Last Of The Full Grown Gumshoes!

I've talked more than a few times here at the Dojo about my adoration of the music and myth of Webb Wilder. Webb Wilder nudged onto the national scene (and my consciousness) way back in the late 80's on the old USA Network show Night Flight in a short film titled "The Saucer's Reign". Here's a look at that video here. As it turns out there were no aliens in that flick, but there was one memorable presence, the noir-lite hero "Webb Wilder". The character caught on, a band was built and over the decades several albums have trickled out. In past years Webb and his Beatnecks began touring again.

Some years ago, I picked up on Ebay an extravagantly priced copy of Webb Wilder's own 1996 double novel, which is titled Mole Men/The Doll. It's a little paperback the tradition of those classic ACE doubles, this too offers up two fully rendered tales of Webb Wilder, a Southern gumshoe of a character who operates in the mythical city of St.Vegas, Florida. The novels developed out of a failed television project for the Webb Wilder character, the result of a few scripts then turned into highly readable narratives by Steve Boyle and Shane Caldwell. How easy they are to get today I couldn't say, though I think Webb was still hawking them at the last concert I attended earlier this year. 

Mole Men is a neatly lurid tale of a farmer who feels he is under assault by giant-claw bearing aliens. He is obviously ignored by the authorities, but Webb finds that there might be something to this tale of nocturnal ramblings after all. His investigation finds that earthworms are the key, and not just any regular worms, but super worms. And Webb finds himself having to deal with an extremely attractive woman as well. 

The Doll is the tale of two girlhood friends who fall out over a doll, a very special doll admittedly -- a special edition one-of-a-kind Jackie Kennedy inspired Barbie doll. Their lifelong squabble comes to darken the lives of their children and perhaps even end them, and Webb finds that his best efforts to uncover the skullduggery creates a tragic result indeed. 

There is also a teaser for a third Webb Wilder adventure title Psychotronic Serenade in which Webb confronts an old foe, but it was not to be. 

Follow this link and scroll down and you'll find the actual proposal written up to interest folks in the potential TV show. It's a hoot. My favorite of these stories is Mole Men, but both are highly readable with a quick steady pace. The noir touches add just the right salt to this mix. If perchance you stumble across a copy, you'll be entertained. And I can heartily recommend the great DVD featuring Webb's short films along with some more experimental short films by Steve Mims who produced the Webb items. 

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Webb Wilder And The Saucer's Reign!

Here's an outstanding bit of pseudo-noir, sci-fi-lite with a Southern drawl from the mid 80's. The Saucer's Reign is the debut vehicle for Webb Wilder and began as a collaboration between Webb his partner songwriter R.S. Field and movie-maker Steve Mims. This midget masterpiece of a movie ran repeatedly on USA's Night Flight, making Webb's detecting adventures familiar to thousands.

Here it is thanks to YouTube. 

Webb himself has gone on to have a vital career in music having been inducted into the Mississippi Musicians Hall of Fame some years ago. The detective character is used again, with longer length and more music but lesser effect in a little flicker called Horror Hayride which you can see at this link. The small movies and a lot more is available on the DVD Webb Wilder's Amazing B Picture Shorts which I'm not sure you can buy anymore. 

The Saucer's Reign is where I first learned of Webb Wilder, but eventually I gathered up the available cassettes (and later CDs) and began a lifelong appreciation for his offbeat but significant musical talents. For a time "Wilderians" gather in Bowling Green, Kentucky to celebrate the music of "The Last Full Grown Man". He gave a concert in Bowling Green early this year. It was a blast to hear him and the "Beatnecks" one more time. 

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Mississippi Moderne!

It's always a pleasure to get hold of a new Webb Wilder musical collection and Mississippi Moderne from Landslide Record, while not the best by a goodly measure, is nonetheless riddled with some dandy tunes which tickle many of the anticipated themes and styles that Webb Wilder and his band The Beatnecks trip into. I'd prefer less vintage blues and more stylish melodies and catchy lyrics, but that's this fan.

