The Embarrassment's celebrity art party

March 8, 2008 5:27 PM

The Embarrassment playing live in 1981 at the Flatiron in Wichita, KS.

The best band you never heard of? (link has mp3s--"Sex Drive" and "Elizabeth Montgomery's Face" are favorites) I'm not sure of that, but I do know that they were a damn great midwest band with members that went on to the Del Fuegos and Big Dipper. The Embos were kind of a more adventurous and less-Lou-Reed-obsessed Feelies or a wittier Mission of Burma.

Here's a few extra videos from the 80s made by the group:
Don't Choose the Wrong Song
I'm a Don Juan
And here's "Careen" and "Death Travels West" done by a fan.

They also make an appearance in the wonderful Lost in the Grooves edited by mefite Scram.

posted by sleepy pete (10 comments total)

Awesome, sleepy pete. I've loved the Embarrassment since a girl put 'Sex Drive' on a mixtape for me when I was 16.
posted by item at 5:31 PM on March 8, 2008

Indeed, I've never heard of them, and I'm somewhat embarrassed about that. This wealth of links, which I'd like to take this opportunity to thank you for, will certainly help me to get more familiar with them.

Here they are TODAY!
posted by flapjax at midnite at 5:35 PM on March 8, 2008

No problem, flapjax. They got back together and played a few shows right as my wife and I were moving from Kansas. There has been talk of a documentary, which is why they were doing the reunion shows, but as far as I know, it's still just talk. I've been wrong before, though.
posted by sleepy pete at 5:43 PM on March 8, 2008

Hey, what a beautiful post
What a beautiful post
posted by Smart Dalek at 5:52 PM on March 8, 2008

Here's Big Dipper's vid for Faith Healer. Cool song. Nice guys, too.

Thanks for the posting. Hadn't thought of this music since the last century.
posted by grounded at 6:45 PM on March 8, 2008

This is kind of amazing, sp.
posted by escabeche at 7:56 PM on March 8, 2008

Yikes! If I were capable of crafting such an excellent FPP, I would have done so. The Embarrassment deserves nothing less.
posted by freshwater_pr0n at 7:57 PM on March 8, 2008

I haven't heard this band since 1986, thanks for dredging them up, every so often I find myself humming one of their tunes.
posted by Max Power at 9:02 PM on March 8, 2008

Wichita, represent!
/ born in Wichita
posted by salvia at 12:35 AM on March 9, 2008

Wow! Great post! Gems galore!!!
posted by humannaire at 2:27 PM on March 10, 2008