the Sin Embargo & Las Drogas NewsWire

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NOVEMBER 27, 2022:  FUN TIMES AT ZIGGY'S AND A WINTER BREAK
Thanks again to all who came out to Ziggy's to check out Las Drogas, "Virga", and "Tina In The Sand" back on November 11th !  It was a great night for all and there are even some videos floating around on YouTube from the show.   Las Drogas will be taking a few months off over the winter, but should be back out rawking again sometime in the spring of 2023 !  Kyle still has his hands full playing with "Black Jake & the Carnies", and "Mercury Salad", but will also be making his live debut playing upright bass in "the Memphis Thrillbillies" on December 9th !  If anything comes up, please check back here for the latest ! 

NOVEMBER 11, 2022:  LAS DROGAS AT ZIGGY'S TONIGHT !
If you are in the Ypsilanti area and are looking for some good rawking tonight, please be sure to swing by Ziggy's in downtown Ypsilanti to check out Las Drogas, along with "Virga" and "Tina In The Sand" !  The show begins at about 8 PM...
 
NOVEMBER 6, 2022:  30TH ANNIVERSARY OF SIN EMBARGO'S UN-OFFICIAL FIRST LIVE APPEARANCE !
Following in the vein of observing Sin Embargo's 30th anniversary, it was 30 years ago tonight that turned out to be Sin Embargo's unintended first ever public live appearance!  Back on November 6, 1992, Kyle, Eric, and fledgling SE rhythm guitarist Jason Kilburn attended a show at the old Lapeer teen center "Club 42-5" to check out the band "Psycho Cows" and to get a feel for where SE would be debuting the following week (November 13, 1992) when they would be opening for fellow Lapeer band "Beatnik Mecca".  Interestingly, Beatnik Mecca frontman Bryce Burasinski (with whom SE had just jammed with a couple times in the previous month as an inaugural drummer) had also been called in at the last minute to play drums for Psycho Cows since their drummer had quit earlier that week.  Once the Psycho Cows' abbreviated set ended, this left an opening for several other miscellaneous local musicians and/or bands to go up and play a bit to fill time.  With Bryce's drums already set up and Bryce still available to play, Kyle & Eric then asked if they could borrow Psycho Cows' guitars and bass to do an impromptu preview of Sin Embargo's set with Bryce to entertain the group of kids still hanging around.  Although Jason Kilburn declined to participate, Kyle, Eric & Bryce went ahead and bashed out about 7-8 songs/riffs on borrowed (and barely tuned !) instruments, and the kids there that night at Club 42-5 seemed interested in what they were hearing. Crazy to think that this went down three decades ago already ! 
 
OCTOBER 11, 2022:  BELIEVE IT OR NOT - 30 YEARS AGO !
Just in case anyone forgot, Sin Embargo actually turned 30 years old back in August !  Of course, we were all busy doing other stuff and didn't have any big celebratory events, but it was a cool milestone nevertheless (pun semi-intended !)  In the annals of Sin Embargo history, October 11, 1992, holds a big spot as it was the date of the band's first official "rehearsal" with a drummer.  In fact, it was then-"Beatnik Mecca" leader Bryce Burasinski helping out on drums, joining Kyle on guitar/vocals, Eric on bass, and other founding member Justin Pasquale on guitar.  That band practice took place at Bryce's house, which was about a half mile down the road from the old Kipp residence on the western outskirts of Lapeer.  About two weeks after that, Justin quit Sin Embargo to join another local band... ahh, the memories !
 
SEPTEMBER 24, 2022: LAS DROGAS RETURNS TO ZIGGY'S IN NOVEMBER !
It's been in the works for the past few weeks, but Las Drogas will be returning to Ziggy's in Ypsilanti on Friday, November 11th, with the bands "Tina In The Sand" and "Virga".  Be sure to come out to Ziggy's for a rawking night !
 
SEPTEMBER 10, 2022:  HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ERIC !
Happy 48th birthday to bottom-end boomer Eric "Greezy E" Kipp as he becomes further shrouded in grayness !
 
AUGUST 24, 2022:  EDDIEBABY TURNS A HALF-CENTURY OLD !
Although long-time SE drummer Eddiebaby Stark has always looked like he's been in his 50s during most of the last 25+ years that we've known him, today he actually is turning 50, so happy half century birthday to him !
 
AUGUST 10, 2022:  HAPPY 45TH BIRTHDAY TO KYLE !
Fearless leader Kyle "KK Dirty Money" Kipp marks his 45th birthday today... raise up your favorite beverage to celebrate !
 
AUGUST 6, 2022:  HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO BRYAN !
Happy 38th birthday to Las Drogas drummer Bryan King today !
 
AUGUST 1, 2022:  SIN EMBARGO 30TH ANNIVERSARY !
For those who didn't know, it was way back in August 1992 that the founding members of Sin Embargo (Kyle, Eric, and then-guitarist Justin Pasquale) first came together to jam as a newly minted partially-functioning band (they hadn't found a drummer yet) ... although SE has not done much in the past 5 years, it's still cool to think back on how much music has gone down with SE and all the other bands Kyle & Eric have been in over the past 3 decades !
JULY 2, 2022:  LAS DROGAS JUST WRAPPED UP A BUSY JUNE !
Greetings... Las Drogas just wrapped up a busy month of June by playing three gigs:  June 9th at the Blind Pig in Ann Arbor as part of "YpsiArboRoo #10", June 10th at Ziggy's in Ypsilanti, and June 25th at "Mosquito Fest" near Chelsea.  The rest of the summer is looking pretty quiet as Kyle, Bryan, and Eric will be busy with family obligations, traveling, or playing gigs in their other bands.  Please look forward to more Las Drogas activity sometime in the fall !  Stay cool...
 
JUNE 23, 2022:  LAS DROGAS PLAYING "MOSQUITO FEST" THIS SATURDAY !
Hello... Las Drogas has been confirmed to play at "Mosquito Fest" on Saturday, June 25th, along with "Courtney From Work" (Columbus, OH), "Punk Rock 88", "Sonya Lorell" (Chicago), "Mercury Salad", and "Maewa".  Las Drogas will probably be on-stage around 10 PM... hope to see you there !
 
