Preps performing at Beaverton High School. (L-R:) Jeff Williams - Guitar; Kevin Follis - Drums; Todd Souvignier - Vocals; Tom Parenteau - Bass. Click photo for full-size image.
Preps onstage at Clockwork Joe's. Scroll down for more new/old photos
Preps onstage at Clockwork Joe's. Scroll down for more new/old photos |
Combining new wave, power-pop and hard rock styles with punk attitude, the Preps were a fixture on the Portland music scene at the beginning of the 1980s. They played regularly at Clockwork Joe's and Urban Noize clubs and also gigged at the Long Goodbye, Northwest Service Center, Pacific Academy, Beaverton High School and Benson Polytechnic School.
Suburban teens inspired by the Sex Pistols and Ramones, the Preps were influenced by acts such as the Buzzcocks, Stiff Little Fingers and Elvis Costello, as well as northwest legend Greg Sage and the Wipers.
The Preps appeared on bills with Black Flag, Poison Idea, Sado-Nation, Napalm Beach, Pell Mell, Neo Boys, the Dots, the Rat$, the Braphsmears, Bop Zombies, Student Nurse, Fred, the Imperialist Pigs and other West Coast bands of that era. Guitarist Jeff Williams was previously in the Ziplocs and went on to play in the Posers and the Hipsters. He also played bass with Morgan Grace, along with Sam Henry from the Wipers. Tom Parenteau went on to play in Dr. Mastermind and Bludgeon. Todd Souvignier was later a member of E-13, Bangkok Cocktail and War In America.
The Preps no longer perform and are not reuniting; nobody's heard from Kevin in twenty years. But be sure to check out "the other" Preps from Pennsylvania, who are still rocking those white collared shirts, and doing a darn good job of it. [Site updated 7/17/2010]
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| "Looking for a Girl" / "Victim" - 1981 Album cuts, rough mix, recorded by Tom Robinson and Pat Baum at Wave studio, Vancouver WA. Time 02:23, 2.2MB MP3 file (mono) | The Alternative Arts Association was a non-profit punk rock organization that ran the Clockwork Joe's club and did other things to foster Portland's punk rock scene. The Preps were involved as were most of the other punk/new wave bands in town at that time. AAA set out to make a studio-recorded compilation album, as a sequel to the "10-29-79" live LP. Tom Robinson sponsored the recording; Mark Sten suggested we track "Victim." Nothing ever came of the album. |
| Five Song Demo - "Class of '81" / "Darleen" / "Victim" / "On the Beach" / "Borrowed Time" - 1980 demo recorded by Tom Robinson, Wave studio, Vancouver WA. Time 08:15, 7.7MB MP3 file (mono) | To establish his new studio Tom Robinson offered local bands free eight-track recording time. It was our first time in a studio, basically played live to tape plus some guitar overdubs. Twelve-string guitar used on "Class of '81" borrowed from Fred Cole (Dead Moon). "On the Beach" incorporates sections of "Wipe-Out" by the Surfaris. One of our guys had a high-speed accident on the freeway driving home from this session. |
| Live at Clockwork Joe's, Portland OR, February 1981, Clockwork Joes - Excerpt from one of the group's last shows, source of recording unknown, probably Tom Robinson, maybe Mike Lastra. Time 22:19, 21MB MP3 file (mono) | This is either the Prep's "farewell" show, or the show prior. The first song ("What You Wanted to Hear") was truncated and the end of the set was omitted from the source cassette. Otis P. Otis (later with Willard, now with Los Peligrosos) sings on "Everybody's Favorite Girl." "Annette's Got The Hits" is a a Redd Kross cover. The Beaverton crew ("Mondo" Michael Evans, Chris Chalenor, Craig Awmiller, Rob Taylor) are very audible on this recording. The group was breaking up, but decided to do one last show to make good an obligation to Otis. He'd loaned us his PA, it got stolen from our rehearsal studio, a ministorage locker on Cornell. Whatever cash we made at the door we handed to him at the end of the night. |
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| One-time-only post-Ziplocs, pre-Preps band feat. Chuck Arjavac, Otis P. Otis, Jeff Williams, brother Bob Williams and Todd Souvignier. | We played a cover of Sado's "Industrial Revolution" at this show, and Sado returned the compliment by covering "On The Beach." Art by Chris Chalenor. | One of our first headlining dates; Pell Mell was amazing, as always. Preps were often lumped together with the Dots on "pop nights." Art by Chris Chalenor. | Halloween at the "original" southeast Urban Noize. Have no recollection concerning the opening acts. Art by Chris Chalenor. | Opening for a couple of Seattle bands. We went to the Malchicks (Billy Rancher) gig the night before, were unimpressed. |
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| We were scheduled to open for the Dickies, but they cancelled so Black Flag played instead. This was the Dez-era band. We hung out with them during the Cleavers set. Fun, memorable, but not well-attended. | Clockwork Joe's was going head-to-head with Urban Noize at this point, two sets a night every Friday and Saturday. Imperialist Pigs was Tom "Pig Champion" Roberts' band before Poison Idea. | The big New Year's Eve showcase had become a bit of a tradition. Sten moved this gig to the Pacific Academy to protect Clockwork Joe's from any craziness. An early Poison Idea date with Chris Tense on guitar. Wild fun. | Xmas weekend at the Urban Noize. "Mercenariez" was actually the Presidents Turn Mercenaries, feat. Joe Hornof (later of the Pop-O-Pies). They shared a rehearsal studio with us. | Yet another team-up with the Dots at Clockwork Joe's. By this point the club had scaled back from doing two sets per night. Art by Chris Chalenor. |
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| Another poster for the October 24th show; note the addition of the Imperialist Pigs on this bill. Poster by Sten. | December 13th at Clockwork Joes, teamed up once again with Sado, and the fucking Dots, as usual. | A busy December, with shows all over town. Art by Chris Chalenor. Scanned from original master; note blue ballpoint ink along with the usual black pen. | Chalenor "remixed" his Preps images in this June 1981 piece, to commemorate our graduation from Beaverton H.S. Not a show poster, more of a personal memento. | Rest in Peace: Chris Chalenor, 1963-2001 |
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| The Seattle bands on this bill made the poster, and got our name wrong. We were NEVER the Preppies, at any point. | Our first gig, Scott Bailey on bass, Spencer Heine sitting in on guitar. Poster by Todd, scanned from original master. | Alternative poster for the Dec 13th gig with Sado. Artwork by Eric Couch (Lockjaw, Bludgeon, Sado Nation) | Tom Parenteau's first gig with us, poster by Todd. | Club-created poster for the August 9 Urban Noize gig. |
Another shot from Clockwork Joe's, date unknown. Thanks to Sten for sending this along! |
Pacific Academy gig, September 1980, with Peter Zimmerman on drums. For some reason Peter's mom decided to attend this show. Not sure what she saw, or took offense to, but it was the end of Peter's music career. |
Words and music ©1980, 1981, renewed 2003, 2004 by Souvignier/Williams
last update: 7/17/2010. return to souvignier.net / contact webmaster
