Lane practice, the band name was changed. The band's first show was at the Kazz Club in DC in March 1988 ($4) with a great turnout (mostly friends). MFS played many great shows during the late 80s – early 90s at the d.c. space (where they encountered cat-sized rats and had equipment stolen at several shows) with bands such as Go To Blazes (MFS 1st space show), The Untamed Youth, The Rhomboids, Date Bait and the A-Bones. The Monsters have played many great parties – No Survivors, with guest singer Jack's incomparable Batman vocals, Smed’s dive through the bushes and Slip ‘n Slide destruction before any kids got to use it and Rob's de-pantsing, The Roedown, the unforgettable outdoor party (July 4, 1992) in Upper Marlboro with the bone crushing water slide and of course, Micknick's annuals. Many hole- in-the-wall bars – Café Tattoo, Memory Lane, Sidebar and Ottobar, 15 Minutes Club, Phantasmagoria (frequented by the infamous “Dancing Guy”), Politiki, DC9, Stillettos, Iota Club, O’Carrolls, Black Cat, and the Surf Club, with some great bands including the Car Thieves, the Spins, El Quatro, Janine Wilson, Jumpin' Jupiter, Beatnik Flies, Ubangis, Garage Sale, Agent Raygun, the Atomic Mosquitos, the Space Cossacks, Johnny Love and Speed, the Glenmont Popes, Amazing Crowns, Hillbilly Hellcats, and Reach Around Rodeo Clowns, and many others. Over the years, the Monsters have also played some larger venues – 9:30 Club (both old and new) in DC and Roots Café, Feltchers and 8x10 in Baltimore. They've had some memorable shows with Dick Dale, the Slickee Boys, Southern Culture on the Skids, Laika and the Cosmonauts, Barrence Whitfield, Bill Kirchen & Too Much Fun, Deke Dickerson & the Ecco-fonics, the Swinging Neckbreakers and Grandsons of the Pioneers. The band has played in every Night of 100 Elvises to date (19 so far), a charity event for the Children of Johns Hopkins held annually at the Lithuanian Hall in Baltimore with 25-30 bands & Elvis impersonators. The Monsters were chosen to compete in the DC region's Little Steven's Underground Garage Battle of the Bands in 2004 with nine other bands which included the Nuclears (the original winners), the Tail Draggers, Los Hermanos Rodriguez and the Beatnik Flies. While the Monsters received a great crowd response, one of the three judges did not agree (But Darryl Jenifer, bassist for Bad Brains and one of the three judges LOVED them). Band members have changed somewhat over the years with Kevin leaving (to form Blue Miracle) in 1993 and being replaced by Tom Quinn on bass. Alex (from Date Bait) filled in for about 6 months while Tom sailed around the world. Smed moved to Austin, Texas in 1994 and the Monsters went 3-piece until Mike Micknick began playing rhythm in 2000. Smed moved back to Elkton, MD, and jams with the band when he can. Michael Miller, Kevin O'Brien, Theresa Hornung, Lori Myers-Carpenter, John "Stabb" Shroeder, and Walter sing with the Monsters on occasion. Practice sites have covered a wide range of places. The band initially practiced in Randy and Judy Johnson’s garage on Friday nights while their baby son was sleeping (?). From there practices were moved to a detached garage (Bonitas House) in a scary part of DC. After a year or 2 of this, they began getting together in the basement of “Flying Scissors Unisex” Hair Salon. Again, this was a short stay and practice began at the DAV Hall in Bowie where the boys could hang with the Vets afterwards for a pitcher and a few games of shuffleboard. Micknick's auto shop was used periodically after this and finally, the band wound up at Rob’s house when he lived in Calverton and then in College Park where he now resides. After years of putting a song here and there on compilation CDs and a handful of less-than-satisfactory studio sessions, the Monsters finally finished their long-awaited self titled first CD at the end of 2004. The follow-up CD "Refrigerator" was released in 2008.