Get Smart! (band)

{{Infobox musical artist

| name = Get Smart!

| image = Get Smart! 2021.jpg

| caption = Get Smart! live in 2021

| landscape = yes

| origin = Lawrence, Kansas
Chicago, Illinois

| genre = Post-punk, Punk rock, alternative rock, new wave

| years_active = 1980–1990, 2020-present

| label = Fresh Sounds, Fever, Restless, Enigma, Syntax, Capitol Punishment

| associated_acts = Dolly Varden, Nora O'Connor Band, the Honeybees, Cryin' Out Loud

| website = {{homepage|getsmartmusic.com}}

| current_members = Marcus Koch
Lisa Wertman Crowe
Frank Loose

| past_members = Ric Menck
Jay Sebastian
Bob Lara

}}

Get Smart! is a three-piece post-punk band formed in Lawrence, Kansas, in 1980 consisting of Marcus Koch, Lisa Wertman Crowe and Frank Loose. The band released 2 studio albums along with some singles and EPs over a 10-year career. The band re-united in 2020.

Career

The band formed while at University of Kansas in 1980 and, along with bands like the Embarrassment, and the Mortal Micronotz, they were prominent in the alternative music scene in Lawrence. They released their first record in 1981, which was a flexi disc released with "Talk Talk" magazine. This was followed by a self-released 4-track EP called Words Move. They had 5 songs on the four band split cassette, released by Fresh Sounds Records, called Fresh Sounds From Middle America (vol 1) (the four bands being Get Smart!, the Embarrassment, the Yard Apes and the Mortal Micronotz). In 1982 they relocated to Chicago, Illinois. The group were signed by Colin Camerer to his Fever Records label (an independent label in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) and released their first album, Action Reaction in 1984. Their second album, Swimming with Sharks, was released in 1986 on Enigma Records' "Restless Records" imprint.

The band received considerable coverage in Nebraska's Capitol Punishment fanzine.

Line-Up Changes

In 1987 Bob Lara, from the band Reaction, was added as a second guitarist. Shortly afterwards, Frank Loose left the band. He was originally replaced in 1988 by Ric Menck. Menck only stayed with the band for a short time. He was replaced by Jay Sebastian (aka "Redd Klaats"). Sebastian left the band after about a year, at which they continued as an acoustic trio until they disbanded in 1990.

After Get Smart!

Lisa Wertman continued performing with Bob Lara as "The Lisa and Bob Show" for about a year. Then she joined the band Dolly Varden as a founding member. Later she would perform with the Nora O'Connor Band, the Honeybees and Jeanie B and the Jelly Beans, and now plays in Damaged Gods, a Gang of Four tribute.
Marcus Koch moved back to Lawrence and currently plays in the country band "Cryin' Out Loud".
Bob Lara has played in many local Chicago bands and has participated in several re-unions of his old band "Reaction".
Ric Menck went on to form Velvet Crush
Jay Sebastian went on to form the "Twang Bang" duo.

Reunion

On February 5, 2020, the band announced via its Facebook page that they would be reuniting, with the original line-up, for a 40th anniversary show, to take place at the Bottleneck in Lawrence, KS on November 7, 2020. The band's first concert was on October 31, 1980. The reunion concern was postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic and took place on November 6, 2021.

Band members

Marcus Koch – guitar, lead vocals (1980–1990, 2020)
Lisa Wertman Crowe – bass, lead vocals (1980–1990, 2020)
Frank Loose – drums, lead vocals (1980–1987, 2020)

Past members

Ric Menck – drums (1988)
Jay Sebastian (aka "Redd Klaats") – drums (1988–1989)
Bob Lara – guitar, vocals (1988–1990)

Discography

File:Getsmart.jpg

=Singles and EPs=

"Numbers and Colours" / "Ankle Deep In Mud" (1981 flexi, Fresh Sounds) (with "Talk Talk" magazine, 1981-05-13)
Words Move (4 song EP, Syntax, 1981-12-08)
Fresh Sounds from Middle America (vol 1) (split/cassette, Fresh Sounds, 1981-12-12)
"Back Into The Future" / "World Without End" (1985 live, Fever/Enigma)
"Gold To Rust" (1987 45, Enigma Europe)
"Oh Yeah No" (6 song EP, Capitol Punishment, 2020-11-17)