I haven't been able to see The Beatnecks for a few years now and I'm actually getting in the mood again, especially with a few new tunes to look forward to in the live set. If you haven't sampled Webb Wilder, you should definitely give this Mississippi native a go. You'll not regret it. 

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Last Of The Full Grown Tales!

I've talked more than a few times about my adoration of the music and myth of Webb Wilder. Webb Wilder nudged onto the national scene way back in the 80's on the old USA Network show Night Flight in a short film titled "The Saucer's Reign". Here's a look at that video here. As it turns out there were no aliens in that flick, but there was one memorable presence, the noir-lite hero "Webb Wilder". The character caught on, a band was built and over the decades several albums have trickled out. In recent years Webb and his Beatnecks have been touring again and every year I trek south to Bowling Green Kentucky to partake of WebbFest, an annual celebration of the man and his music with like-minded fans. It's a hoot.

Some years ago, I picked up on ebay an extravagantly priced copy of Webb Wilder's own 1996 double novel, which is titled "Mole Men"/"The Doll". In the tradition of those classic ACE doubles, this too offers up two full tales of Webb Wilder, a Southern gumshoe of a character who operates in the city of St.Vegas. The novels developed out of a failed television project for the Webb Wilder character, the result of a few scripts then turned into highly readable narratives by Steve Boyle and Shane Caldwell.

The books are hard to get, but recently a box turned up. Here's a link to see about getting a copy while they last. Scroll down a bit.

 "Mole Men" is a neatly lurid tale of a farmer who feels he is under assault by giant-claw bearing aliens. He is obviously ignored by the authorities, but Webb finds that there might be something to this tale of nocturnal ramblings after all. His investigation finds that earthworms are the key, and not just any regular worms, but super worms.

"The Doll" is the tale of two girlhood friends who fall out over a doll, a very special doll admittedly. Their lifelong squabble comes to darken the lives of their children, and Webb finds that his best efforts to uncover the skullduggery creates a tragic result indeed.

My favorite of these stories is "Mole Men", but both are highly readable with a quick steady pace. The noir touches add just the right salt to this mix. If perchance you stumble across a copy, you'll be entertained.

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Hoodoo Witching Time!

It's that time again, time for Webb Fest 7. This year the annual congregation of Webb Wilder fans is again taking place in Bowling Green, Kentucky, but not at the old venue of the Capitol Theater. The action will happen at a joint called The Warehouse. I'm actually looking forward to seeing Webb and his band in these new conditions, as they are the ideal bar band. It should freshen the experience.

The album Doo Dad, generally consider Webb Wilder's best, will be the focus of the night according to some reports. One song from that album though that I always look forward to hearing is "Hoodoo Witch". It's the only song I know that mentions the famous story by W.W. Jacobs titled "The Monkey's Paw", a classic ghost story. Give it a listen. 




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The Saucer's Reign!

Here's an outstanding bit of pseudo-noir, sci-fi-lite with a Southern drawl from the mid 80's. The Saucer's Reign is the debut vehicle for Webb Wilder and began as a collaboration between Webb his partner songwriter R.S. Field and movie-maker Steve Mims. This midget masterpiece of a movie ran repeatedly on USA's Night Flight, making Webb's detecting adventures familiar to thousands.

Webb himself has gone on to have a vital career in music having been inducted into the Mississippi Musicians Hall of Fame just a few years ago.

This is where I first learned of Webb Wilder, but eventually I gathered up the available cassettes and began a lifelong appreciation for his offbeat talents. Every year "Wilderians" gather in Bowling Green, Kentucky to celebrate the music of The Last Full Grown Man.

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The Last Of The Full Grown Concerts!

It's that wonderful time of the year when Webb Wilder fans gather in Bowling Green, Kentucky for Webb Fest. The band plays a fantastic concert in a really fine venue and fans are on hand for special goodness. I'm heading out later this morning to meet up with my daughter who is going to take in the Webb Fest VI festivities with me. Before tonight though, we have many a thing a do and it should be a very very fine day.

