Meltdown by Premature Evacuation

On March 11th, 2011 northeastern Japan was struck by a 9.0 earthquake and resulting 23-foot tsunami. While many foreign residents fled Japan claiming concern over the Fukushima nuclear rector -referred to as "flyjin", a spin on "gaijin" (foreigner)- American ex-pat musician J.J. Vicars was one of many who stayed put and reported the real news in light of the U.S. media's sensationalist "armageddon" fabrications.

While reporting the news he cracked that he was going to write a Link Wray styled instrumental and call it MELTDOWN, to which Mississippi native and Orange, TX resident Bull Durham commented that he would add some keys and they'd be smokin'! Never one to back down from a sick joke, J.J. started noodling around and by the end of the weekend the instrumental was written. On Monday, March 21st, it made its debut during a fundraiser concert at the Pink Cow in Shibuya, Tokyo which coincidentally happens to be within walking distance of the club Shibuya Eggman that FOX News listed as a nuclear reactor.

In the audience that night were two of J.J.'s drinking buddies, Robbie Newman and Mike Buttrick. Mike made his donation via the bar, ensuring the band was well lubricated before they hit the stage. Ripping on the flyjin in a moment of drunken debauchery Robbie blurted out "premature evacuation" which everybody agreed would be a pretty cool band name. And so that night the band was rechristened Premature Evacuation and that drunken performance, though extremely sloppy when viewing the DVD, went over well.

Now it was time to record it. J.J. laid down scratch tracks at his Jindaiji Monkey studios and Bull Durham headed to Houston where Mike Adams, aka Nitro Blues, recorded his keyboard. Drummer/engineer Glenn Rios of Austin, TX laid down drums and percussion with Leah Heptner as his assistant engineer. To include everybody Mike Buttrick record his infamous 4:00 A.M. gong (you gotta party with these guys to get that inside joke). Oliver Richter, who did J.J.'s photo shoots and some of his live video, designed the jacket using a photo from the last shoot.

All proceeds from the sale of MELTDOWN went to the recovery effort in northeastern Japan at the time of its release. Now they go to whatever charitable cause needs them most.

J.J. Vicars tore outta the Sci-Fin Diner in a '58 Cadillac with mounted steerhorns and backward flames.

jjvicars.com
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