 Bill Leist, one of Cincinnati's great punk rockers, died yesterday at age 54.
Bill booked the shows at the famous Jockey Club across the Ohio River from Cincinnati in Newport, Kentucky. The Jockey Club was a place for people to go and be with people who shared the same sensibilities, the same alienation and the same hopeful view that things could be good even in the days of Reagan. The Jockey Club operated from 1982 until 1988. Here is the Facebook page of the place. I wrote a brief poem for Bill's passing--- An old punk's passing Imparts a message you should know In this life if you want to hear your own music You will have to book your own show A famous beer of the Jockey Club was the big can of Foster's you see above. I bought a can of Foster's today and made a do-it-yourself memorial to Bill at home. The two books in the picture---Punk 45 and American Hardcore---are good books of punk rock history. Any good punk knows that you've got to do it yourself and also that it is good to have a strong scene around to help you get it all done. Bill got it done by himself and was a important part of something larger. He will be missed. Please read all of NeilAquino.com
3 Comments
Jeff Leist
12/31/2014 10:09:40 am
Neil- Thanks for your remarks about Bill. Sadly, I didn't get to experience the Jockey Club. I had friends I went to school with in Springfield, OH who went to shows there, but we typically saw shows of that variety at Staches in Columbus during my college days. I am grateful for meeting my lovely wife, Jenny, and for the fact that she was a part of that scene which gave me the opportunity to get to know Bill. He had an incredible love and knowledge for many kinds of music. I remember the first time we spent time together at the apartment I shared with Jenny back around '94/'95- he wanted to hear this bluegrass music that she told him I was so into. We spent 3 or 4 hours in the wee hours (as I recall we both worked second shift at the time) in our 3rd floor attic sitting room listening to my bluegrass collection. He was soaking it up and loving it. As he so often said, the music was "like butter." We finally got to spend a night down in Eastern KY with a friend of mine a few years back, and he really enjoyed himself. We both did. He will be sorely missed.
Bill Brady
1/2/2015 02:33:17 pm
Wow had no idea, sorry to hear Bill is gone, Many wonderful times I shared with him over the years.
Kevin Apgar
1/15/2015 10:33:51 am
Bill was truly an icon and will be missed. Cincinnati/ Northern Ky may have never had such a rich history with punk rock if it were not for Bill. Leave a Reply. |
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