The Gomers Explained

The Gomers are a Madison, Wisconsin-based comedy rock, experimental music, and progressive rock band. Former Madison mayors Dave Cieslewicz and Sue Baumann both proclaimed February 1 as "Gomer Day"^{[1] [2]} in Madison. Their name was taken from Gomer Pyle.

Career

In April 2006, Maximum Ink^[3] noted the "longevity, durability, or diversity" of the band, and the mayoral Gomer Day Proclamation.^[4]

Madison Magazine did a film feature in 2006 of karaoke in Madison, and documented the Gomers' 'Gomeroke'^[5] live karaoke show.

The group got its start playing weekly at Madison's popular but ill-fated Club De Wash,^[6] formerly located in the Hotel Washington (Madison, Wisconsin),^[7] and currently plays eight times or more monthly with its live band karaoke show, 'Gomeroke', at the High Noon Saloon.^[8]

Wisconsin Public Radio did an episode on the phenomena of "Rockstar Gomeroke" in 2009.^[9] The band went on hiatus in 2016.^[10]

The group also spawned the internationally notable Zombeatles.

Awards

The Gomers have won several Madison Area Music Awards: 2006 Unique Artist, 2006 Unique Song, 2005 and 2007 Best Cover Band, 2008 Unique Album and Unique Artist.^[11] The reader poll of Madison weekly newspaper, The Isthmus has awarded them "Madison's Favorite Cover Band" and "Madison's Favorite Dance Band" from 2000 to 2009.^[12]

Guest stars

The Gomers played with Les Paul at his Wisconsin Foundation for School Music Lifetime Achievement Award dinner, on October 27, 2004.^[13]

Members

• Dave Adler (Willy Porter, Richard Cheese and Lounge Against the Machine, Zombeatles, Sigtryggur Baldursson)
• Biff Blumfumgagnge (Reptile Palace Orchestra, Zombeatles, Sigtryggur Baldursson)
• Geoff Brady (Madison Symphony Orchestra, Zombeatles)
• Stephen G. Burke (Zombeatles)
• Mark Hervey (Dog the Bounty Hunter, Parking Wars)
• Gordon Ranney (Zombeatles)
• Gregg Rullman (Zombeatles)
• Andy Wallman

Discography

Singles

• "Joey Saturn & Bob Uranus - Like the Planet" (Adler/Blumfumgagnge, ASCAP/BMI 1992)

Albums

• Comin' Atchya (US, 1988)
• Basement Tape (US, 1991
• Sofa King Good (US, 1999)
• Live Gome Boot (US, 2001)
• Live at The Witz End (US, 2002)
• Salt & Sugar (US, 2003)
• Basement Tape CD (US, 2005)
• Mike Zirkel The Album CD (with Adrian Belew & Robert Fripp) (US, 2008)
• Meat The Zombeatles (US, 2009)

External links

• Official Site
• The Gomers entry in the FolkLib Index
• Official Soundcloud Page

Notes and References

1. http://beeftone.com/GomerDayMayoralProclamationMP3.mp3 Audio of Mayor Dave proclaiming February 1 Gomer Day in Madison WI
2. http://www.thedailypage.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=19646 Text of the official Mayoral proclamation
3. http://www.maximumink.com/articles.php?articleId=946 Maximum Ink Cover Story by Mike Huberty
4. http://www.maximumink.com/articles.php?articleId=917 Maximum Ink September 2002 Article on The Gomers by John Noyd
5. http://www.madison.com/post/postproduction/karaoke/ Madison Magazine documents The Gomers Live Karaoke Show
6. Web site: Club de Wash . 17 April 2015 .
7. Web site: Fire and Ice: Remembering the long-lost Hotel Washington . 20 June 2023 .
8. http://www.high-noon.com High Noon Saloon Calendar
9. TBA
10. Web site: The Gomers to 'hit the pause button' on Gomeroke at the High Noon Saloon in July . 4 May 2016 .
11. http://www.themamas.org/bio documentation of The Gomers being given 3 MAMA awards in March 2006
12. http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=5152 Spending New Year's Eve 2006 in Madison? – Isthmus | The Daily Page
13. http://www.wsmamusic.org/foundation/news/achievement_award.html "2004 Lifetime Achievement Award"