How did you get into Soul Asylum?

Discuss any aspect of Soul Asylum, their music, and the band's members.
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Sandrine
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Re: How did you get into Soul Asylum?

Post by Sandrine »

I was born and raised in France and was still living there when Runaway Train came out. For whatever reason, the video was subtitled and I was just mesmerized by the lyrics that totally rang with me. Fell in love with the band. Went to local music store, bought everything I could find and had them special order "and the horse they rode on".

They played in Paris later on, twice I believe, but I was never able to make it to any show (one I heard about it too late, the other was sold out) and had to wait till 1997 to see them live and be blown away.

mumph
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Re: How did you get into Soul Asylum?

Post by mumph »

I'd heard about SA from friends, people played foosball with them after shows at First Ave before I was old/independent enough to go to shows downtown by myself.

KJ104 played them, but when Somebody To Shove hit eMTyVee, I fell for it hard. Using one of those 12 CDs for $1 schemes, I ended up with GDU before Black Gold became the next single.

Somebody To Shove was the moshiest song this side of Enter Sandman that the DJ would actually play at Hi Skool dances. I remember bouncing off my friends while startled Vice Principals watched with inexplicable looks on their faces.

When I went off to college in the fall of 93, two friends played Runaway Train acoustic in a dorm room. It was my introduction to dorm living. I'll never forget creating a memory of that song that's lasted FAR beyond what the video did to it.

I remember telling people 'Soul Asylum are not a milk carton. They ROCK!'

I remember seeing DP smoking with his friends directly behind Asia security at Mill City Music Fest after the Ohjeez played a noontime set. I still wish I'd gotten a better recording of that set, stupid wind, stupid cheap mic.

I remember seeing SA play in a ballroom at a downtown MPLS hotel. My wife's parents bought us expensive tickets to see SA, the multitalented hottie Jessy Greene, and other acts on New Years Eve.

Ever since GDU made me pick up their older discs, I'm interested for the rest of my life in what SA and DP do.

Pirner's solo disc gave me the perfect emotional eulogy to my Uncle passing a few years back.

I'll Have My Day is an incredible piece of writing - deserves to be lauded as poetry - built on a masterfully fluid groove.

rooftop1515
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Re: How did you get into Soul Asylum?

Post by rooftop1515 »

It was the early 90's. My neighbor would babysit me when I got home from school when I was in third grade. Runaway train was always on the radio and MTV. So I always listened to it.

A few years ago... I was listening to a live show of my fave band ever, Less Than Jake who were playing in Minn. Chris, the lead singer, said Who rembers Soul Asylum?? "I had mexican with Dave Pirner today". I sat at my computer and had a flashback. I went right to there site and started listening to them again.

Now 23 years old I can relate to Soul Asylums music and will be a lifelong fan. Missed you guys in NYC! Gonna try to make the drive to PA in October!

mystic_spiral_3
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Re: How did you get into Soul Asylum?

Post by mystic_spiral_3 »

I was looking through some old calendars, photos, and articles today and realized that it was 15 years ago on this date that I bought my cassette of GDU. :) What a good purchase that turned out to be!

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AlyssaJones
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Re: How did you get into Soul Asylum?

Post by AlyssaJones »

I got into them because of Kevin Smith's movies. The first song of theirs I ever heard was Can't Even Tell. Me and my brother LOVE his films, especially Clerks. When we saw Chasing Amy for the first time he said, "Hey, the score of this was written by David Pirner," and I was like, "who?" So he told me that he was the frontman of Soul Asylum, the group that wrote Can't Even Tell. So then, when Clerks II came out, we noticed that Misery, the song played during the credits, was also done by "that band Soul Asylum."

So, shortly after we'd really gotten into Kevin Smith films, they kept running this commercial for some alternative compilation album, and they'd play a clip of Runaway Train and I saw their name come up on the screen, so I made the connection to Clerks. And I loved when that commercial would air because the very last shot of it was Dave. The first time we saw it my brother said, "Hey, that was Dave Pirner!" So every time we ever saw that commercial since we would wait till the end and when he came up on screen we'd point and say, "Dave Pirner!"

So, I listened to a bit of their music over the last 2 years or so, but the only album I actually bought was Candy From a Stranger. I was never a huge fan, but I liked them. So, the week before they played in Pittsburgh this year I got a text message from my brother's girlfriend telling me they were playing a free concert and I was like, "Woah, no way! We gotta go!"

So, we get to the concert, and we're excitedly milling around in the third row. Finally, after what seemed like HOURS of waiting, the guys walk out on stage. Dave's all smiles and Tommy's acting cute dancing to the Queen song playing on the radio. Then they all picked up their guitars, made their way to the front of the stage, and the very second they started playing I instantly went from "Yeah, I like Soul Asylum" to "I fucking love Soul Asylum!!!!" Since the show I've gotten four more of their albums and can't wait to get more. I think the next one I'll buy is Made to Be Broken. I really hope they keep playing for a good long time because I just love them so much.

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zany
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Re: How did you get into Soul Asylum?

Post by zany »

i was in middle school when runaway train was all over the radio and i bought GDU. When SA played the 93 MTV VMA show i was glued to the tv and watched the pre-show interview of dave, i still remember he was wearing a spaghettios tshirt and i think they were by a pool with their feet in. They were my FAVORITE band and was in love with dave and a couple other obvious singers/actors as only a 12 year old could be.

somemtime after dim light i got fed up with 'top 40 radio' overplaying songs, and i boycotted current music, found a beatles album, mom's record cabinet, and the woodstock documentary... where i got into my alltime-favorite musician Arlo Guthrie. (and have to admit forgot about SA for awhile)

meanwhile .... recently i saw that SA were playing near me and went to my first SA concert. now i've suddenly renewed my old obsession with them... which is why i'm suddenly on here!!! i've found all the old albums i forgot i had (luckily my car still has a tape deck) and fell in love w/ the sliver lining songs i heard at the show for the first time.

mystic_spiral_3
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Re: How did you get into Soul Asylum?

Post by mystic_spiral_3 »

zany wrote:i was in middle school when runaway train was all over the radio and i bought GDU. When SA played the 93 MTV VMA show i was glued to the tv and watched the pre-show interview of dave, i still remember he was wearing a spaghettios tshirt and i think they were by a pool with their feet in.
I was in 10th grade and I remember watching the pre-show and the award show too.

I also think this kicked off my love of Spaghettios. I'd liked them before, but I remember wanting to have Spaghettios more often after I saw this. I still like Spaghettios to this day.

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zany
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Re: How did you get into Soul Asylum?

Post by zany »

isn't that so random that a random tshirt can be so memorable? i have to say i don't really like spaghettios and the shirt didn't make me like them more :) [i'm more of a chef boyardee gal]

you know what other shirt i thought was soo cool at the time ... i forget which band member it is - but somebody's wearing a tshirt that says 'nothing' on one of the album covers (and the horse they rode in on maybe?) now i have no idea why i liked it so much at the time.

samtheslug
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Re: How did you get into Soul Asylum?

Post by samtheslug »

Weird story. About 2 weeks ago, I was just browsing random videos on youtube. Was watching this ad for a grunge complation and saw a clip for 'Runaway Train' - decided to check the song out - loved it. And spent the rest of the night listening to stuff on youtube. Next few days I download some albums and Im hooked - there quickly becoming my favourite band.

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zany
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Re: How did you get into Soul Asylum?

Post by zany »

welcome to the addiction sam...

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