MilwHC:Bands:PHK
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PHK (aka The Potato Head Kids)
Original Line-up:
- Vocals/Guitar: Pete Prodoehl
- Vocals/Bass: Joe Kawczynski
- Drums: Todd Wachowiak
Second Line-up:
- Vocals: Pete Prodoehl
- Vocals: Joe Kawczynski
- Guitar: Rick Goff?
- Bass: Brad Stezala
- Drums: Todd Wachowiak
Third Line-up:
- Vocals: Pete Prodoehl
- Guitar: Joe Kawczynski
- Guitar: Rick Goff?
- Bass: Brad Stezala
- Drums: Todd Wachowiak
Band History
Pete and Todd hung out together since high-school, and were both attending UWM, not sure of much except they were both punks. They knew Joe from being skaters and going to local shows at the Odd Rock and elsewhere, plus they all lived pretty close to each other. I don't remember whose idea it was to start the band, but I'll claim it was mine. We didn't really have proper instruments. Todd had his brother's guitar (which I plugged into a stereo for practice) and the drums were Joe's I think, which he got from Jim Kaminski who Todd and I went to high-school with (I think it was Drastic Measures?)
So, we sort of had some instruments, didn't really know how to play them, and were able to make a small amount of noise in Todd's basement when his military dad was not home. Punk rock!
We managed to (sort of) write some songs, and (sort of) practice. Todd somehow took up the drums and Joe and I took turns singing and (trying to) play guitar. Brad Stezala from Cleveland Bound Death Sentence found out about us. It probably helped that he was Brad's cousin, lived across the street, and used to skate with us. Brad somehow joined the band on bass, and he recruited Rick Goff (name?) for guitar. I think he just told us he found a guitarist and we had to go pick him up at his house. I don't even think he asked us, he just did it. It dind't matter. It all worked out fine.
Now we had two singers (Pete and Joe) Rick on guitar, Brad on bass, and Todd on drums. We played in Brad's basement and somehow Joe couldn't sing in front of the crowd so Pete sort of took over, stage fright be damned! I think after that Joe switched to guitar and we now had 2 guitarists! I think we played at The Odd Rock with this line-up. The biggest bestest show ever though was on the North Side, not sure whose house it was at, but it was March 11th, 1988 I think (Dan Gatewood's birthday I believe) and that was with the fourth line-up which was missing Rick. I don't think he left the band, I think he just couldn't make it to the show.
Oh, the name Potato Head Kids came from a video we saw at Southridge Mall, it was meant to comment on the fact that nothing can ever be left alone. See, Mr. Potato Head was a well-known and successful toy, but some marketing sweeb thought they could milk more money out of it if they did a 'sequel' as it were, and had Potato Head Kids, so that the company had a way to make more money. I know, it might be a stretch. Some people thought the name sounded like a skinhead band. We weren't. We sort of preferred to use "PHK" anyway. We were seriously pissed off punks with foul language in every song. I was severly wounded when another local band put out a tape and thanked us and put 'total humor' after our name. I mean, yes, it had a humor element, but it was somewhat unintentional... --Pete Prodoehl 19:26, 17 Aug 2005 (PDT)
Songs
- Give a Hoot, Don't Salute
Comments
- I remember seeing a PHK show at Odd Rock. Must've been an afternoon gig or something. Cool kids. --Andrew
- Did anyone know Rick Goff? I think he moved to my hometown in Mariposa CA. The dude was a madman, he lit his skateramp on fire and skated it til it collapsed. He also shot his grandpa's chickens with homemade poisonous darts. Sound like the same Rick? He smoked lucky strikes, non filter.
- Yup, I knew Rick, sort of, I mean, I was in a band with him, and then he moved away and was in the military or something(?) then came back and played in a few Milwaukee area bands. --Pete Prodoehl 15:24, 25 Jan 2007 (PST)
