"Colonel Galaxy and Niagara with getaway car. Their 1966 Coupe de Ville has a 500 horsepower engine and a top speed of 140. Report #11710 Detroit Police file Sgt. Jameson.
"Colonel Galaxy and Niagara with getaway car. Their 1966 Coupe de Ville has a 500 horsepower engine and a top speed of 140. Report #11710 Detroit Police file Sgt. Jameson.
NIAGARA on HGTV
"JUST OUTSIDE DETROIT MEET A PUNK ROCK / ARTIST WITH A
SOFT SPOT FOR VINTAGE DECOR"
NIAGARA WILL BE FEATURED ON "OFFBEAT AMERICA" SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 17TH AT 6:00 PM EASTERN
AND WEDNESDAY 20TH 6:30 EASTERN. CHECK YOUR LOCAL LISTINGS!!!
"JUST OUTSIDE DETROIT MEET A PUNK ROCK / ARTIST WITH A
SOFT SPOT FOR VINTAGE DECOR"
NIAGARA WILL BE FEATURED ON "OFFBEAT AMERICA" SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 17TH AT 6:00 PM EASTERN
AND WEDNESDAY 20TH 6:30 EASTERN. CHECK YOUR LOCAL LISTINGS!!!
BRITISH TABLOIDS TAKE ON NIAGARA
Niagara (and of course the Colonel) were in the UK last month and it made the papers. Here's what the MANCHESTER CONFIDENTAL had to say about their visit.
"NO! I'M NOT RICHARD BOONE'S SON...SOME JOURNALIST ASKED ME THAT JOKINGLY CUZ OF THE ALL-BLACK THING..."
"THE
MORNING AFTER THE NIGHT BEFORE"...COLONEL GALAXY EATS A 'HOTBOX' LUNCH
IN THE WEE HOUR'S ... RUMORS THAT THE COLONEL IS ACTUALLY RICHARD
BOONE'S ILLEGITIMATE SON WITH ACTRESS ANNA MAGNANI ''IS TOTALLY WITH-
OUT MERIT" & ACCORDING TO THE COLONEL ..."JUST ONE OF THOSE TABLOID
THINGS THAT GETS OTTA HAND WHEN SOME TYPHOID MARY FROM SOME RAG STARTS
ASKING QUESTIONS..."
Fetish photo: Chris Gustafson
"THE
MORNING AFTER THE NIGHT BEFORE"...COLONEL GALAXY EATS A 'HOTBOX' LUNCH
IN THE WEE HOUR'S ... RUMORS THAT THE COLONEL IS ACTUALLY RICHARD
BOONE'S ILLEGITIMATE SON WITH ACTRESS ANNA MAGNANI ''IS TOTALLY WITH-
OUT MERIT" & ACCORDING TO THE COLONEL ..."JUST ONE OF THOSE TABLOID
THINGS THAT GETS OTTA HAND WHEN SOME TYPHOID MARY FROM SOME RAG STARTS
ASKING QUESTIONS..."Fetish photo: Chris Gustafson
FROM NIAGARA'S INBOX...
> NAME casey
> EMAIL *******@aol.com
> SUBJECT The Chance Shirt from 1981
> Hey Niagara,
> I came across a shirt that I need some history on if all possible.
> The shirt reads "The Chance" and below it reads "Niagara '81".
> "The Chance" was a bar in Ann Arbor correct? Did you design this shirt/the
> bars logo?
> Any information on this shirt would be much appreciated.
> Thanks..CASEY
Casey,
The bar was the Second Chance , they used to call it "the chance", anyway the owner John Carver was always bugging Niagara to "create a logo." Niagara got John to agree to "unlimited drinks forever" in exchange. No sooner did John agree, when Niagara took out an eyebrow pencil and grabbed a napkin and jotted down the infamous scrawl , then ordered a Vodka Martini , the first of many in years to come. To his credit Carver stuck to the drink bargain & used the "logo" on the Marquee & all his promotions. The "Chance" was a famous "new wave" club that hosted many famous acts, DEAD BOYS, THE SONICS, PATTI SMITH & DESTROY ALL MONSTERS to name a few. Madonna was no longer a waitress there ... turns out the Punk crowd were not big tippers...
Niagara Historian
Colonel Galaxy
> NAME casey
> EMAIL *******@aol.com
> SUBJECT The Chance Shirt from 1981
> Hey Niagara,
> I came across a shirt that I need some history on if all possible.