JUNE 6, 2022:  LAS DROGAS ADDED TO "MOSQUITO FEST" LINE UP !
Howdy... it appears that Las Drogas has been added to the line up at "Mosquito Fest" near Chelsea.  The last time Las Drogas played at "Mosquito Fest" was in 2019.  The bill hasn't 100% been locked in, but Las Drogas will either be playing June 24th or June 25th... Stay Tuned !
 
MAY 29, 2022:  LAS DROGAS JUNE APPEARANCES
Hello... in case you missed it, more details about Las Drogas's upcoming gigs at the Blind Pig in Ann Arbor on June 9th and at Ziggy's in Ypsilanti on June 10th have been posted.  A few other shows for later this summer and into the fall are slowly coming together, so keep checking back here for the latest !  Enjoy the long Memorial Day weekend !
 
MAY 14, 2022:  LAS DROGAS IS BACK !
Hello all... Kyle, Bryan & Eric finally got together to blow the rust off of many Las Drogas staples today for the first time since Bryan & Dena became parents in January !  Las Drogas is getting ready for two shows coming up next month:  Thursday, June 9th at the Blind Pig in Ann Arbor as part of the first night of "YpsiArboRoo #10", and Friday, June 10th, at Ziggy's in downtown Ypsilanti.  It'll be great to be back up on stage to play live in front of a crowd once again... hope to see you guys there !
 
JANUARY 30, 2022:  A NEW BABY TO START THE NEW YEAR !
Hello all... belated happy new year !  Congratulations to Bryan & Dena on the birth of their baby daughter "Gloria Judith" last Tuesday, January 25th !  After Bryan & Dena settle into parenthood over the coming weeks, we'll figure out a good time to get Las Drogas back together and rocking again later in the spring.  Till next time, stay toasty and enjoy "hibernating" for the rest of the winter !
 
OCTOBER 31, 2021:  GREAT TIME PLAYING THE ALLEY LAST WEEK !
Hello... last Friday night, Oct 22nd, Las Drogas played a full-power set opening for "Child Sleep" in the alley behind Ziggy's in downtown Ypsilanti.  Thanks to everyone who came out - the alley was pretty full for both bands considering it was a cool autumn evening !  The Ziggy's alley gig will be the last Las Drogas appearance for 2021, as we await the arrival of Bryan & Dena's baby in early 2022 !   If all goes well, Las Drogas will return to Ziggy's (and other places) sometime next spring/summer.  Till next time, Happy Halloween and rest of the fall !
 
OCTOBER 8, 2021:  CADIEUX CAFE SHOW HAS BEEN CANCELED
Hello... unfortunately, due to recent brushes with Covid, Las Drogas has decided to pull out of the indoor November 6th show at the Cadieux Cafe in Detroit.  With any luck, Las Drogas will return to Cadieux Cafe next year for one of their outdoor beer garden shows !  Please be sure to check out Las Drogas live in the alley behind Ziggy's in downtown Ypsilanti on Friday, October 22nd, with "Child Sleep"... rawk on !
 
OCTOBER 4, 2021:  LAS DROGAS (MOSTLY) AT PHEASANT FEST !
On Saturday night, October 2nd, Kyle & Bryan had to perform as the "duo version" of Las Drogas at "Pheasant Fest" in Chelsea because Eric and his family all came down with Covid last week, so he unfortunately had to sit out this gig.  Either way, it was a fun to share the bill with "Scotty Karate & JoJo Buns", "Mavis Hawk/Solphahawk", "The Petty Bitches", and "Uncle Lay Lee's Moonshine Allstars" out at the Hogan.  This show also marked the 3 year anniversary of Bryan's debut performance with Las Drogas (as a duo back then too !)   Eric and his family are all recovering fairly well and he is planning to be back in action at the next Las Drogas gig, currently scheduled for Friday, October 22nd, in the alley behind Ziggy's in downtown Ypsilanti.  See you then !
 
SEPTEMBER 10, 2021:  HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ERIC !
Happy 47th birthday to Las Drogas' & Sin Embargo's bottom-end-dweller, Eric, the "greezy" one !
 
AUGUST 29, 2021:  A REALLY HOT TON-UP SHOW !
Las Drogas had a great time at today's "Ton-Up" motorcycle festival, marking their first full-on public live appearance since January 2020 !  Sharing the stage in roughly 92-degree heat were "the Ruiners", "Midas", and "Otto Parts".  Las Drogas even managed to debut a new tune called "The Job Song", which seemed to be well-received by the crowd.  The next gig for Las Drogas is at "Pheasant Fest" in Chelsea on October 2nd, and then it's back to Ziggy's (or at least the street next to Ziggy's !) on October 22nd... see you then !
 
AUGUST 24, 2021:  HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO EDDIEBABY !
Happy 49th birthday to Sin Embargo's longest-running drummer, Eddiebaby !  He doesn't look a day over 75 !!
 
AUGUST 22, 2021:  UPCOMING LAS DROGAS GIGS
As you may have noticed, Las Drogas is slowly coming back to life and is now booked for a few gigs this fall, as follows:
- Sunday, August 29th - 11th annual "Ton-Up" motorcycle festival at Corner Brewery in Ypsilanti
- Saturday, October 2nd - "Pheasant Fest" in Chelsea
- Friday, October 22nd - Ziggy's in Ypsilanti
- Saturday, November 6th - Cadieux Cafe in Detroit
Please keep checking back here for the latest info on forthcoming Las Drogas gigs as they pop up... Thanks !
AUGUST 13, 2021:  LAS DROGAS OFFSPRING COMING !
Congratulations to Las Drogas drummer Bryan and his lady Dena who announced that they are expecting a baby in early 2022 !
 
AUGUST 10, 2021:  HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO KYLE !
Happy 44th birthday to guitarist/frontman extraordinaire Kyle today !
 
AUGUST 6, 2021:  HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO BRYAN !
Happy 37th birthday to Las Drogas drummer Bryan King today !
JULY 22, 2021:  LAS DROGAS RETURNS TO THE "TON-UP" NEXT MONTH !
Hello, after a quiet spell over the past few months, it was just confirmed today that Las Drogas will be on the bill with 3 other bands for this year's "Ton Up" motorcycle festival at the Corner Brewery in Ypsilanti on August 29th.  Stay tuned for more info !
 
