Not many touring bands are left from the Ralphs era. There was always a roster of bands who liked our cities and came back frequently. Newer bands do that to this day with our current crop of venues. But as far as bands who actually did it at Ralphs, they are hard to find. The F*cking Champs started in the mid 1990s and are still around to this day, taking breaks every few years. They played the Corner many a time as did the Cherry Valence (ex members of whom comprise the band Birds of Avalon). When I didn’t live in Fargo but came here visiting, I remember heading over to Ralphs one time following a Foo Fighters/Everclear concert (I had free tickets) and discovering that unbeknownst to me, the F*cking Champs were in town. I was into the band as I had followed the career of guitarist Tim Green, being a huge fan of his first band Nation of Ulysess. The resulting show was a blast, combining unique characters from the scene (see picture below which still remains on the band’s website) with the band’s math metal anthem fury. Sure it sounds like the soundtrack to a D and D party, but the F*cking Champs music is as much humour as it is prog rock (as evidenced by the picture remaining on the website, some bands would be mad when a stray regular jumped on stage). This band is about the ability to laugh at yourself and rock at the same time. Sometimes they suprise you with what they pull of and the songs lead to places you never thought. Sometimes you may roll your eyes. But you do it with a smile on your face. The F*cking Champs return to Fargo Sunday night, 10 years after they first did, alongside Birds of Avalon (who do a stint opening for the Flaming Lips later this month. The band has a new record on Drag City Records and sounds just a nerdy as ever. Maybe someday they can return and play ValleyCon. But until that happens you are stuck with seeing them in rock club. If you’ve never seen them, make sure to bring your horned hands. The F*cking Champs play the Aquarium on Sunday with Birds of Avalon and Final Fight. Cover is $8 for 21+ with music at 10:30 pm.
The F*cking Champs (with Joe Preston of the Melvins/Thrones photoshopped on their heads) and Carol at Ralphs 1997:
The F*cking Champs:
Birds of Avalon:
That is well known that cash makes us free. But how to act when somebody has no cash? The only one way is to try to get the mortgage loans and commercial loan.