The return of Mucky Pup: Recounting the punk-metal-hardcore band's reunion show in Teaneck, NJ

New Jersey-bred Mucky Pup is back! The band, known for its schizophrenic combination of juvenile humor, political sarcasm, and thick-as-f*** riffs performed a reunion concert last Saturday, April 11 at MexiCali Live in Teaneck, NJ to a packed house. Having been a longtime fan that had never gotten an opportunity to witness a Mucky show during their heyday, I could not pass this up. 

I honestly had no idea what to expect from the show, aside from what I heard on their 1994 live album, ALIVE & WELL. I just knew that Mucky Pup was a band that threw caution to the wind, ignored (or better, defied) genre stereotyping, and played for the sake of playing. Largely known in hardcore circles, they did have a “hit song” for the track “U-Stink” from 1989’s A BOY IN A MAN’S WORLD. And upon its video premiere on MTV’s Headbangers Ball, VJ Adam Curry (probably trying to sound cool) explained their sound as fusing “metal, punk, hardcore, and good ol’ rock into their own Mucky-music extravaganza.” Sure, it sounds silly, but the band had chops!

While Mucky Pup was better received in Europe than they were in the states (which still boggles my mind), they released six full-length studio albums, as well as the aforementioned live album between 1987-1996. They were signed to Torrid, Century Media, and SPV at various stages in their career. For whatever reason, they called it quits after releasing FIVE GUYS IN A REALLY HOT GARAGE. Members of Mucky Pup went on to form successful hardcore-centric bands like Dog Eat Dog and All Boro Kings.

But Saturday night was all about the Pup. The band’s lineup of the evening consisted of vocalist Chris Milnes, his brother/drummer John Milnes, guitarist Danny Nastasi, bassist Dave Neabore, and keyboardist/washboardist/sampler Kevin Powers. I had a brief moment to speak with Chris before the show, who intimated that there would be no new music played, just the hits, and nothing but the hits. He later reiterated that sentiment from the stage.

Backing up a bit, this was my first time at MexiCali Live, as well as Teaneck, NJ. Upon entering the building, I really didn’t know what to expect. The stage was actually in the front of the building, and a full service restaurant and bar (with seated balcony) consumed the back portion of the house. I was tickled by the fact that the merch guy was wearing a Monroeville Zombies hockey jersey, but then I had remembered, I was in Kevin Smith territory.

There was definitely a strange mix of people at this show. It was as if college kids were artificially aged in the clothes they were wearing. Many people in their 30s-40s dressed like they were still in school. It was a very St. Elmo’s Fire moment. Everyone was taking turns getting pictures of the massive MUCKY PUP banner that seems to consume the back wall of the stage. It was just so ominous that you really couldn’t help but take notice of it.

The show was pro-filmed for a possible DVD release. Cameras were stationed at various points in the room like those monolithic turret guns on the Death Star. As the building slowly filled, I came to the realization that this was not so much a concert as it was a bunch of people hanging out at a local show enjoying the music and atmosphere together.

I was also intrigued by the stage hands (which included former Mucky guitarist Jack “Hinge” Pitzer), who were busily making sure everything was perfect, in place, bolted to the floor when needed – like a bunch of scurrying oompa-loompas. But they looked like tech school instructors, with untucked, picnic-table-plaid button down shirts, barbershop haircuts, and horn-rimmed glasses. It just added to the atmosphere.

Honoring the band’s eclectic sound, the house music that pulsated through MexiCali Live echoed the sentiment, playing an interesting mix of Eminem, Leeway, Mötley Crüe, Foreigner, Kiss, Ratt, Type O Negative, AC/DC, Loudness, Manowar, LL Cool J, Black Sabbath, No Doubt, and a couple of punk bands I couldn’t place. Oddly, the last few songs played before the band hit the stage were No Doubt’s “Hella Good”, Manowar’s “Battle Hymn”, and Loudness’ “Crazy Nights”.

The opening act was stand-up comedian Mike Gaffney, whose delivery reminded me a lot of a cross between Lewis Black and Andrew Dice Clay. He did approximately a ½ hour set and discussed chocolate, being fat, internet dating, ethnic GPS units, stupid girlfriends, drugs, deaf children (and other handicaps), and personal trainers. Throughout his set, he seemed to berate members of the audience in a very similar fashion to Don Rickles. I assume he’s either green or was trying to work a tough room, because he seemed to lose his place throughout his routine; with a lot of extended pauses. Or maybe he was testing his timing. I dunno. He really didn’t connect with me, but the audience seemed to appreciate him.

Mucky went on at around 10:15, and everyone pretty much went nuts. Since I had no expectations, the whole show was an amazing experience. The band members took the stage one-by-one and immediately began jamming on “Laughing In Your Face”. What was really interesting and mesmerizing was how differently each member looked and acted, as if they were characters on a sit-com. Dave Neabore was the epitomic punk rock bassist, smiling with bass hung low and donning a horror t-shirt. Danny Nastasi was the full-on, madman hardcore guitarist, pounding on riffs like they owed him money and stirring the pit like a pungent witch’s brew. John Milnes sat quietly in the back, beating the crap out of his drums like a technical boxer in a title fight. And Chris Milnes? Well, he was the consummate carnival barker / ringleader of this motley crew; talking up the audience, dancing on stage like a drunken marionette, and preaching like an evangelist.

The full set list contained:

Laughing In Your Face
Hotel Penitentiary
Knock Knock
Nazichizm
Caddy Killer
Woody
Bushpigs
Batman
U-R Nothing
Mr. President
Reagan Knew
Death By Cholesterol
Landscrapers
Baby
Three Dead Gophers
I Know Nobody
The Skinheads Broke My Walkman
Please Don’t Burn the Johnson
P.T.L.
Little Pigs

Encore
Tainted Love
Hippies Hate Water
U-Stink

The pit was incredible; it really reminded me of 1989 all over again – maniacs war-dancing in a circle with limbs flailing (I actually caught a fist to the throat during “P.T.L.”). And it was a communal experience. There was no anger or hostility; everyone was simply feeling the music and Mucky Pup’s energy. If someone went down, there were at least three hands at the ready to help him/her back up.

And the show wasn’t without its goofy pageantry. After “Reagan Knew”, Chris called an old friend, who went by the name EVS, up to the stage to read a special, impromptu haiku about the concert. While I really didn’t catch what he said, it was amusing nonetheless. Following “Landscrapers”, they introduced Kevin Powers to the stage, who went on to contribute samples, keyboards, washboards, and whistles to the rest of the set. And if the show couldn’t get any nuttier, at one point, Chris stops the show, grabs a beer bong, and proceeds to shoot one down. Then, he and Danny prod a friend in the audience to come up on stage and follow suit. It was like a frat party on stage!

Finally, during the encores, Chris finds what looks like an automatic car-starter, and asks the audience if it belonged to any of them. When no one replies, he pushes the button, and off to the side of the stage, a modified smoke machine starts spurting soap bubbles over the mosh pit. It was like Lawrence Welk meets Biohazard – absolutely hilarious.

Mucky Pup played until just before midnight, and to be honest, I didn’t want the show to end. Hopefully, a DVD release will come of out of that show, and I also hope that the experience that night proved to the Pups that there is still an audience out there for them. They do have a series of European dates set for the summer, but I’d definitely love for an opportunity to see them again stateside. Exodus may preach about “Good, friendly, violent fun”, but Mucky Pup practices it to the letter.