JUNE 26, 2021:  RUST REMOVAL
For the first time in several months, Kyle, Bryan & Eric finally got together today and ran through the Las Drogas song list for a couple hours... a little rusty, but what do you expect ?!?  Potential gigs for later this summer and into the fall are beginning to pop up, so please stay tuned for more info right here ! 
JANUARY 17, 2021:  LAS DROGAS "GROVE SESSIONS" LIVE VIDEO & INTERVIEW AVAILABLE ON YOUTUBE
Hello, as mentioned last week, the Las Drogas interview with Rick Coughlin of Grove Studios premiered on-line the evening of last Sunday, January 10th, appended to live footage from Las Drogas' appearance at Grove Studios' "Equinox Festival" back on Sept 19, 2020.  If you are interested in checking it out, the link to the Las Drogas "Grove Sessions" live video and interview is below:
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztXxeuHngrw
JANUARY 10, 2021:  HAPPY NEW YEAR & GROVE STUDIOS INTERVIEW NOW AVAILABLE !
Hello and Happy New-ish Year to everyone !  Hopefully '21 will be somewhat better than '20, and with any luck Las Drogas will be able to get back out and play live once again...  In the meantime, last weekend (on January 2nd), Las Drogas (Kyle/Bryan/Eric) were finally able to get together and be interviewed by Rick Coughlin at Grove Studios in Ypsilanti.  This afternoon, at 2 PM (EST), this interview will be presented on Grove Studios' Facebook page, interspersed with live footage of Las Drogas from the "Equinox Festival" back on Sept 19, 2020.  Click here to check it out:  https://www.facebook.com/events/746386422978976  Catch you next time !
 
OCTOBER 4, 2020:  QUICK FALL UPDATE
Aside from some scattered band practices and still working to finalize the new studio album (when Kyle has time), Las Drogas doesn't currently have any live appearances scheduled.  Hopefully, venues will be able to reopen some time this winter and things will slowly get back to normal after that... stay tuned right here for the latest !
 
SEPTEMBER 20, 2020:  AWESOME TIME AT GROVE STUDIOS' "EQUINOX FESTIVAL" !!
Las Drogas rocked out for the first time (in public) since January 18th at the Groves Studio "Equinox Festival" last night with 8 other bands/acts.  The weather was a little chilly, but the stage set up, equipment, and personnel were great and the small "socially distanced" live audience appeared to enjoy the set as well.  With any luck, a produced video of Las Drogas's set and an on-line interview with us and Grove Studios will be available in the near future.
 
SEPTEMBER 19, 2020:  GROVE STUDIO'S "EQUINOX FESTIVAL" TONIGHT !
Please be sure to tune into the Grove Studios' Facebook page under their "Events" section to check out the "Equinox Festival" on-line feed... Las Drogas is scheduled to go on around 6:15 PM.  See you there !
 
SEPTEMBER 12, 2020:  SIN EMBARGO CAMPING TRIP
Believe it or not, Kyle, Eric and Eddiebaby Stark ended up hanging out this weekend for a quick camping trip up in the small town of Port Hope, MI, near the tip of "the Thumb"... Although Kyle & Eric still get together with Ed here and there, this was the first extended SE "reunion" with all 3 members in quite some time, and the first SE-related camping trip in about 10 years !  Fun times...
SEPTEMBER 10, 2020:  HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ERIC !
Let's take a minute and wish bass-man Eric "Greezy E" a happy 46th birthday today !
 
SEPTEMBER 6, 2020:  MORE INFO FOR SEPT 19TH LAS DROGAS GIG AT GROVE STUDIOS
Las Drogas will be participating in Grove Studios' on-line "Equinox Party" on Saturday, September 19th, in Ypsilanti, along with 9 other acts, with the whole shindig kicking off at 1 PM.  However, due to ongoing "Covid-19" social distancing restrictions, the festival is broken up into 3 blocks of music:  1:00 - 3:30 PM, 4:30 - 6:45 PM, and 7:45 - 10:00 PM.  Las Drogas is capping off the second block, which means they're scheduled to go on just after 6 PM.  If you want to attend this event in person, tickets to the 3 music blocks are VERY LIMITED due to "Covid-19" restrictions, so please check out the Grove Studios' website (grovestudios.space) or Facebook page for tickets and other info.  Hopefully, you'll log on and check us out or maybe we'll even see you there !
AUGUST 24, 2020:  HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO EDDIEBABY !
Let's take a minute and wish long-time Sin Embargo drummer Ed "Eddiebaby" Stark a happy 48th birthday today ! 
 
AUGUST 11, 2020:  LAS DROGAS LIVE APPEARANCE NEXT MONTH ?!?
It appears that Las Drogas has been scheduled for an intimate gig at Grove Studios in Ypsilanti on September 19th, with some other bands TBD.  Please stay tuned here for further info on Las Drogas' first live appearance since mid-January !
AUGUST 10, 2020:  HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO KYLE !
Let's take a minute and wish a happy 43rd birthday to our fearless Las Drogas (and Sin Embargo) leader Kyle today !
 
AUGUST 6, 2020:  HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO BRYAN !
Let's take a minute and wish a happy 36th birthday to Las Drogas' man behind the skins - Bryan King !
JULY 7, 2020:  MID-SUMMER LAS DROGAS UPDATE
Hello... as you can probably guess, it's still fairly quiet on the live music front with very few (if any) venues open for live music at this time.  Ideally, things will start to open back up again by this fall.  Another potential option being tossed around is that Las Drogas may try to perform a "live in the studio" set at Grove Studios in Ypsilanti in the next couple of months, similar to what Kyle's other band "Mercury Salad" did back in early June.  We'll keep ya posted right here !  Stay cool...
 
JUNE 15, 2020:  JUNE 26TH LAS DROGAS SHOW CANCELED
Sorry for any inconveniences, but Kyle finally found out earlier today that the "Las Drogas" gig scheduled for June 26th at Bowlero in Royal Oak has been canceled because the venue has not been able to reopen due to lingering "Covid-19" concerns.  With any luck, Bowlero will reopen and resume scheduling live bands some time later this year...   As of right now, "Las Drogas" does not currently have any upcoming gigs, but please keep coming back here for the latest & greatest news !
 
APRIL 29, 2020:  MAY 8TH LAS DROGAS SHOW CANCELED
As you may have guessed, since the State of Michigan has extended the "stay-at-home" order through May 15th, Las Drogas's appearance at the Outer Limits Lounge in Hamtramck on May 8th with "Duende" & "Space Skull" has been canceled.  The intent is to reschedule this show for some time this fall, depending on how everyone's schedules pan out.  So, at this point, the next Las Drogas gig is currently scheduled for June 26th at Bowlero in Royal Oak.  Meanwhile, Kyle is still plugging away at getting Las Drogas's new album pulled together for release later this year...  Please be patient and thanks for understanding !
 
