Chi-Pig

For the vocalist of Canadian Punk band SNFU who goes by the name of Mr. Chi Pig, see Ken Chinn.
Chi-Pig
Origin Akron, Ohio, United States
Genres New wave
Years active c.1977–1982
Associated acts The Poor Girls, Cinderella's Revenge, Friction
Past members Richard Roberts
Susan Schmidt
Deborah Smith

Chi-Pig was a new wave power trio hailing from Akron, Ohio.

History

Before Chi-Pig

During the 1960s and 1970s, Susan Schmidt (daughter of Marjorie H. Schmidt of The Co-eds) and Deborah Smith were active in several area bands, notably The Poor Girls, Cinderella's Revenge, and Friction.[1][2] Smith and Schmidt formed The Poor Girls with Pam Johnson and Esta Kerr in 1965, while studying at Litchfield Junior High School, the first significant rock band to come from Akron and the first to consist only of women.[3] They played regularly, were profiled by Jane Scott in The Plain Dealer, and opened for bands such as Cream and Steppenwolf.[4] The group continued during their time at Firestone High School, until splitting up in 1969.[3][5]

Chi-Pig

Around 1977, Schmidt and Smith teamed up with Richard Roberts to form Chi-Pig, taking their name from a local barbecue restaurant that sold both chicken and pork (whose sign featured a cartoon drawing of a pig with wings).[6] The band was known for wearing flamboyant flamenco-style Latin-American outfits, even though this had nothing to do with their musical style.[6] The band released a single, "Bountiful Living", in 1978.[6] Despite active participation in the local music scene and national interest in the Akron area due to the popularity of Devo and Tin Huey, Chi-Pig was unable to land a record deal, ultimately folding in 1982 after recording an album that was not released at the time.[6]

Chi-Pig's music was made up of smart pop rock songs addressing the concerns of women living in a consumerist society with just a touch of humor on the side.[6] Musically, Schmidt and Smith had developed a tight sound over their many years of playing together. Unfortunately, the band fell apart just as other female led groups such as The Go-Go's and The Pretenders were breaking out.

In 2004, the band finally released their album, Miami, consisting of material recorded in that city in 1979, with the two tracks from the single added.[1][6]

In 2005, the band appeared in the PBS documentary, If You're Not Dead, Play, which detailed the Akron Sound that sprung out of the Ohioan punk rock and new wave scene in the second wave during the 1980s.

"Bountiful Living" was used in the soundtrack of the Klaus Nomi documentary film, The Nomi Song (2004).

Other work

Chi-Pig members Susan Schmidt and Deborah Smith co-wrote the Devo song "Gates of Steel" with Gerald Casale and Mark Mothersbaugh.[7]

Smith went on to a career as a lawyer, and a teacher at St. John's she like to use group assignments about music and history while Schmidt (now Susan Schmidt-Horning) studied for a PhD in History and taught at the Cleveland Institute of Art and at Case Western Reserve University.[3]

Members

Discography

Albums

Singles

Compilation appearances

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Riegel, Richard (2004) "Are We Not Zen? We Are Repo!", Village Voice, August 31, 2004. Retrieved January 26, 2014
  2. ↑ Heylin, Clinton (1993) From the Velvets to the Voidoids: a Pre-punk History for a Post-punk World, Penguin Books Ltd., ISBN 978-0140179705, p. 59, 298
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Adams, Deanna R. (2002) Rock 'n' Roll and the Cleveland Connection, Kent State University Press, ISBN 978-0873386913, pp. 159-162
  4. ↑ Wolff, Carlo (2006) Cleveland Rock & Roll Memories, Grau & Company Publishers, ISBN 978-1886228993, p. 58
  5. ↑ Endres, Kathleen L., Herman, Carolyn H., and Fox, Penny L. (2005) Images of America: Akron Women, Arcadia Publishing, ISBN 978-0738533698, p. 119
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 Lewis, Dave "Chi-Pig Biography", Allmusic. Retrieved January 26, 2014
  7. ↑ "The De-Evolution of Akron's Music", Beacon Journal, 2000-09-10, retrieved 2009-12-01