| The Effigies | |
| Landscape: | yes |
| Background: | group_or_band |
| Origin: | Chicago, Illinois |
| Years Active: | 1980–1990, 1992, 1995–1996, 2004–2010, 2024 |
| Label: | Ruthless, Enigma, Touch and Go Records, Criminal IQ Records, Roadkill Records, Fever Records, BFD |
| Associated Acts: | Naked Raygun, Strike Under, Pegboy, Bloodsport |
| Current Members: | Paul Zamost Steve Economou Andy Gerber Geoff Sabin |
| Past Members: | John Kezdy Earl Letiecq Robert O'Connor Chris Bjorklund Joe Haggerty Tom Woods Robert McNaughton |
The Effigies are an American punk rock band from Chicago. The band played its first show in 1980 and was active initially for approximately a decade, undergoing multiple personnel changes (with frontman John Kezdy the only constant) before disbanding in 1990. The band released 3 albums (For Ever Grounded/Fly On A Wire/Ink), 2 EPs (Haunted Town/We're Da Machine) and one single during this initial run, most on the record label they founded in 1981, Ruthless Records, which was distributed by Enigma. Later albums were released on the Fever Records and Roadkill Records labels. They toured the U.S. and Canada, sharing bills with bands such as Black Flag, The Dead Kennedys, UK Subs, PIL, The Birthday Party, The Plasmatics, SS Decontrol, GBH and The Circle Jerks at iconic venues, including Metro, CBGB, Maxwell's, First Avenue, Mabuhay Gardens, Paycheck's, Exit and The Rathskeller among others. They were heavily featured in the underground press, and received a significant amount of national airplay on college radio at a time when it was the only medium for alternative music.
The Effigies were one of the first punk bands in Chicago. The Midwest initially resisted punk and was late to discover or appreciate it to any degree. In the years immediately after the Ramones and the Sex Pistols first released records, Chicago remained dominated by classic rock, disco and blues. Eventually New Wave bands like Skafish, Wazmo Nariz and Tutu and The Pirates broke ground in the rock club circuit and showed that the emerging scene had an audience, but punk bands were still largely anathema to the Midwest rock establishment and had few places to play. What most punk fans recall as the first "punk scene" in Chicago did not rise until the very early 1980s, when clubs like Oz, O’Banion's and C.O.D started to provide venues for live punk. In a 1999 retrospective about the 1985 music year, Chicago Sun-Times music writer Jim Derogatis termed the heyday of The Effigies "the second generation of Midwestern punks." Although The Effigies were tagged with labels such as post-punk, Hardcore hardcore and, to the extent it is distinguishable, Chicago hardcore, the band's sound was more expansive than the punk subgenres both musically and thematically.
Indie rock icon Steve Albini wrote that "The Effigies were absolutely essential to the development of a healthy punk scene in Chicago. Between them and Naked Raygun, in the early 80s they basically kept the scene going until it developed momentum beyond them."[1] "The Effigies were a moving force during a crucial and exhilarating time."
The history of The Effigies develops in 4 discernible periods, each marked by a different lead guitarist. The original lineup consisted of John Kezdy (vocals), Earl "Oil" Letiecq (guitar), Paul Zamost (bass) and Steve Economou (drums). The first 2 EPs were recorded by noted Chicago sound engineer Timothy Powell and featured a raw but powerful guitar driven sound. 1984's For Ever Grounded found the band moving away from its hardcore roots, and was the last recording to feature Letiecq. Afterwards, Robert O’Connor came on board as lead guitarist and this second lineup released two LPs, Fly on a Wire, and Ink. These albums were engineered and co-produced with the band by Iain Burgess.
After a 1986 breakup Kezdy reunited with Letiecq and added Chris Bjorklund (Strike Under, Bloodsport) (bass) and Joe Haggerty (drums). In 1988, Letiecq departed again to form the band Jack Scratch with Dave Bergeron, formerly of Bloodsport. Bjorklund moved to guitar and Tom Woods became the Effigies' bassist. Coincidentally, Bjorklund, Haggerty, and Woods had comprised the rest of Bloodsport. In 1990, the Effigies called it quits and Kezdy pursued a career as an attorney.[2] [3] [4] The original line up reunited for a one-off show in 1992. They came together again in late 1995 and early 1996 to play a few Chicago shows to celebrate the reissue of their Remains Nonviewable compilation CD on Touch and Go Records.
The Effigies re-formed in 2004, and in 2007 released their first recording in nearly 20 years, a full LP titled Reside, which was a return to their earlier form. The album was produced by Andy Gerber (Local H, Smoking Popes, The Tossers) who had played with Zamost and Economou in the late 80s/early 90s band Laughing Man. The lineup consisted of original members John Kezdy, Paul Zamost, and Steve Economou, and new guitarist Robert McNaughton, who had played with Zamost in the bands The Indicators, The Lemmings, The Greys, 80 Proof Preacher and People Like Us. McNaughton composed music for the film . After releasing a 3 song digital EP in 2009, the band once again called it a day. In 2010 Economou began collaborating with Steve Bjorklund and keyboardist LizB in the band High Value Target. Zamost continued to play in various bands.
In 2022 the Effigies reformed once again with Keith Shigeta on guitar and started writing songs for a new album. They enlisted Andy Gerber to produce, and after Shigeta stepped down Gerber played the remaining guitar parts on the tracks. In August 2023 at the conclusion of recording vocals for 10 songs, John Kezdy was tragically killed in a bicycling accident. The band finished the album Burned, which features John's final lyrics and vocal performances. J. Robbins (Jawbox, Government Issue) was recruited to mix the album as Gerber and the band were still in shock. It was released in October 2024 on BFD Records.
In the summer of 2024 original members Zamost and Economou formed a new lineup, retaining Gerber on guitar and adding singer/guitarist Geoff Sabin, who had assisted on Reside, recording much of John's vocals for that record. They began playing live shows in the fall of 2024, including a string of dates with the Black Crowes. Singer Chris Robinson had seen the band in 1984 in Atlanta and hand picked them to open, giving them a generous 1 hour set.
In November 2024 BFD will release a 40th Anniversary edition of For Ever Grounded, which Gerber re-mixed at his Million Yen Studios in Chicago. The package includes a collage of ephemera from the era (photos, typewritten lyrics, track sheets) as well as a poster featuring the iconic back cover photo (which graces the front of the new release).
The band will play a John Kezdy tribute/record release show in their hometown of Chicago on December 20 2024 at the iconic venue Metro, which they first played in 1980 when it was still called "Stages". 90s punk vets The Bollweevils and up and comers Ganser are on the bill.
The cover of the band's record Haunted Town[5] constitutes the first use of the Chicago flag as a countercultural geo-signifier. Consequently, the flag was adopted as a motif within the nascent Chicago punk scene and later became fashionable outside the milieu of music.[6] [7]
John Kezdy is the older brother of bassist Pierre Kezdy who passed away in 2020 and was best known for playing in Strike Under, Bloodsport, Naked Raygun and Pegboy Pierre Kezdy. The Effigies can be seen in You Weren’t There, a 2007 film about the Chicago punk scene from 1977 through 1984. The Effigies are mentioned several times in the television series Shining Girls.
Kezdy was killed in a crash while riding his bicycle on August 26, 2023. He was 64.