APRIL 22, 2020:  25TH ANNIVERSARY OF "UNDERNEATH" !
For those with a good memory, you may recall that 25 years ago tonight was the official Underneath "album release party" held at Flint Local 432 with the bands "Glen Related", "Lapeer County Rockers", and "Tin Kitten" also on the bill.  Read more about Underneath HERE !
 
APRIL 14, 2020:  25TH ANNIVERSARY OF SIN EMBARGO'S LAST GIG AT LAPEER TEEN CENTER
Believe it or not, 25 years ago tonight ended up being Sin Embargo's last live appearance at the old Lapeer teen center, a.k.a. "The Portal", with the Flint band "Elephant Stone" also on the bill.  A little over two weeks later, after a couple more local band shows, The Portal closed down and sadly the "home venue" for Sin Embargo and several other Lapeer-area bands was gone... ahh, memories ! 
MARCH 20, 2020:  LAS DROGAS UPDATE
Hello... as much of a bummer as it was for Las Drogas to cancel the show last Friday, we are hoping to turn this period of "self-quarantine" and "social distancing" into something productive !  Kyle plans on taking advantage of this time off while his work is shut down to complete recording his guitar and vocal parts for the forthcoming Las Drogas album.  The next Las Drogas show that is currently scheduled is on May 8th at the Outer Limits Lounge in Hamtramck... keep checking back here in case anything changes with that.  Till next time, the Las Drogas & Sin Embargo gang...
 
MARCH 13, 2020:  LAS DROGAS SHOW CANCELED TONIGHT !
As much as Las Drogas hates canceling gigs, due to safety concerns over the expanding "Covid-19" outbreak, Las Drogas will not be appearing at the Armageddon Beach Party Lounge in Detroit tonight.  The other bands on the bill may still perform, but that is not 100% confirmed at this time.  Apologies to those who planned on checking out Las Drogas live tonight.  When the coast is clear, Las Drogas will be back out rawking once again !  Thanks, Kyle/Bryan/Eric
 
FEBRUARY 9, 2020:  LAS DROGAS UPDATE
Hello and belated "happy new year" !  Here's a quick update on what's going on with "Las Drogas" (the next closest thing to Sin Embargo)... back on December 30, 2019, Kyle, Bryan and Eric got together and recorded Bryan's drum tracks for 15 songs for the forthcoming "Las Drogas" album that should be out later this spring.  After rocking out at the Blind Pig in Ann Arbor back on January 18th, Kyle & Eric got to work on recording Eric's bass guitar tracks the next day (January 19th).  Eric completed the rest of his bass guitar tracks yesterday (February 8th).  Kyle has also begun recording his guitar parts, and will continue to work on them over the next few weeks when he has time to fit in sessions.  "Las Drogas" is also working on 3-4 new songs (covers and originals) to add to their next live shows.  Speaking of which, some new gigs are popping up for the spring:  March 13th at Armageddon Beachparty in Detroit, May 8th at Outer Limits Lounge in Hamtramck, and June 26th at Bowlero in Royal Oak.  Keep checking back right here for more updates !  Till next time, the Las Drogas & Sin Embargo crew...
DECEMBER 22, 2019:  QUICK YEAR-END UPDATE
Even though Sin Embargo was dormant in 2019, "Las Drogas" (the next closest thing to Sin Embargo) played 18 gigs around Ypsilanti, Ann Arbor, the Detroit area, and the Flint area this year.  After tearing it up at Ziggy's in Ypsilanti on Dec 7th with "Otto Parts" and "Lawn Care", Las Drogas is setting its sights on the big gig at the Blind Pig in Ann Arbor on January 18th, with "Electric Huldra", "Strange Flavors", and "Edison Hollow".  And, as mentioned previously, recording sessions for the next Las Drogas album are actually scheduled for next week, so stay tuned right here for the latest on that.  That's all for now... Happy Holidays & New Year from the Sin Embargo & Las Drogas crew !
 
DECEMBER 1, 2019:  HEADING INTO THE '20s !
Hello all...  "Las Drogas" (a.k.a. 2/3 of Sin Embargo) had a fairly productive 2019 and is looking forward to keeping things going in 2020 !  After rocking out at Cadieux Cafe in Detroit last Friday (Nov 22nd) with "Glasshouse" & "RipShark", Las Drogas returns to Ziggy's in Ypsilanti this Saturday, Dec 7th, with "Otto Parts" & "Lawncare".   Then, on Saturday, Jan 18th, 2020, Las Drogas hits the Blind Pig in Ann Arbor with "Electric Huldra", "Strange Flavors", and "Edison Hollow" !  In other news, Kyle & Bryan are looking to start some recording sessions for a new Las Drogas album in the coming weeks, with Eric adding bass tracks later on.  At this time, the track listing is not finalized, but the intent is to record updated versions of existing Las Drogas songs featuring the current lineup, and then add a few new songs.  Stay tuned right here for the latest and greatest !  Till next time, Happy Holidays and Happy New Year from the Sin Embargo & Las Drogas crew...
 
SEPTEMBER 29, 2019:  UPDATED "LAS DROGAS" SCHEDULE
Hello... if you are interested in seeing 2/3 of Sin Embargo live this fall, please feel free and check out the updated "Las Drogas" fall schedule:
 - Saturday, October 12th - West Cross Hard Cider Fest - Ypsilanti, MI
 - Friday, November 22nd - Cadieux Cafe - Detroit, MI
 - Saturday, December 7th - Ziggy's - Ypsilanti, MI
Hope to see you there !
Till next time, the SE crew...
 
SEPTEMBER 10, 2019:  HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ERIC !
Happy birthday to Eric as he turns 45 today !
 
SEPTEMBER 1, 2019:  "LAS DROGAS" APPEARANCES THIS FALL
Hello... if you are interested in seeing 2/3 of Sin Embargo live this fall, please feel free to check out "Las Drogas" live at the following gigs:
  - Friday, September 20th - Ziggy's - Ypsilanti, MI
  - Friday, November 22nd - Cadieux Cafe - Detroit, MI
Till next time, the SE crew...
AUGUST 24, 2019:  FELIZ CUMPLEANOS EDDIEBABY !
Happy 47th birthday to Eddiebaby... he doesn't look a day over 70 !
 
