Back in the early 90s, when I was living in New York City and Top Management was in grad school in North Carolina, my imaginary friend Chris came to live with me for a while. Chris was the only person I knew who had a cooler job’n me: he worked at MTV News. In fact, he was the main writer for Kurt Loder the day Kurt Cobain’s death was announced. Much of that day was given over to reporting on that story and providing background and context. Given that, obviously, they had no lead time for story preparation, Chris was writing on the fly and at one point was hearing Kurt say over the air words that he, Chris, had typed only about forty-five seconds earlier. A pretty harrowing experience on top of a sad day.
Anyhoo, one of the many benefits of working there was the free CDs. Thanks to discs cast off by the likes of Tabitha Soren, he scored stuff such as Peter Gabriel’s Us, Brian Eno’s Nervenet and The Shutov Assembly, XTC’s Nonsvch, Metallica’s Black Album and Sonic Youth’s Goo. Given that we were living on a shoestring budget and our audio equipment consisted of the cheapest boombox I could find, hooked up to Chris’s discman and that neither of us had brought any of our collections with us, these discs were manna. And pretty much all we had to listen to. So we did. A lot. I learned to appreciate XTC and Sonic Youth (although I still think Goo’s one of their weakest albums), my love of Brian Eno was renewed (although Nervenet did and does nothing for me) and my appreciation of Metallica confirmed.
There was one other album we had, a band called Lost in the Supermarket who released an eponymous album on JRM Records, a small independent label. Since Chris had dozens of discs to choose from each week, I don’t know how this one managed to make the cut. But as we had rather a dearth of options, we gave it a try. And were very, very pleasantly surprised. In fact, I’d guess only the Metallica and XTC albums got more play that year.
Who was Lost in the Supermarket? I don’t know. Where were they from? Got me—there was no indication anywhere on the CD or booklet. What’s their music like? College rock in the mold of the Connells or dBs, I guess I’d say. Good playing, good vocals, good arrangements, a nice variety of styles. Good solid accessible rock and roll, something of which there is never nearly enough.
So what happened to them? As far as I can tell…nothing. Googling turns up no information on them, although popping the disc in iTunes does pull up the song titles; of course, the fact that their name is also the name of a Clash song makes a websearch a tad difficult. But even googling the record label doesn’t help—if the label’s got a site, I haven’t been able to locate it.
Did they just release the one album? Were there others? Was the band a regional success? Was it just a lark or were they crushed that they didn’t go on to become huge rock stars?
I don’t know.
What I do know is that every few years I still pull the disc out and give it a spin. And each time I wonder if I'll wonder what I ever heard in it. But so far that hasn’t even come close to happening. Instead, I listen to Lost in the Supermarket and think about luck, about popular taste and the fickleness of fate.
I remembering reading that my boy Bruce Springsteen was obsessed with the idea that the perfect pop song was played on the radio, in Iowa, at 3:30 in the morning once…and only once. That’s haunted me ever since.
I think about that when I listen to Lost in the Supermarket. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not claiming they were the greatest band ever, and this certainly isn’t the greatest album ever—I don’t think Revolver or Born to Run or London Calling or Murmur or Nevermind is in much danger of being toppled from their places in the canon.
But it deserved more than it got. Not to damn with faint praise or nothin’, but it was certainly as good as Hootie and Blowfish’s Cracked Rear View. Why did that go on to sell three trillion copies and this just disappear, leaving barely a trace?
I don’t know. No major backing? Not photogenic enough? No one in the band seems to have had the rich baritone of Darius Rucker. Is that all there is? Maybe. Maybe that’s enough. Maybe they broke up right after the CD was released. Maybe it was never supposed to be a permanent thing. Or maybe they simply weren’t lucky.
Whatever it was, if Bob Fuller, David Klabo, Niko Lorentzatos, Bryan Patterson or Matt Stover ever google themselves, I hope they discover that somewhere out there there’s at least one guy who remembers their band and thinks that their album was pretty swell, and whose life is at least a bit better for having heard their music. Thanks, guys.
Intrepid Google searcher Cate, reporting for duty. They have a Myspace page at:
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=82018799
One of my favorite bands from the 80's is The Records. Equally difficult to search for. Excellent Power Pop, though.
Posted by: Cate | Monday, April 07, 2008 at 09:29 PM
Interesting. I wonder.
I could be wrong, but I think that's a different band. But maybe not. I was thinking they looked too young, but it occurs to me that maybe it's just an old photo. Neither of the songs on there are on the album, and it sounds like a different singer. And I reckon two different bands could have chosen to use the same great Clash tune as a name.
