Hello my name is contrabandwidth, but you can call me Tyler...
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In the spirit of the Mog love fest, I give you the CBW Masacree in 3 parts (harmonies optional).
I am from Devon, Pennsylvania home a tiny dot of a town that bleeds into the others around it on the infamous Main Line of Philadelphia. The Main Line is called this because it was at one time the main road from Lancaster to Philadelphia. Later it somehow became the bastion for all things W.A.S.P.y. To learn more about WASP culture read the book BoBo's in Paradise. It's an hysterical read, but also centers a lot of WASPiness to Wayne, Pennsylvania (the next town over and backdrop for the movie Taps). Devon itself is home to a famous horse show (in which I lost money at stupid carney games every year) and home to the Deveraux school a young Sylvester Stallone attended.
I grew up in the time warp of the 80's/90's where the radios were stuck in the 60's/70's until the mid 90's, and we actually still got exposed to somewhat current and innovative music on MTV (this didn't last long though). But the stuff we didn't get exposed to was usually to be found at the great used record stores near some of the near by colleges like Villanova.
I have two completely different periods that shaped my musical mind:
In the early 80's (probably 82, but more likely 83) I was in 1st grade and my uncle gave my brother and I Sony Walkmen's for christmas. It was maroon and huge and was only a radio, but no other 1st grader had an actual Sony Walkmen. I felt rich and listened to it incesently. The radio back then was pure pop tastic, and I loved it all. From Michael Jackson to the soundtrack to Footloose, it all sounded amazing to me and it was easy to sing along to.
The 2nd period was around he time a Circuit City infiltrated our local strip mall. I was 17, working for Pizza Hut Delivery, and I listened to Cabrini College's low watt radio station on the lowest end of my dial. I would call up the station and request things I wanted to hear (or had heard about and wanted a listen to first) and would pretty much spend all my tips on a Friday night on at least 2 CD's. In those days you would find a bizarre selection of music at Circuit City, since it was the bait to sell you a stereo. As far as I could figure they made a deal with the distributors to sell all the inventory that wasn't selling at Sam Goody. It was great. I picked up so much rare stuff in the cut out bin's for 5$ or less. I continued that steady diet of music purchasing or another 10 years until I could afford it no more. At my peak I had about 1200 CD's (pre Napster).
But enough about the music, let's talk about me.
I went to a tiny private school that had a total of 250 students k-12. Yep, you guessed it, dating sucked. And until college when I met my wife in my senior year, I remained in the constant confidant role for most of my girl friends (not girlfriends), much to my shagrin.
I went to art school in Atlanta, GA where I ended up living for about 10 years total. I loved it there, but neither my wife nor I had any family living there. So, when my wife was pregnant with kid number two (later to be named Elisabeth), we packed it up for sunny South Florida. It's still a bit of a culture shock, but I've learned to garden in the winter time and pray for cooler weather in the summer. My biggest complaint would be that hardly any of the smaller bands get down here, because it's just not worth the drive. I don't blame them, really. But I have Mog.
Fun Facts:
My Great Great Grandfather invented the bedspring and the Leggett Trap (it's used for skeet shooting). Nope, I don't have any of the money, if any of you are future lost cousins.
I am distantly related to Jackie Onasis Kenedy, etc.
My Great Great (Great?) Aunt, Katherine Drexel was cannonized by The Vatican in 2000. I claim no responsiblity for pushing the beaification process through quicker.
Comments (26)
"I grew up in the time warp of the 80's/90's where the radios were stuck in the 60's/70's"
I've got such a beef with this too. I feel like we sold such a raw deal. For me it was just the baby boomers trying to convince us that everything important happened in the 60s/70s.
I also see a lot of people talking about walkmans. They really were something. Remember the sample tape it came with, with the airplane landing?
Thanks Tyler. Great bio. I was pretty much on the same path as you just about 3 years behind. I had a little sony that broke, and then upgraded to the Aiwa "walkman" with the bass boost. From there a JVC boom box. Good memories.
And yes, the commodification of the 60's and 70's has been a target of much bile for me. After I got into alternative rock and hip-hop I literally gave away my early teen albums from Cream. Pink Floyd, The Doors, etc. and refused to even give the Dead and Dylan a try (I kept the Zeppelin and Hendrix, and I now appreciate Dylan).
Nice, these are such a fun way to come onto mog after working all day. It is nice to put a story with the profile
Thanks Lak!
Oatmeal - I can't say I wasn't vulnerable to the 60's and 70's stuff, and I still love a lot of it. I just learned early on to hate the radio and keep that which was special to me...well, special. I actually didn't like Zepellin in High School because of the same songs always played on the radio. When I heard Physical Graffiti in college, I found out what was so special.