AUGUST 12, 2019:  MORE "LAS DROGAS" ACTION TO ROUND OUT THE SUMMER !
Greetings... this summer has been pretty busy for 2/3 of Sin Embargo... Kyle & Eric have played several gigs with "Las Drogas" over the past couple months, and there are still a few more chances to check out the "next closest thing to Sin Embargo" before the summer is over.  No worries about Eddiebaby... he popped by the Spider Trap in Clio back on July 27th for the "Beer Drinkers & Hell Raisers" festival, so we got to hang out with him for the rest of the day.  The next few gigs for "Las Drogas" are as follows:
 
  - Saturday, August 24th - Lo-Fi Bar - Ann Arbor, MI
  - Sunday, August 25th - "DIYpsi" art fair at the Corner Brewery - Ypsilanti, MI
  - Friday, September 20th - Ziggy's - Ypsilanti, MI
 
For additional details on upcoming "Las Drogas" gigs, please click here !   Hope to see you there !!
Till next time, the SE crew...
 
AUGUST 10, 2019:  HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO KYLE !
Happy birthday to Kyle as he turns 42 today !
 
MAY 12, 2019:  "LAS DROGAS" APPEARING IN BURTON NEXT SATURDAY
Hello... "Las Drogas" (the next closest thing to Sin Embargo) is scheduled to perform this Saturday, May 18th, at the "Sins of Steel: Shakedown & Lowbrow Shitshow" at Red Line Brewery in Burton, along with "the Slot Rods", "Dee Rocker & the Hellrazors", "the Hi-Views", and "Rabbit Ain't Lucky".  "Las Drogas" is scheduled to go on around 3 PM, and in order to "sweeten the deal", any Sin Embargo fans who come out on Saturday can pick up free SE bumper stickers and receive 1 free copy of the "Super Fugue" CD !  Hope to see you there !!
 
APRIL 30, 2019:  KYLE & ERIC BUSY WITH "LAS DROGAS" THIS SUMMER
Happy Spring !  Although Kyle, Eric & Eddiebaby hung out together for a few hours back on March 17th for Eric's daughter's birthday, Sin Embargo is still currently on hiatus.  However, Kyle & Eric have a busy summer coming up with "Las Drogas" (the next closest thing to Sin Embargo).  Below is a summary of currently scheduled "Las Drogas" gigs through August:
 
  - Saturday, May 4th - Black Fire Winery - Tecumseh, MI
  - Saturday, May 18th - Red Line Brewery - Burton, MI
  - Saturday, June 1st - "Sins of Steel" classic car show at the Oakland County 4H Fairgrounds - Davisburg, MI
  - Thursday, June 20th - "Fuzz Fest 6" at the Blind Pig - Ann Arbor, MI
  - Saturday, June 22nd - "Mosquito Fest" - Chelsea, MI
  - Thursday, July 25th - Ziggy's - Ypsilanti, MI
  - Saturday, July 27th - "Beer Drinkers & Hell Raisers" Festival at the Spider Trap - Clio, MI
  - Sunday, August 11th - "The Ton-Up" Festival - Ypsilanti, MI
 
For additional details on upcoming "Las Drogas" gigs, please click here !  Till next time, the SE crew...
FEBRUARY 9, 2019:  "LAS DROGAS" LIVE IN HAZEL PARK IN 2 WEEKS !
"Las Drogas" (the next closest thing to Sin Embargo) is scheduled to play live at Cellarmen's in Hazel Park, opening for the bands "Cindy Lou & the Red Hot Royals" and "the Hi-Views"!  The "Las Drogas" set list is expanding each time they play, so please come on by to see what you're missing.  Till next time...
 
JANUARY 27, 2019:  "LAS DROGAS" LIVE IN DETROIT LAST NIGHT
"Las Drogas" (the next closest thing to Sin Embargo) braved the cold and snowy weather and played a 12 song set at the Cadieux Cafe in Detroit, opening for the bands "RipShark" and "Slow Curve".  The crowd was great and the set list included a blend of old "Las Drogas" originals, Sin Embargo/Dirty Money/77's/ and solo KK Dirty Money tunes, along with a few covers.  The next "Las Drogas" gig is scheduled for February 23rd at Cellarmen's in Hazel Park, MI, so please check it out !
 
JANUARY 1, 2019:  HAPPY NEW YEAR !
Hello and Happy New Year from the SE crew !  While 2018 was quiet on the Sin Embargo front, "Las Drogas" (the next closest thing to SE) is gearing up for more action.  Be sure to check them out later this month on January 26th as they play at Cadieux Cafe in Detroit !   Stay toasty... SE.
 
DECEMBER 8, 2018:  "LAS DROGAS" LIVE IN YPSI LAST NIGHT
"Las Drogas" (the next closest thing to Sin Embargo), featuring Kyle on guitar/vocals, drummer Bryan King, and the live debut of Eric on bass guitar, rawked out at the Tap Room in downtown Ypsilanti last night with the bands "Mercury Salad Sandwich" and "the Daynights".  In addition to a couple of old "Las Drogas" originals, set list also included a mixture of Sin Embargo, Dirty Money, 77s, and solo KK Dirty Money songs, plus a few covers.  Be sure to keep an eye out for additional "Las Drogas" gigs coming up in 2019 !  Till next time, SE...
NOVEMBER 25, 2018:  RE-INTRODUCING "LAS DROGAS", THE NEXT CLOSEST THING TO SIN EMBARGO !
Howdy... as mentioned in the last update, Kyle resurrected his other band "Las Drogas" back in September with new drummer Bryan King.  In early October, Kyle recruited none other than his brother Eric to be the new "Las Drogas" bass player since Sin Embargo is currently on an indefinite hiatus.  Although "Las Drogas" has been around in some form or another since 2003 (and Eric has played bass with them on and off before in 2004-2005 & 2011), the new lineup is now basically the next closest thing to Sin Embargo !  So now you can catch Kyle & Eric (plus new drummer Bryan) in "Las Drogas" at upcoming live gigs (see "Upcoming Gigs" page).  Till next time, SE...
 
