Little Blue Crunchy Things

Little Blue Crunchy Things (Blues) (LBCT) was an American music group from the Milwaukee, Wisconsin area. They were active from the late 1980s to 2000.

LBCT was formed in the late 1980s. Vocalist Noah Tabakin joined in 1991 and became the de facto band leader. Tabakin often used audience participation and other events at concerts and shows to freestyle lyrical content.

The band's first album, Rhetoric, was released in 1994. The lineup at this time was Bill Backes on drums, Cara Davis on percussion/vocals, Rick Eels on bass, Douglas Haynes on saxophone, Brandon Mason on trumpet/trombone, Noah Tabakin on lead vocals/saxophone, and Michael Wengler on guitar. Their first album was independently produced. Later albums included newly recorded versions of some of the same songs.

Between the first and second albums, Eels, Mason, and Haynes left the band. Eels was replaced by Ken Fitzsimmons, and Haynes by Bryan Elliot, but LBCT was left without a trumpet/trombone player.

Their second album, Owner's Manual (1996), was a recording of a live show at Shank Hall in Milwaukee in 1996. Davis was featured as a vocalist on only one song ("Brown Bear") and left the band shortly after Owner's Manual.

The blues influence would return on the band's third album, Swarm (1997). Sales of Swarm were much higher than previous albums and the band gained national recognition.

In 1999, they released their fourth album, Babies.

The next year the band announced that they would be breaking up and that spring performed what was described as their final show. Only a few months later, the band returned for what was billed as a reunion tour. This tour included Shank Hall and a performance at Summerfest. A show at the Barrymore Theater in Madison, Wisconsin on April 15, 2000 was recorded and released as their final album.

Since the breakup, the members have gone on to work on their own projects. Noah Tabakin's first group after LBCT was the short-lived All Fours. He previously fronted TABAKIN, a funk, soul, hip-hop conglomeration. He also played saxophone in the 23-piece marching band Mucca Pazza.

Tabakin left Wisconsin in 2000 for Chicago where he was involved in a number of projects. He currently lives in Los Angeles, performing under the name ssssnake. He also performs with Tour de Fat, and Fire Leopard with Jon Steinmeier where they perform as the house band at The Booby Trap Variety Show every Wednesday.

Ken Fitzsimmons currently fronts the Irish Rock band The Kissers, which both Jamie Ryan and Bill Backes have been involved with. He is also the Education Director with the Madison Music Foundry, in Madison, Wisconsin.

Bryan Elliot lives in Madison and previously played in the Latin band Prole. He has also played in The Bradachs and Smokin' With Superman, and is also a part of The Kissers with Ken Fitzsimmons.

Bill Backes currently lives in Milwaukee and plays with The Lovelies and Testa Rosa. Jamie Ryan currently lives in Illinois, where he is an associate professor at Eastern Illinois University. He continues to be involved in music with Africa -> West, a percussion trio who fuse African, Afro-Caribbean and Western music.

LBCT continues to perform reunion shows in Madison and Milwaukee.

Members

• Bill Backes - Drums
• Bryan Elliott - Saxophone
• Ken Fitzsimmons - Bass guitar
• Jamie Ryan - percussion
• Noah Tabakin - vocals/saxophone
• Michael Wengler - Guitar

Former members

• Cara Davis - percussion/vocals
• Paul Jonas - Bass guitar (1999/2000, after the temporary departure of Fitzsimmons following the 'Babies' sessions; performs on 2000s 'In Loving Memory Of...')
• Stephen Howard - Bass Guitar (filled in for some reunion appearances)

Discography

• Rhetoric (1994)
• Owner's Manual (1996)
• Swarm (1997)
• Babies (1999)
• In Loving Memory Of... (album) (2000)

External links

• Little Blue Crunchy Things on MySpace [1]
• Little Blue Crunchy Things on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/littlebluecrunchythings