The Gomers do it differently

Contributing writer Tom Laskin weighs in on the Gomers' Tuesday rock workouts at the Club de Wash: "For nearly a year now, the local punk band has been building jams around wacky musical themes and kitsch-ridden visual gimmicks." One night they may "break out the flashpots and face paint and churn out a dozen Kiss covers." Another night, they might revisit Billboard's top 10 hits from 1967. "We decided to be a little bit different than the regular house band," explains Gomers guitarist Biff Blumfumgagnge. The Club de Wash is lost in the 1996 fire that consumes the Hotel Washington, but the Gomers endure, hosting Rock Star Gomeroke on Tuesdays at the High Noon Saloon and a "Slappy Hour Variety Show" twice a month at the Frequency. On Thursday, Nov. 12, they'll join others at the High Noon for a "Funk-raiser" to benefit the Madison-based Ceiba Foundation for Tropical Conservation.