OCTOBER 7, 2018:  QUICK UPDATE
Hello... just a quick update to mention that Kyle has re-activated his band "Las Drogas" and is lining up more gigs with them in the very near future.  Be sure to also check out Kyle playing live with the bands "Black Jake & the Carnies" (guitar), "the Gruesome Twosome" (drums), and "Mercury Salad Sandwich" (drums).   And, if you have time, please feel free to peruse Kyle's YouTube channel (Kyle Kipp) for an ever-increasing archive of live videos from Sin Embargo and most of the other bands he's been involved in over the past several years !   Till next time, SE...
 
SEPTEMBER 10, 2018:  ERIC'S BIRTHDAY
Happy birthday to Eric as he turns 44 today !
 
AUGUST 24, 2018:  ED'S BIRTHDAY
Happy birthday to Eddiebaby as he turns 46 today !
 
AUGUST 10, 2018:  KYLE'S BIRTHDAY
Happy birthday to Kyle as he turns 41 today !
 
MARCH 1, 2018:  OLD SIN EMBARGO VIDEOS NOW AVAILABLE ON YOUTUBE !
Hello and belated happy new year !  In case you missed it, Kyle has been hard at work digitizing old live VHS recordings of SE gigs and uploading them to his channel on YouTube over the past few weeks.  If you are interested in going into the "way-back machine" and checking out the videos, just right-click on the links below to open them in a new tab:
 
- Dec 4, 1998 - "Live from Studio A" CMU radio show on WMHW 91.5 FM - Mt Pleasant, MI
- Nov 7, 1998 - 5 Minute Majors - Detroit, MI
- Oct 25, 1998 - New Moon Records - Mt Pleasant, MI
- Oct 24, 1998 - ICE Arena - Mt Pleasant, MI
- Jan 18, 1997 - Olde Jamestown Hall - Saginaw, MI
- Jan 13, 1995 - The Portal - Lapeer, MI
- Nov 4, 1994 - The Portal - Lapeer, MI
- Aug 6, 1993 - Club 42-5 - Lapeer, MI
NOVEMBER 13, 2017:  25TH ANNIVERSARY OF FIRST OFFICIAL LIVE APPEARANCE
Believe it or not, 25 years ago tonight, Sin Embargo played their first official live gig at the old "Club 42-5" teen center in Lapeer, opening for fellow Lapeer band "Beatnik Mecca".   For those who may recall, our band line up was sort of in-flux at the time, but joining Kyle and Eric was Beatnik Mecca front man Bryce Burasinski on drums, and newly added rhythm guitarist Jason Kilburn, who played on about half of the set.  Unfortunately (or fortunately ?!), the gig was not recorded, and as far as we know, no one took any photos of us playing.  From Eric's archives, the songs played for SE's first "official" gig were as follows: 
    
     - Paranoid (Black Sabbath)
     - Are We Dead Yet? (Sin Embargo) - shortened version
     - Chuck's Adventure (In The Woods) (Sin Embargo)
     - Mistress Morbosa (Sin Embargo)
     - Moby Dick (Led Zeppelin) - shortened version
     - Pipeline (the Ventures)
     - Fat Man Belching (Sin Embargo)
     - N.I.B. (Black Sabbath) - shortened instrumental version
     - Goes Down/Killing Babies (Sin Embargo)
     - Sweet Leaf (Black Sabbath) - shortened instrumental version
     - Born To Be Wild (Steppenwolf)
     - Living Loving Maid (Led Zeppelin) - Beatnik Mecca drummer Rob Keast guested on drums
     - Dazed & Confused (Led Zeppelin) - shortened version with Beatnik Mecca guitarist Mike Boyd singing part of it
NOVEMBER 6, 2017:  25TH ANNIVERSARY OF UN-OFFICIAL FIRST LIVE APPEARANCE
From the way-back, 25 years ago tonight turned out to be Sin Embargo's unintended first ever public live appearance.  That night (Nov 6, 1992), Kyle, Eric, and fledgling SE rhythm guitarist Jason Kilburn attended a show at the old Lapeer teen center "Club 42-5" to check out the band "Psycho Cows" and to get a feel for where SE would be debuting the following week (Nov 13, 1992) when they would be opening for fellow Lapeer band "Beatnik Mecca".  Interestingly, Beatnik Mecca front man Bryce Burasinski (whom SE had just jammed with a couple times before as an inaugural drummer) had also been called in at the last minute to play drums for Psycho Cows since their drummer had quit earlier that week.  Once the Psycho Cows' abbreviated set ended, this left an opening for several other miscellaneous local musicians and/or bands to go up and play a bit to fill time.  With Bryce's drums already set up and Bryce still available to play, Kyle & Eric then asked if they could borrow Psycho Cows' guitars and bass to do an impromptu preview of Sin Embargo's set with Bryce on drums for the group of kids still hanging around.  Although Jason Kilburn declined to participate, Kyle, Eric & Bryce went ahead and bashed out about 7-8 songs/riffs on borrowed (and barely tuned !) instruments, and the kids there that night at Club 42-5 seemed interested in what they were hearing. Fun times from the misty past... 
OCTOBER 15, 2017:  HAS IT REALLY BEEN A QUARTER CENTURY ALREADY ?
Hello everyone... it's been a couple months since the last update, but in case anyone remembers, Sin Embargo actually turned 25 years old earlier this summer.  Granted, we didn't have any grand celebrations (unless you count playing at "Mosquito Fest" LOL), but later this fall will mark the 25th anniversary of Sin Embargo's first few live performances in Lapeer.  With any luck, we can get some 25-year memories or something posted either here or on our Facebook page over the coming weeks...  In fact, just a few days ago marked the 25th anniversary of Sin Embargo's first official full-band "rehearsal" back on October 11, 1992, which included Kyle on guitar/vocals, Eric on bass, Justin Pasquale on guitar, and then-"Beatnik Mecca" leader Bryce Burasinski helping us out on drums.  That band practice took place at Bryce's house, which was just down the road from the Kipp residence in Lapeer.  About two weeks after that, Justin quit Sin Embargo and joined another local band.  My how a quarter century flies by !  Till next time, Kyle/Eric/Eddiebaby
 
SEPTEMBER 10, 2017:  HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ERIC !
Happy birthday to our bass-man Eric as he turns 43 today !
 