=Albums=

Get Smart! (1981, 11 song demo tape)
Action Reaction (1984, 12 song LP, Fever/Enigma)
Swimming with Sharks (1986, 10 song LP, Restless/Enigma)

=Compilation appearances=

Inspiration Series No. 1 (German cassette) – included "On And On" (different version)
Sub Pop No. 5 – included "Eat, Sleep A Go-Go" (from the "Words Move" EP)
Sub Pop No. 7 – included "Black Mirror" (different version)
Enigma Variations – included "Just For The Moment" (from Action Reaction)
Restless Variations – included "Back Into The Future" (from Swimming with Sharks)
Heat From The Wind Chill Factory — included "What It Is We Fear" (acoustic version)

Reception

"one of the few seriously innovative bands in the Lawrence-Kansas City-Topeka area" (Blake Gumprecht; University Daily Kansan; Dec 15, 1980)
"original, simple, clean material and an energized, tight performance" (Karen Barber; KLZR 106; June 20, 1981)
"their music has a beat and a fundamentally aggressive quality that is extremely satisfying" (John Korst; Jet Lag; Feb 1983)
"This is what happened to Midwestern bar bands when they heard the Sex Pistols. Lots of beat and jangle; it's raw and rocking" (Barbara Nellis; Playboy; March 1985)
"the band has a truly impressive knack for three-piece writing and arranging. Their new LP, Swimming With Sharks, is full of tense, carefully crafted miniatures that meld unvarnished noise with unexpected pretty vocal harmonies" (Renaldo Migaldi; Chicago Reader; 1986)
"Dense minimalist rock featuring choppy guitars, a tight rhythmic thrust, and passionate, often eerie vocals, with stream-of-consciousness lyrics" (Jeff Silberman; Rock It; Fall 1986)
"Get Smart! has emerged as one of Chicago's most respected (and nationally renowned) underground bands" (Moira McCormick; Illinois Entertainer; September 1986)
"Warm pop melodicism competes with punky bluntness and jagged noise tendencies" (Ira Robbins; Trouser Press; 1986)
Swimming With Sharks blends "aggressive dance-punk a la Gang of Four and Pylon with classique-moderne action reminiscent of X and The Embarrassment" (Joseph Neff, The Vinyl District, Oct 5, 2021)

References

{{reflist|refs =

{{Cite news

| first = Blake

| last = Gumprecht

| title = Get Smart! tells audiences to wise up

| newspaper = The University Daily Kansan

| date = 1980-12-15

| quote = They are Get Smart!, only three months old but one of the few seriously innovative bands in the Lawrence-Kansas City-Topeka area

| pages = 6}}

{{Cite news

| first = Catherine

| last = Behan

| title = Get Smart! a leader — New Wave rides high in placid Lawrence

| newspaper = The University Daily Kansan

| pages = front page

| date = 1982-02-15}}

{{Cite news

| first = Mike

| last = Mills

| authorlink = Mike Mills

| title = Our Town

| newspaper = Spin

| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=ImJFcBcCvUoC&dq=spin+%22get+smart%22&pg=PA23

| date = July 1985

| quote = If the Embarrassment from Lawrence, Kansas, had become a huge national hit, people would have gone, "God, there's Get Smart!, and The Mortal Micronotz — LOOK AT ALL THOSE BANDS! What is it about Lawrence, Kansas, that produces these bands?"

| pages = 23}}

{{Cite news

| first = David

| last = Fricke

| authorlink = David Fricke

| title = The Underground Empire

| date = 1986-12-19

| newspaper = Rolling Stone

| url = http://www.rockabilly.net/wikiscans/rs-12-18-1986.shtml

| archive-date = 2011-07-18

| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110718144030/http://www.rockabilly.net/wikiscans/rs-12-18-1986.shtml

| quote = Lawrence, Kansas, has been a hotbed of alternative music for several years, thanks principally to the indefatigable Bill Rich, who runs the hardy, little Fresh Sounds label there. As far back as 1981, Rich was issuing the first pressings by the Lawrence bands Get Smart! and the Embarrassment, both of whom went on to underground-cult fame.

