City: Miami
Years Active: 1985 - late 1980s (roughly)
Type Of Music: Hardcore Punk
Myspace or Website: n/a
Okay so Im not even gonna pretend like I know a lot about Chocolate Grasshopper. I know the name from way back but thats where my knowledge ends. If anyone out there has any info, please pass it along so I can give this band a proper post. The music is fast with some melodic parts...definately good stuff. Did they release anything else? Again I have no clue...Ill see what I can do about finding more info but until then heres Chocolate Grasshopper.
EDIT:
Thankfully both Aesop and George Van Orsdel saw my post and helped piece some of the info together for me. Aesop said the band started before the year I thought which helped since he moved out of South Florida in 1988. George had this to say:
"Aesop is correct, this was Andre's pre-Quit band. Chocolate Grasshopper was around during the mid-eighties, I'd venture to say 1985-87, give or take, and the band consisted of Brent Wilson on guitar and vocals, Andre Serafini on drums, Ray (whose last name escapes me) on guitar and vocals, and Mike (whose last name again I can't remember) on bass. Brent and Ray would alternate on vocals as well as share backing vocal duties. As for the origin of the band, I honestly don't know, since they were already established when I became friends with them. In their own words, as written on their demo cassette, Chocolate Grasshopper were not "punkers, skins, gothic, progressives, rich little brats like the rest of miami, cool, mean, macho, fags, capitalists, commies, nazis, addicts, bros or vegetarians". Of course none of this was meant as slurs or insults to anyone, it was merely written sarcastically, due to constant rumors and the usual "shit-talking" that goes on within a scene. Chocolate Grasshopper was indeed one of the more popular bands at the time, therefore attracting the usual jealousy from other bands, which in turn sparks negative rumors. But I can vouch for them in saying that not only were Chocolate Grasshopper one of the most talented Miami bands in their day, but they were great guys, very cool and lots of fun to be around, in fact Brent and I went on to be great friends. They were very popular with the skateboarding crowd, as well as the punk crowd, but they were loved by all. My old band, Not Dead Yet, had the pleasure of playing many shows together with Chocolate Grasshopper. In my personal opinion, Chocolate Grasshopper was, and still remains, one of the great Miami punk bands of all time.
After the band broke up, Brent went on to play in Not Dead Yet, and then eventually moved to Gainesville where he started one of my all-time favorite Florida bands, RADON. Andre of course went on to play drums in QUIT. I occasionally run into Ray at local shows, I know he's played with Jesse from FWA in several projects, at the moment I don't know if he's involved in any music projects or not. I haven't heard from Mike since after Chocolate Grasshopper broke up. Brent now lives in Colorado and Andre went on to start his own live sound company in south Florida called Beach Sound. Ray still lives in Miami to the best of my knowledge and Mike is M.I.A. I have live footage of Chocolate Grasshopper playing one of their many shows at the Cameo Theater. I will try posting some footage up on youtube, I'll keep you posted."
Chocolate Grasshopper - Partyin With Bearhead
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=52J1D0C0
19 comments:
I used to have this I believe this was the pre-Quit band of Andre, I could be wrong.
And I think this must have been a bit earlier than 89. I left Florida in 88 and this was already out.
Aesop is correct, this was Andre's pre-Quit band. Chocolate Grasshopper was around during the mid-eighties, I'd venture to say 1985-87, give or take, and the band consisted of Brent Wilson on guitar and vocals, Andre Serafini on drums, Ray (whose last name escapes me) on guitar and vocals, and Mike (whose last name again I can't remember) on bass. Brent and Ray would alternate on vocals as well as share backing vocal duties. As for the origin of the band, I honestly don't know, since they were already established when I became friends with them. In their own words, as written on their demo cassette, Chocolate Grasshopper were not "punkers, skins, gothic, progressives, rich little brats like the rest of miami, cool, mean, macho, fags, capitalists, commies, nazis, addicts, bros or vegetarians". Of course none of this was meant as slurs or insults to anyone, it was merely written sarcastically, due to constant rumors and the usual "shit-talking" that goes on within a scene. Chocolate Grasshopper was indeed one of the more popular bands at the time, therefore attracting the usual jealousy from other bands, which in turn sparks negative rumors. But I can vouch for them in saying that not only were Chocolate Grasshopper one of the most talented Miami bands in their day, but they were great guys, very cool and lots of fun to be around, in fact Brent and I went on to be great friends. They were very popular with the skateboarding crowd, as well as the punk crowd, but they were loved by all. My old band, Not Dead Yet, had the pleasure of playing many shows together with Chocolate Grasshopper. In my personal opinion, Chocolate Grasshopper was, and still remains, one of the great Miami punk bands of all time.