AUGUST 24, 2017:  HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO EDDIEBABY !
Happy birthday to one Edward Stark, who turns 45 today !
AUGUST 19, 2017: QUICK SET IN ROYAL OAK
Earlier today, Sin Embargo convened in Royal Oak at the retirement shindig for Eric & Kyle's mom's cousin Mark and jammed out a quick 30-minute set that included the following songs:
- Pipeline (the Ventures)
- Back & Sides (Las Drogas/Johnny Shines)
- Blister In The Sun (Violent Femmes)
- King of the Road (Roger Miller)
- Inconstant Baby (Lapeer County Rockers)
- Surf-O-Rama in A minor (Dirty Money)
- Ring of Fire (Johnny Cash)
 
Congratulations to Mark on wrapping up a 44-year career working at GM !
 
AUGUST 10, 2017:  KYLE TURNS 40 !!
Happy birthday to our fearless leader as he hits the big 4-0 !!  Kyle, Eric, Eddiebaby, and several of Kyle's friends & family spent the evening carousing around Ypsilanti till the wee hours... fun times indeed.
 
JULY 29, 2017:  REMINDER - TONIGHT'S GIG CANCELED
Just a reminder that tonight's SE gig at Gothic Chapel Hall in Lapeer was canceled, so please get out and enjoy the nice summer night somewhere else !
 
JULY 15, 2017:  LAPEER GIG CANCELED
D'oh !  Just found out today that the Sin Embargo gig scheduled for July 29th at the Gothic Chapel Hall in Lapeer has been canceled.  Still haven't been able to find out all the details about the cancelation other than it is not happening, but hopefully SE will be able to get back to their home town some time soon.   Stay tuned right here for any further info on upcoming shows !
 
JULY 3, 2017:  MOSQUITO FEST ROCKED
Sin Embargo had a great time playing at "Mosquito Fest" in Chelsea, MI on Saturday night... the hosts and the crowd were fabulous !  SE's set started at about 9:30 PM and included the following songs:
 
- Like A California Plastic (Dirty Money)
- Back & Sides (Las Drogas/Johnny Shines)
- Blister In The Sun (Violent Femmes)
- Surf-O-Rama in A minor (Dirty Money)
- Pipeline (the Ventures)
- King of the Road (Roger Miller)
- Afro (Jon Spencer Blues Explosion)
- Mama Tried (Merle Haggard)
- Inconstant Baby (Lapeer County Rockers)
- Folsom Prison Blues (Johnny Cash)
- I Wanna Be Sedated (the Ramones)
- School (Nirvana)

There were a couple of other tunes on the set list, but they couldn't be played due to time constraints.  Coincidentally, Chelsea was having their July 4th fireworks display off in the distance during SE's set, which was a nice touch LOL.   The next scheduled gig is back in Lapeer on July 29th... see you then !

JUNE 30, 2017:  MOSQUITO FEST TOMORROW NIGHT !
Sin Embargo is back in action and will be on-stage for the first time in over a year by making their debut at "Mosquito Fest" in Chelsea, MI tomorrow night !  SE should be going on around 9 PM.  Other bands on the bill include "Lilly Webb", "Ann Dahl", "Solphahawk", "Scotty Karate", "Cash Is King", "Sonya Lorelle", "Gruesome Twosome" (one of Kyle's other bands), "Frank Allison", "Wild Savages", and "Electric Blanket"... come check it out !
 
JUNE 9, 2017:  SAD NEWS...
Yesterday morning, long-time Sin Embargo associate Rob Newman was hit by a car as he was walking across M-24 in Lapeer.  After being hospitalized for several hours, we heard that Rob passed away early this morning, at the age of 54.  Kyle & Eric first met Rob in early 1994 when he started helping out at The Portal teen center in Lapeer as an adult chaperone, and became fast friends after that.  Rob was a big fan of Sin Embargo and came out to many of our gigs over the years, and promoted us around the area.  In July 1994, Rob got us into (in other words, paid for) studio time at Duck Ankles recording studio in Almont, MI to record our second album Underneath, which was recorded and mixed on and off during the summer and fall of '94 before finally being completed in February 1995.   Over the years, Rob went on many adventures with Kyle (and occasionally Eric) such as concerts, bonfires, camping, canoe/boating trips, etc.  Later on, he was very helpful with assisting Kyle & Eric's parents as they declined in their health from 2012-2014.  Rob also had SE as one of the bands who performed at his daughter Emily's graduation party in June 2014.  Rob's brand of kindness, humor, and wackiness will certainly be missed...  Our thoughts go out to Rob's wife Becky, their daughter Emily, and the rest of their family.   R.I.P. Rob :-(
 
JUNE 7, 2017:  SIN EMBARGO TO PLAY "MOSQUITO FEST" IN CHELSEA
Just got confirmation that SE will be debuting at "Mosquito Fest" in Chelsea, Michigan, on Saturday, July 1st !  More details of the show will be posted once they are known, but there will be several bands performing overall.  See you there !
 
JUNE 1, 2017:  SIN EMBARGO SCHEDULED TO RETURN TO LAPEER IN JULY
Although it's been nearly a year since SE's last live appearance, we are happy to announce that we'll be returning to our home town in late July !  Sin Embargo will be joining fellow Lapeer area bands "Four Walls" and "Dead Giveaway" for a show at Gothic Chapel Hall in Lapeer on Saturday, July 29th !  More details of the show will be posted once they are known.  This will basically serve as a 25th anniversary gig for SE, so we'll try to break out a couple of "classics" (if we can re-learn them in time).  See you there !
 
APRIL 30, 2017:  GETTING BACK IN ACTION
After several months off, Kyle, Eric & Eddiebaby got back to action yesterday by having a full-on band practice and warm up, including dragging out a few songs that haven't been played in a while.  If everything goes right, there will be at least two or three live SE appearances over this summer where we can observe our 25th anniversary !  Stay tuned ;o
MARCH 12, 2017:  POSSIBLE SUMMER SHOWS ?
The underbelly is beginning to rumble and there's ideas being tossed around for a potential Sin Embargo gig or two popping up this summer.  Of course, dates, venues, and other bands on the bills are nowhere near finalized, so keep checking back right here for the latest as things may develop !
 
JANUARY 1, 2017:  HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM SIN EMBARGO
As SE enters it's 25th year of existence, we wish everyone a Happy New Year !  While no specific "25th Anniversary" activities are currently planned, we may attempt to get something together later this year... stay tuned !
 