| pages = 116–122}}

{{Cite news

| first = Chuck

| last = Twardy

| title = Get Smart! getting smarter in Chicago

| newspaper = Lawrence Journal-World

| pages = 3D

| url = https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Y5kyAAAAIBAJ&pg=4078,3315910&dq=&hl=en

| date = 1982-10-17}}

{{Cite book

| first = Jim

| last = Jones

| title = The Complete Capitol Punishment

| publisher = CP Publishing

| date = 2009-07-17

| location = Nebraska

| pages = 2, 8, 110–113, 142, 150, 215–217, 265

| url = http://capitolpunishmentzine.com/

| isbn = 978-0-9638594-3-3

| url-status = dead

| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20091214085804/http://www.capitolpunishmentzine.com/

| archive-date = 2009-12-14}}

{{cite web

| first = Frank

| last = Loose

| title = Get Smart! timeline

| date = 2003-09-28

| url = http://sledbag.com/splooft/getsmart/gs_what01.html

| access-date = 2017-08-29}}

{{Cite news

| first = Karen

| last = Barber

| title = Get Smart!

| newspaper = KLZR 106 Music Guide

| location = Lawrence, KS

| date = 1981-06-20}}

{{Cite news

| first = John

| last = Korst

| title = Get Smart! - no dummies

| newspaper = Jet Lag Magazine

| location = St. Louis

| date = February 1983}}

{{Cite news

| first = Barbara

| last = Nellis

| title = Get Smart! Action Reaction review

| newspaper = Playboy

| pages = 20

| date = March 1985}}

{{Cite news

| first = Renaldo

| last = Migaldi

| title = Critic's Choice - Get Smart!

| newspaper = Chicago Reader

| date = 1986-05-23}}

{{Cite news

| first = Jeff

| last = Silberman

| title = Swimming With Sharks review

| newspaper = Rock It Publications

| location = Hollywood, CA

| pages = 16

| date = Fall 1986}}

{{Cite news

| first = Moira

| last = McCormick

| title = Swimming With Sharks review

| newspaper = Illinois Entertainer

| date = September 1986}}

{{Cite news

| first = Ira

| last = Robbins

| title = Get Smart!

| newspaper = Trouser Press

| year = 1986

| url = http://www.trouserpress.com/entry.php?a=get_smart

| access-date = 2020-01-21}}

{{Cite news

| title = Cryin' Out Loud

| url = http://www.cryinoutloud.net/

| access-date = 2017-08-29

| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130729230653/http://www.cryinoutloud.net/

| archive-date = 2013-07-29

| url-status = dead}}

{{Cite news

| first = Eric

| last = Puls

| title = Dolly Varden Hooks Listeners

| newspaper = Chicago Sun-Times

| date = 1994-04-22

| url = https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/chicagotribune/access/24382739.html?dids=24382739:24382739&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Mar+26%2C+1993&author=David+Rothschild.&pub=Chicago+Tribune+%28pre-1997+Fulltext%29&desc=Road-ready+Stump+the+Host+gets+a+new+bass+player&pqatl=google

| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110629001509/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/chicagotribune/access/24382739.html?dids=24382739:24382739&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Mar+26,+1993&author=David+Rothschild.&pub=Chicago+Tribune+(pre-1997+Fulltext)&desc=Road-ready+Stump+the+Host+gets+a+new+bass+player&pqatl=google

| url-status = dead

| archive-date = June 29, 2011

| quote = Our bass player quit and when we auditioned Lisa (Wertman, ex-Get Smart!), we felt a chemistry. The three of us began playing quite a bit and it was obvious that we needed to start a new outfit. Stump had become standardized and somewhat boring. Now joined by drummer Matt Thobe and guitarist/keyboardist Mark Balletto, Dolly Varden rocks harder and leaner than the ambling Stump the Host.

| access-date = 2011-02-14}}

{{cite web

| author = Get Smart!

| title = Save the Date!

| date = 2020-02-05

| website = Facebook

| url = https://www.facebook.com/GetSmartBand/posts/10157896962955883

| quote = SAVE THE DATE! November 7, 2020 Get Smart! will play our 40th Anniversary show with special guests at The Bottleneck in Lawrence, Kansas! Stay tuned for more details. We can't wait to see you!

| access-date = 2020-02-18}}

{{cite web

| first = Nick

| last = Spacek

| title = 40 Years in a Band is an Act of Rebellion

| date = July 2020

| website = The Pitch

| pages = 18–19

| url = https://issuu.com/thepitchkc/docs/pitch_0720_web

| access-date = 2020-07-03}}

{{cite web

| first = Jim