The Belgian Waffles!
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| Record Labels: | Adept Recordings Gubbey Records | ||
| Started By: | Bill, Tony, Matthew | ||
| Years Active: | 1986 - 2006, 2014 | ||
| Based In: | Bloomington Louisville | ||
| First known show | May 17 1986 at No Bar, Muncie w/ Big Black | ||
| Last show: | January 21 2006 at The Rudyard Kipling | ||
| Reunion show: | September 26 2014 at Cropped Out | ||
| Number of Members: | Varying | ||
The Belgian Waffles! were an anarchist collective originally based out of Bloomington, Indiana but later based out of Louisville, Kentucky. Forming in 1986 and moving to Louisville in 1995, The Belgian Waffles! had quickly been cited as leaders of the Louisville "free jazz" movement (Alongside Crappy Nightmareville) though The Belgian Waffles! refute the jazz label. The band would compose free-form sounds ranging from deconstructed blues to psychedelic kraut rock to punk, often with spoken word vocals or even rambling poetry. The band attained a reputation in the Louisville scene for their crushing and loud shows, often leading to the band getting banned from some venues and even fights.
Through their twenty year run the band released a single 7" amid a wide range of DIY-produced CD-Rs and cassettes, often containing either studio recordings, improvisations of full live sets.
Biography
The Belgian Waffles! would form circa 1986 in Bloomington, Indiana with Tony Woollard, Matt Whitaker and Sean McCloud as the founding members, with Bill Zink joining not long after. The early days of the band saw them in DIY venues, often with a rotating lineup. The band performed in various parts of the Midwest, often sharing the stage with a wide range of artists be it avant-garde, punk rock or even nationally known bands such as Big Black. Eventually Dan Willems, Chris Willems and Heather Floyd would join the band in 1990, establishing the sextet lineup that remained thereafter though on occasion the band would perform as a trio, quartet or quintet when certain members were unavailable.
The band would release two studio/live cassettes in the early 1990s (1992's Soundman's Delight and 1995's Tulip Engine.) and perform in Indiana and Kentucky. In 1995 all six members of the group would re-locate to Louisville and release their eponymous 7" EP the next year. The band also notably performed with locals such as King Kong and Crappy Nightmareville and performed at the Destroy All Music! Festival in Chicago. Throughout the years the band were a staple in the Louisville underground scene, regularly performing at venues such as The Rudyard Kipling. According to Setlist.fm, The Waffles played there the most.
The band would host a 20th anniversary performance at The Rudyard Kipling on 21 January 2006. However five months later The Belgian Waffles! would disband, with Bill, Dan, Chris and Heather moving on to other projects such as Suspected Terrorists, Sick City Four and Black Kaspar. The core sextet lineup would reunite and perform at the fifth annual Cropped Out on 26 September 2014.
Members
Final and Reunion Lineup
- Bill Zink - Guitar, Drums (1986 - 2006, 2014)
- Matthew Whitaker - Bass, Flute (1986 - 2006, 2014)
- Tony Woollard - Guitar, Trumpet, Cornet, Vocals (1986 - 2006, 2014)
- Dan Willems - Alto Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone, Guitar (1990 - 2006, 2014)
- Chris Willems - Tenor Saxophone, Guitar (1990 - 2006, 2014)
- Heather Floyd - Drums, Trumpet, Soprano Saxophone (1990 - 2006, 2014)
Past Members and Contributors
- Sean McCloud - Drums? (1986 - ?)
- Chet Chmielewski - Keyboards, Turntables, Electronics (1988 - ?)
- Sara Lund - Drums (1989 - ?)
- Vid Warren - Trumpet, Mayhem (1988 - ?)
- Ed Emmer - Poetry, Ranting (1989)
- Ian Rans - Performer (1990)
- Bill Weaver - Poetry, Ranting (Unknown Time Period)
- Jim Manion - Drums (Unknown Time Period)
- Bob Wagner - Drums (Unknown Time Period)
- Keith Welch - Drums (Unknown Time Period)
- Eric Rensberger - Clarinet (Unknown Time Period)
- Alex Cosby - Performer (Unknown Time Period)
Releases
Studio Albums
- Amphetamine Blonde Psychosis Cassette (1989, Flat Electric)
- jacques rock Cassette (1989, Flat Electric)
- appetite for deconstruction Cassette (1989, Flat Electric)
- Relaxin' At Caritas CD (1999, Adept Recordings)
Extended Plays
- The Belgian Waffles! 7" (1998, Adept Recordings)
Other Releases
- March 19, 1988 live cassette (1989, Flat Electric)
- Soundman's Delight live cassette (1992, UGCO)
- February 9, 1995 live cassette (1996, Adept Recordings)
- TBW! 4tet 2 Nov 97 live cassette (1998, Adept Recordings)
Selected Compilations
- Redneck Buddhas Cassette (1998, F.U.D.C.)
- Head Cleaner: A Louisville Music Compilation vol 7, 8, 9, 10 & 11 Triple Cassette/Digital (2015, Gubbey Records)