The German Art Students
by David A. Kulczyk
March 2003
The German Art Students, who aren't really German art students at all, hail from Madison, Wisconsin
The German Art Students are in a time vortex and they are happy about it. Formed in the summer of 1997 by Kirk Wall and Andy Larson and joined by Annelies Howell and Randy Ballwahn the next year, GAS detained the 80’s sound of their college when every city had it’s own sound and you risked getting attacked by rednecks and frat boys for not looking like them. People like The German Art Students fought for your look and so it is their prerogative to play like it’s still 1984.
Over the years they have gather much press and praise and in 2001 they were one of the top 50 finalists for the Coca-Cola New Music Award presented by the American Music Awards and sponsored by CMJ. Rock and Roll legend Dick Clark personally gave them a listen. They’ve also gotten some great opening slots for Half Japanese, The Poster Children, Jonathon Richman, Gigolo Aunts, House of Large Sizes and The Returnables. With the press drooling over their latest CD, “Kissing by the Superconductor,” and performing like the early The Who in just about every municipality, burb and metropolis between Chicago and Brainard, MN a lot has been written about the German Art Students but here are some things that you didn’t know.
1) Kirk once attended an Amway rally 2) Andy keeps being told he looks like Will Farrel 3)They don’t have a van, but they do have three mini-vans 4) Andy put Kirk on his shoulders at a Romantics show in Madison and the two of them were reprimanded by the bouncers at “Kicks”...a west side bar in Madison 5) Annelies sang a Steve Miller song with the Gigolo Aunts Andy can speak Dutch with Annelies’ mom 6) Annelies was an open mic junkie before joining GAS. She once brought down the house at the Memorial Union Terrace when she fell off her chair and knocked over the mic stand at the end of “Piece of My Heart” (Janis Joplin) 7) They’ve watched James Bond in a hotel room in Eau Claire 8) They gave out diplomas at early shows. 9) We don’t know who started it, but for some reason people think we’re from Bremen 10) Real German people have showed up at shows, looking for companionship.
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CD: Kissing By The Superconductor Record Label: Autobahn Music
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