Musicians say they are misunderstood – Staunton News Leader
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It’s not really your grandmother’s music. Probably not your parent’s either. Even some of the teens and young adults who listen to this particular genre are afraid to be associated with it because of what their elders and employers may think.
Meet the “Dead City Screamers”: lead singer Daniel “Dan Electric” Runion, 25, of Harrisonburg; bass player Matt “Spyder McNasty MC” Oldham, 25, of Harrisonburg; guitar player Daniel “Corbo Uberalles” Corbo, 19, of Broadway; and Kyle “Mess” Shanks, 22, of Staunton.
They dress up like zombies, drip blood made of corn syrup and food coloring and apologize to no one.
Although the band gets plenty of negative comments, both online and in person, and has trouble getting booked, the members are true to their mission: to simply have fun.
“A lot of us grew up liking horror movies,” Shanks said.
“It’s theater, man,” Runion said. “You take something you love and create something of your own. It’s a bloody good time.”
Their playing, they admit, is rough and raw. Dead City calls itself a stage band, meaning it’s all about the presentation.
“Art has to be dressed up. It is the same with music,” said Runion. “Horrible is beautiful. Demolish it. Sh***y guitar riffs and horror makeup.”
The band which performs songs such as “Punk Rock Zombie,” “Kill to Have You in my Hearse” and “So Much for the Funeral” encourages its fans to dress up as zombies for its shows. With lyrics such as “It’s a chloroform kiss, baby,” and shows that feature fake brains, foam tombstones and pretend blood, the appeal is similar to Halloween or watching a horror movie. To the band and its fans, it’s just clean fun.
Mary Meixner, who heard Dead City perform once with her 16-year-old daughter Ellie Meixner, doesn’t exactly agree. The Staunton resident said that she felt the band was trying to be provocative rather than sincere. But she does see the value in allowing her daughter the freedom to listen to music she enjoys as long as she stays out of trouble.
“She’s at the age where I realize my control over what she listens to is less and less,” she said. “I’m not out to censor everything she listens to or does, but I’d prefer that the people weren’t unnecessarily profane and gross.”