Fifteen Years of The Cooters!
by Mary Unsell, The Local Voice
Published February 7, 2008
Oxford, Miss (TLV) - It was fifteen years ago this month when Newt Rayburn, Gentry Webb, and Tyler Keith formed what is known today as Oxford's high-octane Rock-n-Roll band The Cooters. The Cooters are currently comprised of Newt, aka Neuter Cooter, vox and bass; Gentry, aka Raw Cooter, vox and guitar; and Mike Namorato, aka Judas Cooter, drums. The Cooters' musical influences range from Motorhead to Dead Kennedys to Motley Crue, but don't stop there. The band remains loyal to Minneapolis indie label Profane Existence, with which Newt became involved before moving back to Oxford in 1992.
When Newt returned from Minneapolis in '92 he immediately started playing with Tom Queyja, Brian Walker, and Mike Namorato in a band called The Backwoods Mississippi Anarchy Orchestra. This musical endeavor was mostly noise band/art punk without any real structure or organization. Then, in January of 1993, Newt got a house with Gentry and, with Tyler Keith on drums, formed The Cooters. Robert Freeland also played an integral role in encouraging the art punk direction of the music, as well as the house parties at what they named "The Cooter Family Estate" on Highway 334. Through their fanzine Assault With Intent to Free, Newt's connections through Profane Existence Records, the local Mississippi music scene, and Oxford's Hoka Theatre, The Cooter Family Estate housed bands from all over the country, including talents now playing in the North Mississippi Allstars and Green Day, who came to jam with The Cooters and spread the gospel of rock.
In the fall of 1993 Tyler Keith started playing with The Neckbones and Jeff Lawrence took over playing drums for The Cooters. By the end of the year, Oxford/Lafayette County cops were regularly busting house parties at the beloved Cooter Family Estate. This led to mounting frustrations surrounding the house parties, and ended with the New Year's Eve Party. In January of 1994 Jeff Lawrence and Newt Rayburn got a house on University Avenue and with Jeff Allen they took their music in a different direction. Channeling country, metal, reggae, blues, and jazz, new songs emerged, each one sounding completely different than the others. By July 1994, Newt was living in Abbeville in the establishment known as "The Funny Farm," when he and Gentry Webb decided to get serious. Together with Mike Namorato, who had left his band Bruthafiend, The Cooters began the path they are still forging today.
Newt credits Mike Namorato for bringing the music into its current direction with strong metal influences while keeping with their punk rock roots. These men are serious about playing, traveling, and recording while holding fast to what they've stood for, 15 years running.
The Cooters played the first of their Fifteenth Anniversary series Friday, February 1, 2008 at The Jubilee in Oxford, Mississippi. The opening anniversary show also happened to be Newt's birthday celebration. Friday's show was fun, fueled with high energy and ten rockin' new songs, four of which have never been heard live. From the pulsing lyrics of "Welcome To Your Hell," penned by Neuter and sung by Raw, to the mid-tempo rock sound of "Danger," and the fast D-Beat of "You're Hooked," in which Judas shines on drums, The Cooters put on a show which you sure should be kicking yourself in the pants if you missed. Other new songs included "Same Shit, Different Pile," "Fall Apart," "Put Your Dukes Up," and the crowd pleasing sing-a-long "I Don't Give A F**k."
The anniversary series will play on throughout the year, and holding true to the traditions of The Cooters, will feature special guests. Brad "Bomber" Boatright, who went on to form the seminal Nashville punk band From Ashes Rise, did his stint in The Cooters from 1995-96. Max Hipp of Kill The Ego and Pithecanfunkus Erectus guitarist and local artist/producer Tom "Tomas Chaos" Queyja often join in to create "MegaCooter."
The Cooters are ready to get into the studio with time for them to record some 15 new songs. The Cooters' favorite studio in Memphis - Easley Studio - tragically burned down after their last album Chaos or Bust was recorded in 2005. They also recorded their first album there in 1995, Invasion of The Cooters. The band is currently unsure of where they will record next. Nevertheless, that won't stop The Cooters, who are always progressing with each new album and always having fun.
The Cooters CDs, records, and T-Shirts are available for purchase at Purple Haze in Oxford, and online at www.ProfaneExistence.com, Amazon.com, and CDbaby.com.
The Cooters Upcoming Events Include:
February 9th with KILL THE EGO at P&H Café on Madison Avenue in Memphis, Tennessee.
February 16th with REDNECK TRUCKER at Sam's Lounge in Jackson, Mississippi.
The Cooters have a live video in the 2008 Oxford Film Festival debuting Friday, February 8th at 10 pm, just before Blood Car. The band shot the video in Madison, Wisconsin, on their 2006 tour with Happy Bastards. Expect a rowdy, live version of Iron Maiden's "The Trooper!"
The band is adding tour dates weekly, so visit The Cooters online for updates at www.TheCooters.com and myspace.com/thecooters.