ENTERTAINMENT

Legendary Misfits to perform in Window Rock

By Shondiin Silversmith
Navajo Times

WINDOW ROCK, May 31, 2012

G

et ready "Fiends" of the Navajo Nation because the "Misfits" are coming to town.

You heard me right. Legendary punk rock band the "Misfits" are playing at the Window Rock Sports Center on June 2.

"We're coming out," said Misfits front man Jerry Only in a phone interview. "I think it's going to be great."

The Misfits are making an appearance at this year's Treaty Day Celebration thanks to the Navajo Nation Fair.

"You (The Navajo Nation) have a strong ethnic background and I'm excited to be coming down," Only said about the Misfits playing on the Navajo Nation. "I'm real proud to be working with you guys."

Navajo Nation Museum Director Manuelito Wheeler said, "We definitely wanted to have a quality rock band come out for our Treaty Day fair. We thought this was a fun and good rock act. It came down to a band that is the right fit for the Navajo Nation."

The Misfits performance is a step to balance country and rock music.

"We're trying to provide entertainment that is a boarder spectrum that is reaching an audience that has been ignored for a long time," Wheeler said. "We look at a band that is going to be cross generational and the Misfits are definitely that."

Wheeler said none of these concerts would be possible without the help of all the departments.

Wheeler said the reaction to the announcement of the Misfits show has been awesome and many people can't believe they're actually coming out.

"People can't believe we're bringing them but that is the same reaction people had about Korn last year," said Wheeler. "We want the crowd to be safe and have fun."

"It's the legendary Misfits," said Delilah Goldtooth, public information officer for the Navajo Nation Museum.

Longtime Misfits fan Anthony Tsosie of Chinle said he's been a fan of the Misfits since the fifth grade when his brother introduced him to a track from their 1985 album "Legacy of Brutality" called "Who Killed Marilyn?"

"I thought it was really cool and I started listening to them on and off from there," Tsosie said.

The main thing Tsosie looks forward to in the upcoming show is the Misfits reaction to their huge fan base on the Navajo Nation.

"I'm pretty excited. I want to see them but I want to see their reaction to all the fans that are going to be there," Tsosie said. "I think they're going to be shocked the first time they see all their fans. I think it's going to be a good show."

The Misfits have been around for over 30 years and their music can relate to the younger and older generations of punk rock.

"We basically set the standard of today, our songs are very 50s oriented. It's not just all thrash and burn, its timeless stuff," Only said.

The Misfits formed in 1977 at the dawn of the punk rock movement. They took their name from the title of Marilyn Monroe's final movie.

"When fans come to a Misfits show, they get a band who gets up there and gives them all they've got," Only stated on their website. "We give them the real thing, that's how we've always done it. At a show, everyone's just part of the band, there's no them and us-we're all us.

"It's really good to go out there and have some fun," Only said. "We keep it family oriented."

Only said they will also bring out a lot of different Misfits merchandise in hopes everyone will be able to take something home.

Opening acts for the Misfits are Ethan 103, Sleep Tastes Pretty and S.O.L.

Tickets for the Misfits show are on sale now at the Navajo Nation Museum and The Juggernaut in Gallup. Pre-sale tickets are $15 and at the door tickets will be $20. Doors open at 6 p.m.

"Get your tickets before they sell out," Wheeler advises.

For chances to win tickets or for more information visit the Navajo Nation Fair Facebook page.