After the band broke up, Brent went on to play in Not Dead Yet, and then eventually moved to Gainesville where he started one of my all-time favorite Florida bands, RADON. Andre of course went on to play drums in QUIT. I occasionally run into Ray at local shows, I know he's played with Jesse from FWA in several projects, at the moment I don't know if he's involved in any music projects or not. I haven't heard from Mike since after Chocolate Grasshopper broke up. Brent now lives in Colorado and Andre went on to start his own live sound company in south Florida called Beach Sound. Ray still lives in Miami to the best of my knowledge and Mike is M.I.A. I have live footage of Chocolate Grasshopper playing one of their many shows at the Cameo Theater. I will try posting some footage up on youtube, I'll keep you posted.
best album art ever.
awesome!
chocolate grasshopper is great. i got my copy of the demo at the valentines day show at the cameo in 88. on my copy of the demo the song shula ditch is a different song than what you have here. on mine it is a fast song with vocals about a once legendary skate spot. either way, great band!
I remember skating at some skate jam in front of the Cameo and Chocolate Grasshopper played. Good times.
i remember i couple times as a young skater kid hanging out at this party house in south miami. if i recall it was this girls shanti buttler's crib (fine thing she was) and definitely
the chocolate grasshoppers were up in the house and mad other skaters. even her mom chilled with us. crazy days man....
rage johnson - beyond reason/refuge ramp/falls ramp toy...haha
TEAM PUBLIX BOY !!!!!!!!
! they were around until 88. I went to school with Brent and got the demo from him in highschool in 1987. Mike Weatherall was the name you cant remember.
From what I remember, some of these guys were in FWA or an earlier version and there was some falling out and issues over who wrote some songs, im not clear on this but you'll notice the FWA song "Inflamela" is the same musically as "great compramiser" I BELIEVE, im not sure as I havent heard either song in ages..and yea, they were the nicest coolest guys to hang around, while others were being asshole tough guys, they were reaching out, educating and befriending young punks like myself at the time.
NOT DEAD YET? man..where can I download that demo? "What the fuck is never right, nothing else to do but fight! 25 punks just hanging out, please tell me what its all about"
any other demos here? I know I have two cultural brain rot cassettes stored in the archives...
I think I have an issue of Grim Ripper stored away too..
woops, correction, inflamela not great compromiser..duh.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2Iy9ei2iKs
film by Greg McLaughlin of The Front
Invisible Bands
From an Invisble time
and an invisible place
INVISIBLE BANDS ( part 2) Punk Era
This film will cover the original bands that emerged from S Florida in the early 80's
At that time S Fla was experiencing The Mariel Boatlift where thousands of Cuban refugees got on anything that floated to escape from oppression to freedom.Also at the same time Cubans from Miami were traveling to Cuba to pick up friends and family members trapped on that Island.
The Miami Riots were going on to due to a police abuse issue involving Arthur McDuffie . While all that was going on Florida reinstated the Death Penalty.
This was a time when MTV was "new" , National distribution of Cable had just arrived, It was a world just tuning into CNN for the very first time, Audio CD's were a thing of the near future in other words it was the good old days.Thats right kids No YouTube in fact "No" home computers.. it was a "Almost Magic" time,
This is the backdrop for the film,many artists emerged from this time and place to create some extrodinary music.
Some of the artists featured will be The Front ,Charlie Pickett, The Eat. The Bobs , Screaming Sneakers and many many more..the bands you never hear about the "Invisible Bands"
The film with take a look back at all this with a huge helping of humor.
Punk In The Sun
Bassist Mike: Didn't get to say gbye to you. If you're ever in LA -- or even not -- look me up.
Eileen Chang Wheeler (devo, from cart7)
eil33nann@yahoo.com; also on FB
dont ask me how i stumbled into this. This is John Berry from cultural brain rot. you guys just took me on a trip and im trippin!! i went to killian with brent and the guys and of course chocolate grasshopper jammed at my house with us and fwa for the bash of the year.. wtf happened to the time.. miss the cameo and ALL the great shows. saw suicidal tendencies there as my first show.. then i threw up
I still have that tape!
Download link isn't working. Can anyone send me the files? Thanks!
SPINACHFL@AOL.COM
2021 and I still love these songs. Andre actually went to school @ Coral Gables sr. I was in the grade below him. They rocked Cameo theater! Amazing band, going seven miles from the sun! Wish I still had the album.
i still have the tape demo.
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