Velvet Monkeys

Following the breakup of their Virginia-based band Citizen 23 in 1981, guitarist/vocalist Don Fleming, keyboardist Elaine Barnes, and bassist Stephen Soles moved to Washington, D.C. and formed the Velvet Monkeys. Drummer Jay Spiegel joined soon after. Fleming would remain the group's lone constant member through the next decade of its existence. The group's debut album Everything is Right was issued in 1982 (with cover art by Bob Raiter), followed by Future in 1983 and Rake in 1990. Numerous musicians cycled through the band during its lifetime, including Charles Steck (High Back Chairs), Malcolm Riviera (Grand Mal), Thurston Moore (Sonic Youth), J Mascis (Dinosaur Jr.), Julia Cafritz (Pussy Galore), Stuart Casson (Dove), Rob Kennedy (Chumps) and others.

Drawn from the Sharon Cheslow punk flyers collection, the D.C. punk collection, the D.C. punk and indie fanzine collection, and the Skip Groff papers at the University of Maryland.

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Fliers

REM, Velvet Monkeys, and Chalk Circle concert flier, Washington, D.C., DC Space, July 24, 1981

Velvet Monkeys and R.E.M. (D.C.) concert flier - Columbia Station, Washington, D.C., September 20, 1981

Velvet Monkeys concert flier, d.c. space, Washington, D.C., January 14, 1982

Velvet Monkeys and Chalk Circle concert flier, Washington, D.C., DC Space, February 6, 1982

Government Issue, Minor Threat, and Velvet Monkeys concert flier, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, October 1, 1982

Danceteria event schedule flier, New York City, June 1983

Velvet Monkeys, Nuclear Crayons, Underground Soldier and Man Ray concert flier, Oscar's Eye, Washington, D.C., July 6, 1983

Velvet Monkeys and Bloody Mannequin Orchestra concert flier, C&O, Charlottesville, VA, June 2, 1984

Grand Mal and Velvet Monkeys concert flier, 9:30 Club, Washington, D.C., January 7, 1985

Cereal Killer shows, Arlington, Virginia and Washington, D.C., January 18, 19, and 25, 1985

Fanzines

WDC Period fanzine, Volume 1, Issue 7, January 1985

Greed fanzine, Issue 1, Winter 1986

Velvet Monkeys recording, Inner Ear session rough mixes and WHFS interview, 1981

Velvet Monkeys recording, "Everything is Right" alternate sequence, circa 1981