Kilgore (Smudge)

Kilgore (Smudge) Biography / CC BY 3.0



The band known as Kilgore had started in 1991 at Rhode Island catholic high school, LaSalle Academy. The school's unique music program allowed the bands to play contemporary rock, classic rock, jazz and blues covers, instead of a performing as a marching band or concert band. Outside school, Brian, Bill, Smitty, Mike and Jay formed an original band first known as Regicide then after graduation know as Smudge. They released their first demo cassette Spill (1993) and began playing numerous shows in Providence at Club Confetti, The Living Room, Club Babyhead, and Lupos' Heartbreak Hotel.



After discovering an Australian pop-punk band by the same name, they changed their name to Stain. As Stain, the band formed a bond with numerous local Providence bands: Times Expired, Shed, Moshall Law, State of Corruption, Freak Show, Richard, Second Skin, and many more. In 1994, they released another cassette demo entitled Die Cast (1994). It was the release of Die Cast of brought the band to the attention of Unsound Records and signed to recording contract. It was at this time the band noticed a local Springfield, MA band by the name of Stain. They decided to change a name no band could possibly have Kilgore Smudge. The name was a nod to their original name and also to the literary character "Kilgore Trout" from Kurt Vonnegut's "Breakfast of Champions.



After numerous tours, Kilgore Smudge released the full-length album Blue Collar Solitude (1995). The record release party managed to sell out one of the final shows at Club Babyhead. The album also spent numerous months at the top of the Metal College Radio charts. The band then continued to tour well into 1996. The schedule began to tire Smitty, who decided to call it a day. Enter Steve Johnson on Bass duties. The band began working on the follow-up to Blue Collar Solitude with a series of recordings known as "The Stalemate Sessions". The songwriting and music took a darker turn. The band was somewhat unsure of the material, as well as the record label. Tensions began to mount, confidence was slipping.A dark cloud took its toll with Brian McKenzie leaving the band. Brian continues to play as a singer-songwriter



The band continued to write and record demos for what would become A Search for Reason. Confidence was regaining as the record contract was extended to Revolution Records/Warner Bros.The band flew out to Los Angeles for 4 months to write, rehearse and record the album. The band chose Ed Stasium (The Ramones, Talking Heads, Living Colour, Biohazard, Reverend Horton Heat) as their producer. The final product A Search for Reason (1998) was released in early 1998 to excellent reviews. As a new management deal was inked, the band landed a spot on Ozzfest 98'. Two weeks before going out on another tour, Marty O'Brien was asked to join the band to replace Steve Johnson on Bass. After Ozzfest, Kilgore performed on a nation wide tour with Slayer and Fear Factory. They finished the year on a European tour with Fear Factory and Spineshank. Kilgore played its last show on New Years Eve of 1998 at the Met Cafe in Providence, RI.



Vocalist Jay Berndt left the band in early 1999 to pursue a family life. He returned to music in 2004 by fronting Providence country band The RevivalPreachers and then The Brimstone Assembly in 2006. He signed to North Carolina record label :Rusty Knuckles" and will be releasing a solo album called "Sad Bastard Songs in October 2010 The rest of the band moved to Los Angeles to look for a new singer and continue on. Marty O'Brien began playing with Tommy Lee's Methods Of Mayhem and provided session work for Kelly Clarkson, Celine Dion, and Chris Cornell and now plays with "We Are The Fallen". Mike Pelletier began scoring video game soundtracks and had played with In For The Kill. Bill "Bilgore" Southerland moved back to Providence and has been working with children for the last few years.



On May 19th 2007, original members Jay Berndt, Brian McKenzie, Bill Southerland, and Jason "Smitty" Smith reunited to play a show at Jake's Bar in Providence, RI.



The show was benefit called "Fight to Remember" and all proceeds went to the Susan G Komen Breast Cancer Foundation and The National Philanthropic Trust for breast cancer treatment and research. They helped to raise over $13,000 for the cause.



It was the first time KILGORE had played since 1998 and for the first time with McKenzie and Smith since 1996. They performed numerous songs from their two releases, "Blue Collar Solitude" and "A Search For Reason" as well as songs from early demos. A full length multi-track live recording was made of the show and "Cleaner" is available on the media player.



Copyright (C) 2010 Gus Malardo.

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Some of the Bands that Kilgore (Smudge) played with:



Biohazard,

Clutch,

Coal Chamber,

The Cro-Mags,

DRI,

Fear Factory ,

Godsmack,

Incubus,

Judas Priest,

Life of Agony,

Limp Bizkit,

Marilyn Manson,

Megadeth,

The Melvins,

The Misfits,

Monster Voodoo Machine,

Motorhead,

Nothingface,

Ozzy Ozbourne,

Pennywise,

Sam Black Church,

Sevendust,

Sheer Terror,

Shelter,

Sick of It All,

Slayer,

Snot,

Soulfly,

Staind',

Stompbox,

Sublime,

System of a Down,

Tool,

Ultraspank