> The shirt reads "The Chance" and below it reads "Niagara '81".
> "The Chance" was a bar in Ann Arbor correct? Did you design this shirt/the
> bars logo?
> Any information on this shirt would be much appreciated.
> Thanks..CASEY
Casey,
The bar was the Second Chance , they used to call it "the chance", anyway the owner John Carver was always bugging Niagara to "create a logo." Niagara got John to agree to "unlimited drinks forever" in exchange. No sooner did John agree, when Niagara took out an eyebrow pencil and grabbed a napkin and jotted down the infamous scrawl , then ordered a Vodka Martini , the first of many in years to come. To his credit Carver stuck to the drink bargain & used the "logo" on the Marquee & all his promotions. The "Chance" was a famous "new wave" club that hosted many famous acts, DEAD BOYS, THE SONICS, PATTI SMITH & DESTROY ALL MONSTERS to name a few. Madonna was no longer a waitress there ... turns out the Punk crowd were not big tippers...
Niagara Historian
Colonel Galaxy
NIAGARA and TARA MOSS down under!!!
"I met super-model Tara Moss at my show at Outre' in Melbourne Australia . Tara is a True Crime buff and successful novelist with many assets."
Niagara and Tara plan to collaborate on her next novel.
NEW YEARS EVE with NIAGARA
Niagara discusses ins&outs with fetish queen "Kat" while Colonel and Keith wind their watch.
Photo by Chris Gustafson.
Niagara discusses ins&outs with fetish queen "Kat" while Colonel and Keith wind their watch. Photo by Chris Gustafson.
FRIGHT FRIGHT FRIGHT
Dave Buick (The GO, Young Soul Rebels) and Julie Benjamen (The Fondas) dress as Niagara and the Colonel for Halloween.
A Destroy All Monsters profile has surfaced here - have a look.
Dave Buick (The GO, Young Soul Rebels) and Julie Benjamen (The Fondas) dress as Niagara and the Colonel for Halloween.
A Destroy All Monsters profile has surfaced here - have a look.
A couple years ago, February, Niagara curated the "FUNHOUSE" Art Show at CPOP.
Her initial idea was to have a show with musicians, so people could see
another side of their "colorful" personalities. She started with all
the borderline psycho musicians that she knew: Iggy Pop & The
Stooges, The Melvins, Dee Dee & Joey Ramone (posthumously),Thurston
Moore & Kim/Sonic Youth, Mark Mothersbaugh of DEVO, Kembra from The
Voluptuous Horror of Karen Black... well, you get the picture: it was
chaos from the get.
To complicate matters, the Stooges and Iggy wanted to know if they could rehearse their music in our practice room. Niagara, "Iggy had heard about the quasi-glamorous cement block dungeon beneath our house. It has that perfect 'dead sound' as Iggy put it. We said 'sure'. It was a perfect Detroit media frenzy. I even got Iggy the cover of Juxtapoz, the international Art Mag. I was upstairs on the phone constantly with the press and all the while hearing the Stooges playing live coming up through the heating ducts... it was surreal, I was time-tripping with "Stooge Radio".
Iggy had done a lot of large canvasses. Niagara talked Iggy into naming them the same as his rambling descriptions. (Amy Yokin bought one of the best ones, titled: Rock & Roll Bacchus: Self-Portrait -- while drunk after show in Bubble bath, Halloween 3 a.m., New Orleans, 2004). Now he wanted us to
frame them...
Pat Slack, from River's Edge Gallery, was ready, willing and able. Iggy loved the beautiful thick, black laquered frames but he didn't want to pay the $10,000 bill. So he got Tom Thewes, the owner of CPOP, to pony up the money (plus Iggy's hotel bill). Pat cut Tom some slack...but Iggy was oblivious.
Niagara did the official silk-screened print of the event in that patented 60's "Grande Ballroom" style a la Gary Grimshaw. When it came time for Iggy to sign them, he balked. He was sitting in our living room, watching T.V. when Niagara told me about the impasse. He had told her, "Why should I sign art that I didn't do?" AND: "The people at Christie's auction house said signatures are worth more when there's less of them'!!!" I went round & round with him, until I cut the argument short by saying," For all that Niagara, CPOP and this town has done for you, YOU'RE GONNA SIGN THEM." He said, "...I see your point, I'll sign til' I drop, how's that?"