I did watch MTV incesantly though, and loved shows like 120 minutes. Good stuff seeped through, but I am guilty of being a huge hair metal fan from 6-8th grade.
I kinda feel you had to search harder, growing up in the burbs, and I'm grateful for that. I devoured everything...
Well, howdy, former somewhat neighbor! Nice to get to know a bit more about the man behind the MOG page. And thanks to your great great grandfather for the bedspring. (Proud to say that I wore a few out in my youth...)
Ah, 120 minutes . . . back when MTV was actually worth watching. I discovered so many great bands from that show.
heh I lived in Devon and Paoli for a few years circa 1983-1987 and went to Conestoga High School - Class of '85.
I remember the Devon Horse Show fondly as a 15 year old finding a place to make-out wit my GF :)
Thanks for the bio
Thanks Tyler.
You got something growing now?
My winter garden is in stasis at the moment ... probably wont pick up for a couple of months ... but I got some good compost cookin though ....
Wow, what a WEIRDO! I mean... goodness, what an interesting fellow.
I keed, I keed. Terrific read, Tyler.
Talk about connected. One of the Kennedy's, related to a Saint (a Saint!), and the inventor of the bedspring. I'm expecting great things from you this coming year.
"I remained in the constant confidant role for most of my girl friends (not girlfriends), much to my shagrin." Ha, ha. Chris Rock would concur. "A dick in a glass case/in case of emergency break open glass":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fuUhwFXM6Gg
Flux - It's probably important if you are a Kennedy to have someone atone for the family. I do have a million inventions though, just no drive to actually conceptualize them!
Dzend - I've got corn, squash, beans, tomatoes, cabbage, mixed lettuce, and a couple papaya trees growing right now.
Wanbli - small world, isn't it?
Good stuff, Mr.Wormhole-Maggot Brain-Deathmap and editor of Best Of MOG..
Thanks for staying and being a fly in the ointment around here.
True! The Kennedy's need more than a few Hail Mary's and a couple of Our Father's.
Re the inventions, I really hope this is one of them:
fancy...
Oh my god..THE Flux Capacitor.
Thanks for the post. We of MOG land are an interesting bunch. I have had a long and eventful life and am considering adding my two cents worth. I always pay attention to what you say...
I'm jealous .... (about the garden) ... I've got some cold weather stuff ... kale, chard, lettuce, broccoli .... but without a cold frame their growth won't really start picking up again until early spring.
you've got tie-ins to all sorts of fun facts, tyler!
250 kids in the whole school?? ...and i thought my high school was small, with 165 kids in my graduating class.
i love it! a lot of my musical awakenings, i certainly owe to radio and early MTV. Tyler, how strange, i got new '80s music from the radio in the '80s and you got '60s/'70s music ... but i was in nowhereland...?
i also went from a Sony (Walkman) to an Aiwa (Walkman and cassette player) to a JVC (stereo) + another Sony (Discman). and from there, the internet.
...oh, wait, the internet + a Creative Labs speaker system and boom box hooked up to a Sony DVD player and my computers. :}
Man, think of the mind that comes up with the bedspring. What joy the world has bestowed upon him.
A fantastic read...I'm getting so tempted to 'fess all about myself as I read these...fortunately I'm far too busy.
I'm jealous of a winter garden. Mine is full of dead stuff I was too lazy to clear while it was vaguely warm. It will stay there until March.
I knew there was more to you then dry humor and pumpking spiced mousse (bringing that up to remind you about the rum cake recipe)....
Great read, Tyler! Have you ever made on of your maps for your family tree? I think it would be very interesting!
I was so excited to hear you were from Devon, so close to where I live. Then I got to the paragraph saying you now lived in the land of the dead, Florida. DAMN! At least it's not 28 degrees down there today...
Jonh - What little I know about your bio, you've already got a great history - musically and otherwise. I love some of your annecdotes about meeting rockstars! I look forward to it, when and if you do it.
Annie - I'm glad I'm always good for the dryest humor(smack smack says the chapped lips) and a recipe or two.
Anna - Yes, I have gotten obsessively into geaneology over on the net. Unfortunately, I'm short on the funds to persue it further at the time.
Dermahrk - yes, I miss the PA, seasons, and leafy trees. Once my wife finishes her MAsters, we'll probably move back north. Lately it's been down in the 40's/high 30's at night. Higly unusual this far south. I have one room that has a heater, so we usually just wear our hats and socks inside.
Tyler - thanks for sharing!
Van
Great, read, Tyler, and greetings from the sleety land of Wayne PA.
And I agree with Lak and others... lots of lousy radio back in the day, with the babyboom lock on the FM dial. Thankfully that has changed.
If you get back up north, let me know. 250 kids in your entire school... mmm, you didn't go to Conestoga then.
Cheers!