But, yeah, maybe it is them. In which case, lookit you, bein' all Ms. Marple and whatnot!
Posted by: scott | Monday, April 07, 2008 at 11:23 PM
*laugh* You inspired me. Right now I'm listening to Winter Hours' myspace page. Back when the world was still young, I once made the tragic mistake of buying The Style Council's truly horrible 'The Cost of Loving' instead of the WH album...For 20 years, every March, I've found myself singing "They called her the hyacinth girl" and then banging my head against a wall thinking HOW DOES THAT SONG *GO*? Also, as you can imagine, difficult to google. I'm not sure if the wait was worth it...but at least now I finally know the rest of the chorus...
Posted by: Andrea | Tuesday, April 08, 2008 at 06:10 PM
They have good taste if they named themselves after a Clash song - and one of my favorite Clash songs, too. I have a cd from an 80s band called the Mighty Lemon Drops. They actually had a video on MTV for a while. But I don't know what happened to them. Every so often, I play that cd and I love it all over again. It's amazing how much music stays with you.
Posted by: shannon | Wednesday, April 09, 2008 at 09:47 PM
I decided to google LITSM last pm when I happened upon your website. I was the drummer in Lost in the Supermarket. Unfortunately we broke up many moons ago but it's great to hear that someone is still enjoying our music. The myspace link is in fact the same band and has a couple of songs on it from an EP recorded a couple of years after the cd....bit of a different direction. I didn't know the myspace page existed....looks like the work of our guitarist. Anyway, I appreciate your comments and am glad that you still enjoy the cd.
Posted by: Matt | Saturday, April 12, 2008 at 08:48 AM
Matt!
Hey, man, thanks for letting me know. And thanks putting out a great album--your work in particular was great: tasteful yet assertive when called for. Really super stuff.
Posted by: scott | Tuesday, April 15, 2008 at 07:16 AM
FWIW, I stumbled here looking for the album art, as I'm completing the dump of my collection into iTunes. Matt modestly refrained from offering any biographical information, so:
Lost in the Supermarket was a college band in southwestern VA in the early to mid nineties. Strong performers with good songs and a sense of humor: Going "one track deeper" after a cover of "Brick House", for example, they also covered "Lady", well before Faith No More ever did. Likely doomed from the get-go by the fact that all of the musicians were college educated, with some pursuing graduate degrees. Since everyone had a plan B, plan A never took off.
A shame nobody at MTV ever gave it a spin!
Posted by: Karl | Wednesday, May 21, 2008 at 02:56 PM
A friend of mine sent me the link to this blog. I was the guitar player for LITSM (Hi Matt!) This my space site is definitely our band, but probably put up by Andrew, who was playing bass for us at this time. He's the guy in the front row of the picture on the site. The two songs on the site are songs from the EP we did a while after the CD. I actually was listening to the old album on my iPod the other week. Hate the guitar sound now, but still like the songs. Those were good times, and it was a fun band to be in. Scott - glad you still enjoy it.
Karl is right - the guys in the band are now doctors, Lawyers, Minsters, IT consultants, commodities traders, and ad-men. I think Jason Meeker who played drums for us for a while after Matt left is still giging in the Boston area (he played with a decent band, Ms. Pigeon there for a while, but I think they disbanded.)
Posted by: David Klabo | Friday, May 23, 2008 at 08:12 AM
David!
I believe I've made clear how good I thought you guys were. But I can't possibly convey how tickled I am that it seems like Left of the Dial has sorta kinda turned into a reunion for you guys. :)
Thanks for the update, fellas. And thanks for the fine, fine music.
Posted by: scott | Tuesday, May 27, 2008 at 09:02 PM
Hey Scott,
Left on the Dial is my new favorite blog. I'm Bob Fuller, the first generation bass player for LITSM. First, I want to thank you for providing an opportunity for this virtual reunion. I still feel really close to these guys even though time and distance have been obstacles to regular contact. I was talking to Matt today for the first time in a long time and he told me about your blog. It is great to see that Dave (Hey Klabo!) knows about it too. We'll let the others know.
Second, I want to thank you for making my day. I don't know if Metallica or Peter Gabriel or XTC have ever responded to you, but your comments about our music (and the fact that you remembered us at all)mean a lot to me and to us. It is hard enough to get affirmation and recognition for the things we do today, so it is nice to know that somthing we did "way back then" was important to someone. Whatever it was we gave to you, you just paid it all back with 20 years of interest.
Posted by: Bob Fuller | Wednesday, September 17, 2008 at 05:09 PM
Oops! I mean "Left of the Dial". Still my new favorite.