Here's a newer Webb song which is a bit softer than his classic stuff, but still a great tune.



And here's a more typical rockin' song.



UPDATE: It's after the concert as I write this, and it was another enjoyable year. The band was in fine form and the sets this year were very traditional with most of the classic tunes getting some airplay. The energy of the crowd did seem a bit down and the band seemed a bit weary by the evening's end, but I know I enjoyed the pure music as much as I ever have. Great seats and some wicked cupcakes!

Thanks to all who made it possible. See you next year!

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The Last Of The Full-Grown Collections!

It's great to begin 2011 with the complete "Last of the Full-Grown Men". After this past Christmas and arrival of Hybrid Vigor under my tree, I've at long last gotten a complete Webb Wilder collection on CD.

I became a fan many many moons ago, back in the days before Compact Disks when cassettes ruled the waves, and I've played my meager three Webb Wilder cassettes to death over the decades. They've stood the strain well, and still deliver the music in my Escort which only has a cassette player in it.

A few years ago I found the band again and savored the new stuff they've created. Since then I've seen the Webb and boys live a number of times in some really good bars around the region. If you've not seen Webb Wilder and Beatnecks live, you need to do it. They are outstanding!

I've scarfed up every CD the band offers, all save Hybrid Vigor which is out of print. An excellent used copy completes my set. It's not unlike at long last finding that one comic book you've been looking for.

1986/2004
1989
1991
1995
1996
2005
2005
2007
2009
In addition to the CD collections there are two video products available and they are also well worth the attention. One is a recording of the band live and other showcases some mini dramas Webb, Jimmy and others did with film maker Steve Mims.



Webb Wilder is a great singer, fronting a great band. It's a joy to break out the music and let it roll.

For more info on Webb Wilder see this link.

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Webb Wilder Weekend Report!

It was another pretty dandy concert. The first half of the show was outstanding, and while the second set was full of grand material, it did seem to have its share of mild distractions. All in all a nifty concert, though not to my ear as solid as last year. But they can't all be that glorious.

Got to see the short film Scattergun again, and it's a shame this one ain't available to purchase. It's a wonderful little fable of the lame, the bad, and the ugly. Here's the trailer.



I got to meet the last of the full-grown men at long last, shake his hand, and I also snagged his autograph for my copy of the Webb Wilder double novel Mole Men/ The Doll. It's a hoot!


Here is a peek at Webb's rendition of one my favorite tunes he and his band play, a cover titled "Slow Death".



And here's that same song in its original form by the band the Flamin' Groovies.



Fantastic riffs!

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Go Webb! Go Wild! Go Webb Wilder!

Today's the day. Webb Fan Fest 2010 is tonight in Bowling Green and soon the sainted wife and I will pack up our goodies and our pooch and head out across the Bluegrass State. It's going to be a good day for one and all!


Here's a clip from last year's Webb Fan Fest!

Compare that to this time-traveling clip from the Pat Sajak Show. Same song, different band, same Webb.


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A Webb Wilder Eve!

It's tomorrow boys and gals! Webb Fan Fest V in Bowling Green will be tomorrow night, and to get into the mood I'm featuring some of Webb's best. Here's an hallucinogenic wonder titled "I Had Too Much To Dream Last Night" from Webb's 1991 album Doo Dad.


Did that blow your mind? It blew mine. Prepare for rockin'!

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A Webb Wilder Weekend Approacheth!

I'll likely say more on this tomorrow, but just in case it slips my mind, I want to say that this weekend will see me in Bowling Green, Kentucky visiting my beautiful daughters and also taking in Webb Fan Fest V, a now annual event celebrating the "Electrifying Artist" known as Webb Wilder.

Here's a taste.


Consider this a three-day countdown to sheer spectacle!

