The Oxymorons – 1989-1994
The Oxymorons crashed together in a drunken heap in the Spring of 1989 when Ben Schelker [Vocals, Guitar](ex-U-Dogs) and his friend Pat Hennigan [Drums] invited their friend from WSU Patric Jones [Vocals, Guitar] (ex-Fleshbats) and his friend Grog (Greg Simerlink) [Bass] over to drink beer and play Replacements and Damned songs. After massacring several songs and drinking several beers they played some songs which Ben wrote. Within an hour the four concluded that they belonged together.
The name the Oxymorons came about from a book Ben was reading at the time. Right after he decided on the name Iggy Pop appeared at WSU and Ben, being a huge Iggy fan, told him about the band. Iggy revealed that he too was reading the same book as Ben and therefore it was taken as a sign of a seal of approval from Iggy himself.
Within a month the Oxymorons started playing shows all around Dayton and released their first 10 song cassette, until their drummer quit 5 months later. Ben and Grog decided to handle the situation the way their musical heroes would have, drink lots of beer and listen to the Replacements, Husker Du, Soul Asylum, the Who and the Damned. Once drunk they ventured over to Patric’s and told him the news. He said “fuck it, lets find a new drummer”. So the adventure continued.
Nick Atkinson joined a few months later and the Oxymorons began playing out all over Ohio and Indiana. During the next several years they played throughout the Mid-West and received airplay on over 80 college radio stations throughout the US, Canada and Europe. They released a second cassette, a four song 7″, an 18 song CD and appeared on over 25 compilation CD’s, 7″s and cassettes.
By 1993 The Oxymorons had logged tens of thousands of miles of road time and opened or headlined with such bands as Fugazi, The Dead Milkmen, Green Day, No Means No,Coffin Break, Big Wheel, Local H, Screeching Weasel, Scrawl and The Toll. Taking the clue that all bands should die before they suck, the Oxymorons went into a coma. Patric formed ColaVision (after being in Planet Ed while the Oxy’s were still together) and Nick and Ben formed Candyass. Grog remained doing his label, zine and other miscellaneous projects.
The Oxymorons reformed for a short while in 1994 to play two shows. Then in 1997 there was talk of doing a few more shows before the tragic death of Ben Schelker. The three remaining members of the Oxymorons! reunited in November 2013 with other local musicians as Artist Playlist to mark the 15 year since Ben’s passing away.
The Oxymorons on YouTube
The Oxymorons on Last.fm
The Oxymorons on Facebook
THE OXYMORONS SELECTED DISCOGRAPHY
MUTANT RENEGADE RECORDS RELEASES
The Oxymorons - The Oxymorons - Cassette – 1989
The Oxymorons - Bash On, Regardless- Cassette – 1990
The Oxymorons - St. Jude - 7″ – 1991
The Oxymorons - Dancing on Billy’s Grave - CD- 1993
The Oxymorons - Skeletons from Our Closet - Cassette – 1994
SOME COMPILATIONS FEATURING THE OXYMORONS
Breathe on the Living - 1989 Nexus Records LP
Pain
(Gregg Spence and Various Poets such as Ira Cohen, Antler, John Wolff, etc.)
Lost At The Crossroads - 1990 Mutant Renegade Records Cassette
Psycho Girl, I Wanna Be A Shaman
(Liquid Draino, The Killjoys, Sunken Girraffe, Toxic Deth, etc.)
Batter Up! - 1991 B.C. Zine Records Cassette
Psycho Girl, I Think Like Toast
(Baked Buddies, Simple Aggression etc.)
T.M.T.I.Y.G. Anti-Defamation League Benefit - 1991 Take Caution Records Cassette
Wreckage, Televise My Nervous Breakdown
(Rats Of Unusual Size, Resist, Face Off, etc.)
Blind Comp - 1991 GN Records Cassette
Wasting My Time, Pleasant Distraction, Psycho Girl
(All You Can Eat, Garden Variety, etc.)
Nose Full Of Snot - 1991 Snotrag Records Cassette
Wreckage, Pleasant Distraction, Televise My Nervous Breakdown
(23 More Minutes, FAQ, Pain, etc.)
Piledriver - 1992 Sub-Mission Records – 7″
Life Goes On
(Sinkhole, Kid with Man Head, FAQ)
Songs about Drinking - 1992 Too Many Records CD
Cheep Beer
(Blanks 77, The Fumes, Strawman, etc.)
Clothesline Compilation - 1992 Clothesline Records Cassette
Day Of Reckoning
(Horace Pinker, Stink, Blitz Babiez, etc.)
Shazam! - 1993 Very Mean Man Records Cassette
Control, Johnette Napolitano/Tried
(The Slobs, Festus, etc.)
1101 East 2nd Street - 1994 Poke-A-Moose Records CD
Seething
(Cage, Walaroo South, Jayne Saches, etc.)
Diversified Chaos - 1994 Motherbox Records CD
Stand Outside
(Horace Pinker, Brom Bones, Sleepasaurus, etc.)
Shreds Volume 5, Early 90′s Underground - 1996 Shredder Records CD
Unearthing Your Grave
(The Fiendz, Strawman, etc.)
Ubu Dance Party – Tribute to Pere Ubu - 1996 Dutch East Records 2CD
Honeymoon
(38 Ohio Bands: Brainiac, Scrawl, RC Mob, New Bomb Turks, Pet UFO, etc.)