Sideshow…
It’s very possible that without the band Sideshow there wouldn’t have been a Caulfield Records, which is kind of a scary thought considering the amount of great bands that released records on it. Sideshow was the band of Caulfield founder Bernie McGinn. Originally the band had went under the name of Peer Puppet in the late eighties but decidedly changed right around the release of their first 7 inch. That 7 inch is initially what started Caulfield Records. On top of being the band responsible for the label, they were also a pretty fine sounding one as well. Along with fellow members Paul Tisdale (drums) and Rich Higgins (guitar), Sideshow would release three full-length albums during their time together and a couple 7 inches. Their first couple albums, Self-Titled and Sunspots and Eggplants were both released on Caulfield, however during the labels heyday it became hard for McGinn to find room for his own band on the roster so they put out their third and final record Lip Read Confusion on the Flydaddy label. The label never really fit the band as they would sort of go in a different direction in terms of signing similar music to be featured on it, which kind of screwed Sideshow in the end probably.
Sideshow made a name for their selves in the Lincoln, Nebraska music scene. While they probably still go largely forgotten in most circles, they really had more to do with the whole Midwestern emo/rock thing than probably most bands out there. I mean considering the singer only operated one of the most important labels to the genre. However, I think that kind of overshadowed the bands musical contributions which is too bad because Sideshow honestly were cranking out some of the best music the genre ever had to offer in the early to mid nineties. All I can say is that if you’ve never listened to Sideshow and you’re a fan of rock with a Midwestern sound to it, then tracking down some of these records are a must. Personally Lip Read Confusion is my favorite album by them, although their self-titled LP gets a lot of love too. Regardless, any of Sideshow’s output is worth owning, much like anything that was released on the Caulfield label in general. McGinn would also later appear in Luck of Aleia, which I think only released one EP on Caulfield. That’s also worth tracking down too.
Sideshow:
Sideshow – Halspar [MP3]
Sideshow – Veil of Happiness [MP3]
Eggplants and Sunspots:
Sideshow – Blinky Doll [MP3]
Sideshow – Right [MP3]
Lip Read Confusion:
Sideshow – Option Refused [MP3]
Sideshow – Everything’s Breaking [MP3]
Rust 7’’:
Sideshow – Face Foot Ladder [MP3]
VA – A Caulfield Compilation 7’’:
Sideshow – Consume [MP3]
Most of the bands material I am thinking is out of print; however some searching around online for used copies of any of the above albums should turn up some results. I know for a fact that Lip Read Confusion is on Amazon for no more than a penny and the price of shipping, so snatch up a copy of that if you’re digging the tunes above, it’s well worth it.
Related posts:
- Sideshow – Sideshow 7” (1990?, Caulfield) I’ve mentioned Sideshow at length on the blog awhile...
- VA – A Caulfield Compilation 7” (1993, Caulfield Records) This is a short but nice 7-inch compilation put out...
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October 2nd, 2007 at 6:43 pm
i was so happy when i saw this! sideshow is one of my favorite bands of all time. i learned to play guitar by playing along to ‘eggplants and sunspots’ in my room.
i had not heard ‘halspar’ or ‘veil of happiness’ in over 12 years. i had it on cassette(!) and i seem have misplaced it over the years.
January 18th, 2008 at 8:36 pm
I just found the camp sunnyside 7″ by Sideshow in the murky basement of Repo Records in Philly. It’s pretty rad.
May 10th, 2009 at 3:40 pm
i found my copy of lip read confusion still in it wrappings yesterday at the thrift store for 99 cents i must say it was steal havent stopped listening yet good stuff great drummer