Newpaper article for impending John Cale show on 12/24/88, at The Showbox Theatre, Seattle, WA

CLEVELAND BAND'S BACK TOGETHER, PULLING SOUNDS APART
By Gene Stout, Seattle Post-Intelligencer Pop Critic
FRIDAY, September 23, 1988
Section: What's Happening, Page: 12

When Cleveland was chosen as home of the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame in 1985, a lot of people were scratching their heads.

Why Cleveland? Why not Los Angeles, New York, Minneapolis, Nashville, Austin, Texas, or some other city with a high-profile music scene?

The choice may have had something to do with Pere Ubu, Cleveland's foremost "avant garage" band (the group took its name from the once- outrageous Alfred Jarry play, "Ubu Roi").

In 1975, the forward-thinking garage-rock band released its first single, "30 Seconds Over Tokyo," opening the door to a legion of progressive bands - from Devo to Tin Huey. Soon record companies from all over the country were heading to Cleveland in search of new bands. Clearly, Cleveland was a rock 'n' roll town.

With its blend of harsh, discordant sounds - the phrase "industrial noise" often came to mind - and unorthodox showmanship, Pere Ubu enjoyed several years of intense popularity as a leading-edge cult band.

But most punk bands are expected to self-destruct in time, and it wasn't surprising when Pere Ubu disbanded in 1982.

In the years since, the band has gone from cult to legend status, a process accelerated by a 1986 compilation album of old Pere Ubu singles, "Terminal Tower," that proved popular on college radio.

Last year the group returned with several original members - including David Thomas, its ominous-looking lead singer - to reclaim the glory of its early years.

The Pere Ubu reunion tour arrives in Seattle for a concert tomorrow night at 8 at First Avenue's old Showbox theater, site of punk and alternative-rock shows in the past (Magazine and the Blackouts were among the first to play there in 1979).

The show includes early favorites - "Final Solution" and "The Modern Dance" - as well as several songs from a new album, "The Tenement Year."

Joining Pere Ubu is John Cale, who founded the Velvet Underground with Lou Reed in 1966. Cale's long and varied career as an avant-garde rocker has brought him a faithful cult following, but less-than-dazzling record sales.

Tickets are $12.50, plus service charge, at Time Travellers and Ticketmaster.