Press Release

Rickety Records is Pleased to Announce
The 10th Anniversary
New Wave Cabaret!
Feb 3rd, 2007, 9pm-2am
31st Street Pub, Strip District Pittsburgh

First held in 1997 at the Next Decade in South Oakland as a 30th birthday celebration for Rickety Queen Bee Sheryl Bambam Johnston, the first new wave cabaret featured friends and heavy hitters in the local music scene covering the music she listened to in high school. It became an annual event, spawning lots of one-offs and several new permanent bands. It was also the one place we could count on seeing Manny Theiner play the keyboard on a yearly basis.
1998 saw the Cabaret move to the 31st Street Pub with the birth of Rickety Thursdays, where it stayed until the millennium---breaking the Pub’s attendance record along the way. 1999-2000 is frankly somewhat of a blur….we’re building a new wave cabaret website at RNWC.blogspot.com to collect memories (and hopefully pictures!) of bands from these years when no one videotaped and Sheryl was in something of a martini haze.
Any help is welcome!
In 2001 we moved to the Oakland Beehive, with the dual goals of providing all ages access and more room to dance. A combination of technical difficulties and slacker stage management meant that a couple of acts (including traditional show closer the Manny Theiner Super Group, and the Human Brains who had donated the use of their equipment for the evening) didn’t get to play, and it appeared that the New Wave Cabaret was headed into early retirement.
Sheryl was contacted in late 2001 by Zombo with a plan to resurrect the Cabaret as a two night event in two separate all ages locations, and in March 2002 we had one night at the Upstage and one night at the social hall in Mt Washington. Despite some fantastic performances and great attendance, it wasn’t enough to revive enthusiasm for the New Wave Cabaret….and truthfully, it looked like we had run out of Devo songs to cover.
We took 2003 off to recoup, and then 2004 brought a radical departure….the Glam Rock Cabaret. Held at the Rex in the South Side, it was a big hit, with scores of people traveling through a wicked ice storm and typical Carson street weekend traffic to dance to the freaky stylings of the Glam Rock Artists and show off their silver lame and feather boas.
Despite continued interest bordering on begging, there were no cabarets in 2005 and 2006, as Sheryl concentrated on a new career in the vegetarian catering business, and getting old.
Which brings us to 2007, the 10th Anniversary of the First New Wave Cabaret and Sheryl’s 40th. It seems fitting to return to the world of new wave, and extra fitting that one of this year’s most covered artists is Adam Ant—the first new wave cabaret show was closed with an all Adam set by scenester Spaz and company.
This year will feature 5 returning new wave bands (Spandex Ballet, The OPD, the Human Brains, the Squirts, and Amoeba Knievel), some favorites that got their start at the Glam Rock Cabaret (Fangs of the Panda) and a special new wave sword dancer all the way from Boston. In addition to the usual cake, trivia contests and prizes, dress up and dancing. The new wave party of the decade! Don’t miss it.

LOOKY!!!!!

Isn't it great? Thanks to my new wave darlin mike baltzer! There are a couple more versions which I will upload asap. We're hoping to get flyers and handbills made tomorrow, as well as go thriftstore hunting for new wave prizes. It's all coming together........yay!