w h y  j o h n n y  k i l l s

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WJK is (clockwise from top left):
CCI on this or that Home-made Bass plus Flute & Drummachine; Kojack on Traps and Perc.;
Prof. N. kra. Ziggurat on SG, Tenor Sax, and SH-101; and Sweet Al Monte on Vocals, Percussion, and Discs.

Members of WJK appear on the netlabel SLAPART on recordings by CCI, Minimum Dwelling Unit, n.kra, and Nicholas K.

The group known as Why Johnny Kills began as a long running collective of personalities. Always together though seperate, yet never lost, they have played shows in various groupings since 1994 or 1995, maybe even earlier, perhaps later. We would know if we had kept better records. The most recent incarnation of the group has solidified around a trio of instrumentalists and the archetype lead singer known only as Sweet Al. Or Cinnamon Cinnamons. Or Timmy Twister Twostepp. The point is I don't remember. We couldn't as we have no memories. There are pictures, rumours even that we played once at the notorious Senseless Beauty long ago with instruments consisting of oil cans, kitchen sinks, trumpets and grins. That would have been nice. I've even heard of a video from the Golden Spur. A time or two at a place on Maple St. which is near that police station over there on Millwood Ave. But we truly don't know, it could have never happened. It could have always happened and still be happening...

PERSONAL STATEMENTS

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CCI travelled around a bit, from here to the UK... Charleston, Chicago, Seattle... making his instruments of sound along the way. Solo work can be found on Myspace and slapart.
-CCI

I am what I am and that's a man.
-Kojack

A computer can be taught to make such sounds as you have never heard but then the torrent of data required to elicit this howl eventually corrupts the machine. I had made much of the recordings that appear on slapart before my shiny titanium G4 died. Although I had never stopped playing guitar, the tragic death of my hardware led me to try and get those same sounds from the computer out of my guitar. After using the instrument in this fashion for awhile, I started playing some scales and chords with it all on the occasion I'd play with a few of the chaps from home.
-Prof. Z

I think it started more recently than I'd like to admit... on the beach perhaps, the pants were off, the voice box was open, the sulphur was illuminating. I'd sang before, but not from "down there." It felt more developed than previous years, less forced. So I did that and they did this or vice versa, until we all met up again in the metal shed, trying not to lose the feeling in our fingers. That's where the magic happened.
-Sweet Al

07/22/2006 10:00 PM - The Art Bar 1211 Park St, Columbia , SC 29201 - WHY JOHNNY KILLS w/ special guests The Stelle Group, How to Vanish & The Bamboons $3

05/18/2006 09:00 PM - Art Bar 1211 Park Street, Columbia, SC 29201 - with Falling Off a Building and Moon Mullins

04/07/2006 11:00 PM - The Hunter Gatherer Main Street, Columbia, SC 29205- Do you remember when pop was a nickel???

03/11/2006 09:00 PM - The Art Bar 1211 Park St, Columbia, SC 29201- $3 St Patty's Day Greenage Fest w/ F13, Gerty, Eden, Heist and the Accomplice

02/20/2006 08:00 PM - New Brookland Tavern State Street, Weco, SC 29201 -

02/11/2006 10:00 PM - the Whig Main Street, Columbia, SC 29201 - FREE That MAGNET gonna polarize, reposition, and now the cops can't find the party.... DANCE, POINT and CATEGORIZE. It'll be fun and free....

01/21/2006 10:00 PM - the MAGNET factory 804 A South Edisto Ave, Columbia, SC 29205 - DANCE DANCE with The Power Star, I'm a Truck, and, guest of honor, SINDOOLAH going late for the beat lovers...

01/14/2006 10:00 PM - The Art Bar 1211 Park St, Columbia, SC 29201 - $3 Live and Alive with: The Noise, The CKG Trio, & Rooster for the Masses.

12/03/2005 09:00 PM - WJK Artspace 804A S.Edisto St., Columbia, SC 29205 - $2 Come out and support our fundraiser. Its sure to be your new favorite dance party and venue..... Why Johnny Kills, The Stelle Group, Tiger in the Grass, Splendid! Splendid! with special guest, Sindoolah.

12/01/2005 05:00 PM - HoFP GALLERY - 2828 DEVINE STREET, COLUMBIA, SC 29205 - FREE A NIGHT OF WHY JOHNNY KILLS CHRISTMAS SPIRIT.....ALCOHOL IN THE STREETS AND MAYBE DAWNDY MERCER WILL BE THERE....WE'LL BE SURE TO RAISE A CHORUS STRAIGHT TO HEAVEN, FOR THE BABY JESUS.

11/05/2005 Columbia, SC Art Bar w/ Sky Pilots & others, a WUSC Fall Fundraiser

10/28/2005 Columbia, SC Hunter-Gatherer

10/13/2005 Columbia, SC The Art Bar w/ Kurse Go Back

09/27/2005 Charleston, SC Cumberlands w/ The Grilled Cheese Incident

08/20/2005 Columbia, SC The Art Bar w/ Apocalypstik & The Void

08/06/2005 West Columbia, SC The New Brookland Tavern w/ Swig & Lower Case Thieves

07/29/2005 Columbia, SC Hunter-Gatherer

06/30/2005 West Columbia, SC The New Brookland Tavern w/ Sleepytime Gorilla Museum & The Noise

06/09/2005 West Columbia, SC The New Brookland Tavern w/ Rallo Johnson

05/27/2005 Asheville, NC Broadway's

05/24/2005 West Columbia, SC The New Brookland Tavern w/ The Audible Campaign

04/07/2005 West Columbia, SC The New Brookland Tavern w/ South Holes and Transylvanian Rats

03/11/2005 Columbia, SC Hunter-Gatherer

02/28/2005 West Columbia, SC The New Brookland Tavern w/ Enemy Love