Bob
Posted by: Bob Fuller | Wednesday, September 17, 2008 at 05:11 PM
I had "Lost in the Supermarket" play at my wedding in 1994. They were a band from Charlottesville Va. and played the College circuit. Loved the guy 's!!!!!!!!!! Thanks for the memories!!!!!
Posted by: Mike Shaff | Wednesday, May 12, 2010 at 02:59 PM
I had their CD, but it lost it architecture studio class. I have been looking for a replacement CD since 1995. Would love to somehow find one. They were from Charlottesville, VA.
Posted by: Consuela | Wednesday, October 31, 2012 at 01:15 PM
Hello Scott:
I have been searching for LITS for 15+ years and I just came across your piece!
LITS played in my fraternity house - Pi Lambda Phi - at Roanoke College (Salem, VA) for one of our annual social functions. They blew the damn roof off of our house and it was an epic night (our house was like animal house on a regular basis). It was either 93', 94' or 95'. They gave us all CD's that night but I lost my CD a year or two later.
I've always tried to hunt down their music or find some more info on them...but have had zero luck with either! They had 2 or 3 tunes that I absolutely loved but I cannot remember their titles. Perhaps one of the greatest band names ever IMO.
Posted by: Toby Leach | Saturday, December 21, 2013 at 07:24 PM
Why can't anyone seem to hang on to their LITSM CDs? It's like the fates are against this music persevering...yet somehow those of us who knew the music way back when can't shake it from our consciousness. I used to go hear these guys play all the time when I was at Randolph Macon Woman's College in the early nineties. I would LOVE to get another copy of the CD, or digital versions of the music. To the day, when it rains, I hear "It's raining on a Tuesday, it may snow this afternoon. I'm afraid to look out the window, but it's a room with a hell of a view..." I haven't head that song since 1995.
If any one from the band reads this: have you considered putting the music up on iTunes? With Facebook and other social media it would spread like wildfire.
Posted by: Carrie | Monday, February 10, 2014 at 08:14 PM
I too have been searching for this CD for decades! What great music they made! Any chance Matt or another member of the band have a cd that they can burn...that the music is still out there? I have looked, but come up empty. And I can't remember any of the titles, but remember some of the words ...something about an old pair of shoes maybe? Hell, who knows. I've slept since then, gotten married, had kids etc. Ack! It just dawned on me how old I've gotten! Haha. Anyone out there have their music?
Posted by: Mickey | Monday, June 23, 2014 at 07:28 PM
Bob Fuller, David Klabo, Niko Lorentzatos, Bryan Patterson, Matt Stover: why oh why do you insist upon thwarting the will (or least the desire) of the masses?
Give the people what they want! :)
Posted by: scott | Monday, June 23, 2014 at 09:07 PM
Looks like one of the guys has a site with some of the MP3s up:
http://www.davidklabo.com/Lost%20in%20the%20Supermarket/
--Rich
Posted by: Rich | Tuesday, February 24, 2015 at 05:12 PM
Hey, I just wanted to say thanks for this. My dad, Bob Fuller, was a member of this band when he was in college, and I enjoy listening to the music. This has given him intense bragging rights, and I'm really glad you noticed and liked it too.
Posted by: Ellie | Saturday, June 13, 2015 at 08:08 PM
Aw, Ellie! Cheers, friend! I'm so glad to hear that—and you clearly have outstanding taste. :)
Posted by: scott | Tuesday, August 04, 2015 at 07:05 PM
Matt is my cousin. The band is having a reunion show at The Hammock Shops in Pawleys Island, SC on August 29, 2015 and at the Continental Club in downtown Houston, TX on September 12, 2015.
Posted by: Eddie Lee | Saturday, August 15, 2015 at 03:50 PM
Check their Facebook page. The boys were students at Washington and Lee University and members of the KA fraternity there. They have 2 reunion shows this summer/fall. One in South Carolina and one in Houston.
Posted by: E | Tuesday, August 18, 2015 at 10:04 AM
Saw them play this past Saturday night at The Hammock Shops.
Amazing band, amazing music, and tons of fun. We really enjoyed ourselves.
Posted by: Patrick | Monday, August 31, 2015 at 06:38 AM
http://www.davidklabo.com/lost-in-the-supermarket-reunion-.html
Posted by: The Continental Club | Tuesday, September 01, 2015 at 12:17 PM
Klabo was a Sigma Nu with me at Washington & Lee. Still love that CD as it always brings a smile to my face.
Posted by: Hunter Catlett | Saturday, September 12, 2015 at 09:55 PM