Well, the night of the show, the line to get in the madhouse was around the block, til late at night and in the cold of February. Iggy signed autographs, album covers, everything they threw at him. BUT again he refused to sign the posters. Ron And Scott Asheton signed and cajoled him, but no go. Jamie O'Shea, editor of Juxtapoz, said it was the thing to do, when Iggy asked his opinion. But still "No".
This time he was holed up in Tom Thewe's studio, upstairs from the gallery. I was pissed and ready for a showdown. Ron and I got into the elevator, when Ron's sister, who's not known for shyness, decided that she wanted to film this. I was on a mission and not in the mood for this discussion, so I shoved her out of the elevator. Davin Brainard came up and said brightly, "I'm coming up with you so I can meet Iggy!" "NOT NOW YOU'RE NOT," I growled. Nobody's ever seen Davin mad, but this was a night of many firsts.
I stomped up to Iggy and glared. He says, "Oh, man, not this guy again... where's those fucking posters, I'll sigh 'em all." So he did.
And we have the memory of those nights listening to the recordings that Warn Defever made of the Stooges in our basement... which still sound killer and hilarious to this day.
-Colonel Galaxy
To complicate matters, the Stooges and Iggy wanted to know if they could rehearse their music in our practice room. Niagara, "Iggy had heard about the quasi-glamorous cement block dungeon beneath our house. It has that perfect 'dead sound' as Iggy put it. We said 'sure'. It was a perfect Detroit media frenzy. I even got Iggy the cover of Juxtapoz, the international Art Mag. I was upstairs on the phone constantly with the press and all the while hearing the Stooges playing live coming up through the heating ducts... it was surreal, I was time-tripping with "Stooge Radio".
Iggy had done a lot of large canvasses. Niagara talked Iggy into naming them the same as his rambling descriptions. (Amy Yokin bought one of the best ones, titled: Rock & Roll Bacchus: Self-Portrait -- while drunk after show in Bubble bath, Halloween 3 a.m., New Orleans, 2004). Now he wanted us to
frame them...
Pat Slack, from River's Edge Gallery, was ready, willing and able. Iggy loved the beautiful thick, black laquered frames but he didn't want to pay the $10,000 bill. So he got Tom Thewes, the owner of CPOP, to pony up the money (plus Iggy's hotel bill). Pat cut Tom some slack...but Iggy was oblivious.
Niagara did the official silk-screened print of the event in that patented 60's "Grande Ballroom" style a la Gary Grimshaw. When it came time for Iggy to sign them, he balked. He was sitting in our living room, watching T.V. when Niagara told me about the impasse. He had told her, "Why should I sign art that I didn't do?" AND: "The people at Christie's auction house said signatures are worth more when there's less of them'!!!" I went round & round with him, until I cut the argument short by saying," For all that Niagara, CPOP and this town has done for you, YOU'RE GONNA SIGN THEM." He said, "...I see your point, I'll sign til' I drop, how's that?"
Well, the night of the show, the line to get in the madhouse was around the block, til late at night and in the cold of February. Iggy signed autographs, album covers, everything they threw at him. BUT again he refused to sign the posters. Ron And Scott Asheton signed and cajoled him, but no go. Jamie O'Shea, editor of Juxtapoz, said it was the thing to do, when Iggy asked his opinion. But still "No".
This time he was holed up in Tom Thewe's studio, upstairs from the gallery. I was pissed and ready for a showdown. Ron and I got into the elevator, when Ron's sister, who's not known for shyness, decided that she wanted to film this. I was on a mission and not in the mood for this discussion, so I shoved her out of the elevator. Davin Brainard came up and said brightly, "I'm coming up with you so I can meet Iggy!" "NOT NOW YOU'RE NOT," I growled. Nobody's ever seen Davin mad, but this was a night of many firsts.
I stomped up to Iggy and glared. He says, "Oh, man, not this guy again... where's those fucking posters, I'll sigh 'em all." So he did.
And we have the memory of those nights listening to the recordings that Warn Defever made of the Stooges in our basement... which still sound killer and hilarious to this day.
-Colonel Galaxy
"HEADS WILL ROLL!... I'LL KILL the SON of a BITCH!"
