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This page is devoted to the memory of Smart Bomb, a Gainesville, Florida, "punk and roll" band that existed between February 1991 and December 1993. There were at least six different Smart Bomb line-ups in those years! They were as follows:
This page is still under construction and will eventually include more info on Smart Bomb, as time allows updates. [The picture at the top of the page is of Brian, which was on the first flier he put up to find the original members of Smart Bomb. The photo from which the image was made was of a performance from the band Brian had been in previously, Camp 7.]
Brian founded Smart Bomb after the band he had been in previously, Camp 7, decided to leave Gainesville for fame and fortune. He first got together with Dave, who had been in the early version of longtime Gainesville fave Tone Unknown (in fact, he had come up with that name). Dave quickly repeated his previous band-naming success by coming up with "Smart Bomb" for the fledgling project.
The rhythm section was rounded out by Neil, a jovial heavy metal-rocker type on drums, and Chris Ticknor on bass. Chris was considerably younger than the other members of the band and left after only 3 shows. Wade, a portly drummer in the UF marching band, known for wacky onstage clothing and antics, replaced Chris on bass about five weeks after our debut.
Smart Bomb made it's debut on Saturday, March 23, 1991. The show was very unusual in that we played in a backroom of the old Skeeter's restaurant on NW 34th Street. Dave, who was an abstract painter, somehow talked Skeeter's into letting him have an art show/band show there. Smart Bomb played with three other bands we subsequently gigged with at other venues around town: Bicycle Thieves (another band that included a former Camp 7 member, original drummer Jeff Schwartz; Brian helped them record their first 3-song demo on his 4-track), Unidentified (Dave was friends with Rich Groene), and the Youngies.
This version (Brian, Dave, Neil, Wade) of Smart Bomb lasted until Dave moved, in August of 1991. This version of the band was heavily oriented towards Brian's material since Dave only contributed a couple songs and Neil had not yet begun writing. Gigs during this phase of the band included Gainesville clubs the Hardback, Gravity and Club Demolition, plus a two-day stint at Admiral Spacolli's in St. Augustine (who dicked us over pretty badly and then tried to have us arrested despite that we'd packed the dive).
Dave managed to get the "oldies" radio station he worked at let him have a local music show, which he called "In The Bunker," and on which he played Smart Bomb live unreleased recordings, plus those of our other local band friends. Dave even interviewed the other members of Smart Bomb once, without ever noting that he was the fourth member of the band! Wade took over the DJ spot when Dave moved.
After Dave moved, Chris Sessums played two shows with Smart Bomb (contributing one song) and recorded some of our songs on his 8-track. Wade and Chris decided that they no longer wanted to play with the drummer Neil, who was the only other remaining original member besides Brian. Wade and Chris gave Brian an ultimatum that Neil would have to go, so Wade and Chris were sacked and Brian and Neil decided to find two new players.
Thus Smart Bomb IV came about, our first practice being October 23, 1991, and our first show on November 12. In on guitar was "Stu" Stuart, who had a kind of John Lennon voice with a sort of retro-Lenny Kravitz psychedelic bent to his writing. And on bass was Jahna Rain (whose real last name was Balk), who wrote garagy-punk stuff. Stu wrote by himself, like Brian, but Jahna also frequently collaborated with Brian; even Neil got into the act, writing a song lyric that Brian helped fine-tune and wrote music to.
During this phase of the band the songwriting split was about 1/3 Brian, 1/3 Stu, and 1/3 Jahna. We continued playing the Hardback, plus the short-lived Club Velvet and a two-day stint at the Brass Mug in Tampa. Shortly after Stu and Jahna joined Neil moved to Jacksonville, but commuted down to Gainesville for weekend practices (the rest of the band would often have a drummerless "guitar practice" during the week). This version of the band lasted until mid-March 1992, when Jahna moved to Boston and Neil moved to Texas.
New drummer Mike Bruyere came in on drums and Wade sheepishly came back into the Smart Bomb fold on bass for Smart Bomb V. This version split the songs between Brian (2/3) and Stu (1/3). Wade and Mike often used to do a percussion breakdown at the end of whatever our finale was. Stu got a keyboard and occasionally used it onstage. We continued playing the Hardback regularly and did some recording at a home studio, Jam In A Box, owned by Mike Irwin. Although several songs were completed they were never released. Smart Bomb V lasted until the end of 1992.
1993 was a frustrating year; after finding ex-Slap of Reality (a group whose other members went on to found Hot Water Music) singer-guitarist Zack Frignoca, and recently-arrived Jacksonville bassist Jeremy Wolfe, Mike Bruyere moved. The remainder of the year was spent looking for drummers who never quite gelled, only managing to play out once, at an open mic night. Then Zack quit and Jeremy followed suit, and that was the end of Smart Bomb.
Dave H.: plays blues in NYC
Neil H.: lives in Jacksonville
Chris T.: Currently living in San Francisco working for 80's pop-star Thomas Dolby at his internet audio company called Beatnik. Still playing music (you can check out his recent stuff at http://www.mp3.com/ticknor/). The most recent band Chris was in was called Soda, a Gainesville power house including Russell Tillitt (What It Is, Dingo Fish) on keys, Eddie Sanchez (various and asundry Gainesville fame) on drums, Steve Frederick (Ecstasteve of Jubilation) on guitar, Chris on bass and vocals, and Eddie's brother Fred on Vocals.
Wade C.: unknown (moved to Tennessee)
Chris S.: still lives in Gainesville
Stu S.: unknown
Jahna R.: playing garage in NYC in the Innuendoes
Mike B.: still playing, in South Florida, I think
Zack F.: played in a band with Jeremy for awhile, played in Gainesville band Grease Factor Five
Jeremy W.: played in Gainesville band Mabus