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The Human Cannonball!

Here is a classic video by my favorite musical talent, the one and only Webb Wilder. The ensemble has changed since this video was shot, save for the Jimmy Lester the drummer, but the band still has that same wacky energy.

Here's a link to the lyrics of this R.S. Field classic song.

As Webb's credo says:



And for some reason I always think of these guys when I hear this song.


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Webb Wilder Private Eye!

It's hard to explain Webb Wilder to folks who have never experienced him. He's an offbeat blend of film noir detective, hillbilly nerd, and doofus hipster. He's a man of the people, but also a man with a specific perspective that is at once dismissive of the world at large and sympathetic to man's plight in that world. That's the character anyway as developed in three films by Steve Mims.

Webb Wilder appeared in the early 80's in The Reign of the Saucer Men a weird mystery about a man named Hiwayne Suggs who calls Penney's Department Store security man/itinerant detective Webb Wilder to help him find his lost love the "un-volumptuous" Pristine Suggs. (About the missing Pristine, Wilder says "Even Mars didn't need women that bad.") It seems to Hiwayne's disordered mind that Pristine has been kidnapped by aliens based on the many flying saucers that have been reported in the area.

But a quick investigation by Wilder proves that the disappearance of Pristine has a more common explanation, one that speaks to the needs of all women for romance and all men for pride and recognition. This is a clever mini-movie that showcases a South that never was, overcome by dingbat media and loaded with peculiar folks filled up themselves with peculiar passions. It's a hoot.

The movie played on Night Flight on USA Network many times. It eventually was followed many years later by the second Webb Wilder adventure -- Horror Hayride.

This is a much more elaborate story and Webb Wilder now is a roaming musician who is called upon it seems in times of crisis by the powers that be. He's called in this time to help the Governor save his daughter from a would-be moviemaker, a man who seeks to make the ideal highway safety movie. This desire makes those around him upset, especially an undercover Highway Patrolman Travis Byrd who becomes Webb's sidekick in this tale of the underbelly of "Nashvegas".

It turns out that a little movie company named "Antebellum Skin" is at the root of the mishief in this tale of woe, and after getting drugged and cracked on the noggin for his efforts, Webb is finally to uncover the mystery and save the day of course. This features some great Webb Wilder music in the background, and has some fantastic dream sequences revealing the inner psyche of Wilder himself. One dream is really a "trip" after Webb's coffee is spiked, and offers a full-color video for the song "I Had Too Much To Dream". Among Webb's dreams also are some spacemen and a mysterious flying disk. It's truly very strange.

Both of these stylish gems are in glorious B&W (save for the aforementioned video segment) and it's the ideal format for this noirish nonsense. These are great fun, even if the acting is a bit lean in places. There are some real pros here, but enough amateurs to keep it very real. These are unabashed and unashamed attempts to create something fresh from some very familiar elements. And it all works quite well.

There is a third installment of the Webb Wilder canon, a movie called Scattergun but this one by Steve Mims hasn't yet been released on dvd. I've seen the movie twice at various Webb Wilder concerts and it's a crafty tale of gambling gone awry, a curious kidnapping, addled hoods, and the pain of family. Great stuff indeed.

For more information on these fantastic little films see this link.

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Webb Wilder Weekend!

I'm going to be out of town for a few days. I'm off to"Webb Fan Fest", an annual celebration of the music of rock 'n roll detective Webb Wilder, the Last of the Full-Grown Men!

I've been a Webb Wilder fan since stumbling across his video Private Eye on USA Network's Night Flight way back in the 80's. The band named "The Beatnecks" has been touring again recently for several years now, and I've managed to see them a couple of times. Once at Webb Fest 2007 and later at a little bar in Huntington, West Virginia where for all intents and purposes we got a private show. The crowd was small but the entertainment was large. It's always a great show, and this one should be no different.

If you don't know about Webb Wilder, then check out this link.

So see you on the other side and until then remember...



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