Amir Daiza was not having a good day. He was hosting Niagara's Art & Rock show at his newest club, INDUSTRY, in Pontiac, Michigan, when Niagara's painting, ironically titled: "LET'S GET SOME EASY MONEY", had been stolen. Amir, a self-styled successful promoter, brought bands such as Duran Duran, Nirvana, Dead Kennedys, Smashing Pumpkins, etc. to Detroit. He was proud of INDUSTRY and did not need the negative exposure. "LOCK THE DOORS--NO ONE LEAVES!" freaked Amir. Niagara was calm... rather impressed that someone could walk off with a large 36" square painting..."Amir probably took it himself," she joked. It was chaos. The year was 1991 and the painting was not found.
Flash forward 15 years later:
A hot June day. Amir is celebrating an after party for his 1st Annual "Motor City Music Conference" at his new lake house. Party talk turns to the release of Niagara's book; Beyond the Pale.
"I've got a Niagara painting", says an elegantly dressed lady, "You should put it in the book."
"Oh, yeah", Niagara intones, "Which one?"
"LET'S GET SOME EASY MONEY." The room gets still as the Colonel walks over to the lady, "What did you say?" "LET"S GET SOME..."
"NO, Honey, we don't own any Niagara paintings," her husband corrects from across the room.
"But, Honey, this is Niagara! We're going to be in the book!", the elegant lady pleads.
"HONEY, I don't know of ANY NIAGARA PAINTING," emphasizes the husband.
"So that's how we're playing it?"... the Colonel growled. "How 'bout we wrestle for it now?"
"I don't think that's a good idea," the husband offered weakly, "We were just leaving."
Long story short: The painting was returned the next day -- elaborately framed. Amir purchased it on the spot, "If I had bought it then, it would have cost me a few hundred... it cost me five times that. Hey, it's a notorious painting, I love it."
Amir Daiza was not having a good day. He was hosting Niagara's Art & Rock show at his newest club, INDUSTRY, in Pontiac, Michigan, when Niagara's painting, ironically titled: "LET'S GET SOME EASY MONEY", had been stolen. Amir, a self-styled successful promoter, brought bands such as Duran Duran, Nirvana, Dead Kennedys, Smashing Pumpkins, etc. to Detroit. He was proud of INDUSTRY and did not need the negative exposure. "LOCK THE DOORS--NO ONE LEAVES!" freaked Amir. Niagara was calm... rather impressed that someone could walk off with a large 36" square painting..."Amir probably took it himself," she joked. It was chaos. The year was 1991 and the painting was not found.
Flash forward 15 years later:
A hot June day. Amir is celebrating an after party for his 1st Annual "Motor City Music Conference" at his new lake house. Party talk turns to the release of Niagara's book; Beyond the Pale.
"I've got a Niagara painting", says an elegantly dressed lady, "You should put it in the book."
"Oh, yeah", Niagara intones, "Which one?"
"LET'S GET SOME EASY MONEY." The room gets still as the Colonel walks over to the lady, "What did you say?" "LET"S GET SOME..."
"NO, Honey, we don't own any Niagara paintings," her husband corrects from across the room.
"But, Honey, this is Niagara! We're going to be in the book!", the elegant lady pleads.
"HONEY, I don't know of ANY NIAGARA PAINTING," emphasizes the husband.
"So that's how we're playing it?"... the Colonel growled. "How 'bout we wrestle for it now?"
"I don't think that's a good idea," the husband offered weakly, "We were just leaving."
Long story short: The painting was returned the next day -- elaborately framed. Amir purchased it on the spot, "If I had bought it then, it would have cost me a few hundred... it cost me five times that. Hey, it's a notorious painting, I love it."
Zenith Club, Paris, France - July 04
Ron Asheton, Scott Asheton, Niagara & unknown Parisian retro punk
Bernard Mesanes {senior writer for Jukebox mag}, Niagara, Colonel & very drunk & wet French cook.
Ron Asheton, Scott Asheton, Niagara & unknown Parisian retro punk
Bernard Mesanes {senior writer for Jukebox mag}, Niagara, Colonel & very drunk & wet French cook.
GIRLS GONE WILD
Dave Buick finds himself surrounded by beautiful women on the eve of his wedding! Lovely bride Julie Benjamin on his lap, Tracee Miller on the left and Niagara on the right.
photo: Davin Brainard
Dave Buick finds himself surrounded by beautiful women on the eve of his wedding! Lovely bride Julie Benjamin on his lap, Tracee Miller on the left and Niagara on the right.
photo: Davin Brainard
