Here is a revived version of a Line Out post about the Walkabouts (these posts were purged from the internet after The Stranger pulled the plug on their music blog).
Memories of the Walkabouts
I was a freshman in college when I met singer Carla Torgerson, who was a senior at the time. I had just arrived in Walla Walla, WA from Anchorage, AK. In the 1980s, Whitman was 50% Greek, so I decided to check out the sorority scene. I can’t speak for other schools, but for the most part, I liked what I found.
When it came to Kappa Kappa Gamma, I remember talking to Carla during Rush, and thinking, "Man, this woman is the coolest." Suffice to say, she wasn’t your stereotypical sorority girl. I got the distinct impression that it was okay to listen to punk rock, to major in studio art, and to wear whatever the hell you wanted.
That was encouraging, and so I did all those things—and pledged KKG (other Kappas, non-Whitman division, include designer Kate Spade, broadcast journalist Jane Pauley, and entertainment reporter Nancy O'Dell...who fits the sorority template to a T).
But I didn’t hang out with Carla. Most of my friends were freshmen. A couple of years later, she returned from Seattle to play a gig as a member of the Walkabouts, which featured two other Whitman alums,* her boyfriend, Chris Eckman (vocals, guitar), and his brother, Grant (drums). It was Oktoberfest. Someone stole a keg, and we set up a makeshift club in the spacious art studios, where Chris Peters and I spent most of our time. Peters went on to provide the wood-cut print that adorns their full-length debut, See Beautiful Rattlesnake Gardens (though I hung up my brushes a long time ago, Chris still paints from time to time).
I don’t remember anything else about that night, just that Carla had gone on to do something interesting with her life—exactly what I would've expected, based on that initial encounter. I ended up moving to Seattle a few years later, at which point the Walkabouts had become one of the city’s premiere musical outfits, along with Room Nine, Pure Joy, and a few others who were starting to gain national exposure though fanzines and region-friendly publications, like Option.
*Others include Adam West (Batman) and Dirk Benedict (Battlestar Galactica, The A-Team). I don't know whether ex-Walkabout Curt Eckman went to Whitman.
- Popllama
When the Seattle Scene blew up, the Walkabouts, against all odds, didn’t wind up as roadkill, though there was never anything particularly grunge-like about their roots-oriented sound. That was the beauty of Sub Pop 200, which combined tracks from acoustic artists like Terry Lee Hale with rock & rollers like Soundgarden.
The label would go on to sign the group, but they never hit it big nationwide, despite consistently positive reviews and a devoted fanbase. Instead, they became more popular in Europe, much like California's Thin White Rope and Oregon's Dead Moon (now Pierced Arrows). Don’t ask me why Americans weren’t more enthusiastic about these West Coast stalwarts; I have no idea.
- Sub Pop
- Illustration by Charles Burns
Like every band I’ve mentioned, the Walkabouts have experienced their ups and downs, but they’ve beaten the odds yet again, releasing a new record in 2011 and prepping for a European tour this year.
I wouldn't have seen that coming in 1982 when Carla was just an aspiring musician like so many others, who play out for a few years and then pack it in when they find a more stable career path. On the contrary, Carla has issued a solo album, Saint Stranger, and several Chris & Carla releases with Chris Eckman, though they're no longer romantically involved.
But we were never friends or even acquaintances, and I didn’t run into her again until she showed up at a friend’s Christmas party a couple of years ago. We had a lovely chat, just like that first time. She’s still the same attentive and engaging woman she ever was. And I don’t know much more about her than that, but that’s enough, and I look forward to seeing her group when they play Seattle tomorrow night. I’ll be with my friend, Chris. Maybe we’ll sneak in another stolen keg or two.
- Glitterhouse
The Walkabouts play the High Dive (513 N. 36th) on Tues., January 10th, with Terri Tarantula (Walkabouts' drummer Terri Moeller) and Disinterested (Matt Brown from Trespassers William). $10 presale, $12 at the door. Purchase tickets here.