SEPTEMBER 10, 2016:  HAPPY BIRTHDAY ERIC !
Happy 42nd birthday to "Greezy E" on the bass !
 
AUGUST 24, 2016:  HAPPY BIRTHDAY EDDIEBABY !
Fresh off getting married, and while enjoying his honeymoon in Mexico, Eddiebaby turns 44 today !
 
AUGUST 21, 2016:  CONGRATS TO EDDIEBABY & LANEY !
Eddiebaby got hitched to Ann-Marie (a.k.a. "Laney") today !  They will be spending 1 week in Mexico for their honeymoon...  Congratulations Ed & Laney !
 
AUGUST 10, 2016:  HAPPY BIRTHDAY KYLE !!
Our fearless leader turns 39 today !
 
JUNE 26, 2016:  DIGGING THROUGH THE ARCHIVES
Howdy... after a busy month of May (and early June), the next several weeks will be fairly quiet in SE-land.   Newly married Kyle is busy playing gigs with "Black Jake & the Carnies", "Gruesome Twosome", and "Las Drogas", as well as traveling, etc.  Eddiebaby is getting ready for his upcoming wedding on August 21st.  Eric is plugging away and traveling as well.  However, to tide people over, we have unearthed several old SE photos and will be scanning them and uploading them over the coming weeks and putting some of them on the "photo gallery" of this website, and some of them on the Facebook page as a "Throwback Thursday" or "Flashback Friday" type thing.    Stay cool and enjoy the summer !
 
JUNE 4, 2016:  FUN TIMES IN YPSI CONTINUED
Sin Embargo had a great time filling in for Kyle's other band "Las Drogas" at the Tap Room in Ypsilanti last night !  Also, thanks to "the Parsnips", "Mercury Salad Sandwich", "Gruesome Twosome", and "Old Man" for sharing the stage with us (and letting us borrow their drums !)  Some photos of the show are located in the "photo gallery" section of this website, as well as the SE Facebook page.   The set list was as follows:
 
- Surf-O-Rama in A minor (Dirty Money)
- Back & Sides (Las Drogas/Johnny Shines)
- Some Day (Sin Embargo)
- Afro (Jon Spencer Blues Explosion)
- Mama Tried (Merle Haggard)
- I Wanna Be Sedated (the Ramones)
- School (Nirvana)
 
JUNE 2, 2016:  BACK IN YPSILANTI TOMORROW !
Just a quick reminder that SE will be back in Ypsi tomorrow night at the Tap Room (filling in for Kyle's other band "Las Drogas") as part of the "YpsiArboroo & First Fridays Ypsi Afterparty".  Other bands on the bill include:  "Old Man", "Gruesome Twosome", " the Parsnips", and "Mercury Salad Sandwich".  SE will be going on about 10 PM !
 
MAY 31, 2016: SIN EMBARGO THE WEDDING BAND
Sin Embargo, along with a few of Kyle's other recent bands, were in "wedding band" mode on Sunday night, May 29th, at Kyle & Catherine's wedding reception at Bona Sera Cafe in downtown Ypsilanti, after their brief wedding ceremony (officiated by none other than "Devil Elvis" a.k.a. "Chops" himself !) at a nearby park gazebo.  Sin Embargo played the Johnny Cash classic "Ring of Fire" and the Ventures' "Pipeline" before short sets by "Las Drogas", "the Devil Elvis Show", "Black Jake & the Carnies", and Scotty Karate.  Congratulations to Kyle & Catherine !!
MAY 19, 2016:  BACK TO YPSILANTI
Just a heads up that Sin Embargo will be filling in for Kyle's other band "Las Drogas" at The Tap Room in downtown Ypsilanti on Friday, June 3rd, as part of the "YpsiArboroo & First Fridays Ypsi Afterparty"!  Other bands on the bill that night include:  "Old Man", "Gruesome Twosome", "The Parsnips", and "Mercury Salad Sandwich".   This will be Kyle's first gig as a newly married man, since he's scheduled to get hitched on May 29th !  Congratulations to Kyle & Catherine !!
 
MAY 15, 2016:  METAMORA STILL ROCKS !
Sin Embargo had a great time performing at Cascaddan's Lounge in Metamora, MI with "Thrown to the Wolf", "Four Walls", Brent Wheeler & Mike Leslie (Candlebox), Sam Bufford, and Juanita (Smith) Williams last night, as part of the "Portal Revisited" Lapeer teen center reunion show !!  Unfortunately, LB Deverell had to cancel due to illness, but the rest of the bands filled in the time just fine.  Thanks to the guys in "Thrown to the Wolf" for letting us borrow their amps & drums !  It was great to see many long-time friends and neighbors who came out to see SE, as well as several of the old "Portal kids" !   A couple of fights even broke out towards the end of SE's set LOL.  Photos will be added to the website soon.  The set list was as follows:
 
- Like A California Plastic (Dirty Money)
- Surf-O-Rama in A minor (Dirty Money)
- Back & Sides (Las Drogas/Johnny Shines)
- Blister in the Sun (Violent Femmes)
- Pipeline (the Ventures)
- King of the Road (Roger Miller)
- Some Day (Sin Embargo)
- Afro (Jon Spencer Blues Explosion)
- Mama Tried (Merle Haggard)
- Inconstant Baby (Lapeer County Rockers)
- Folsom Prison Blues (Johnny Cash)
- I Wanna Be Sedated (the Ramones)
- School (Nirvana)
NOTE:  "Power Me" was planned to be the last song, but it was dropped due to time constraints
MAY 12, 2016:  NICE ARTICLE IN "THE COUNTY PRESS" !
There was a nice article written by Krystal Johns on page 9A of the May 11th edition of Lapeer's "County Press" newspaper about the Lapeer teen center reunion show that Sin Embargo is performing at this Saturday (along with "Thrown to the Wolf", "Four Walls", Brent Wheeler, LB Deverell, Sam Bufford, and Juanita (Smith) Williams).  They actually used a few quotes from both Kyle & Eric about how the old "Portal" teen center in Lapeer helped get Sin Embargo off and running back in the 1992-1995 time frame.  A similar article is supposed to run in today's issue of Lapeer's other newspaper, "LA View" !
MAY 8, 2016:  YPSI AFTERMATH
Sin Embargo had fun filling in for Kyle's other band "Las Drogas" at Crossroads Bar in Ypsilanti last night.  It was SE's first public appearance in nearly one-and-a-half years !  The small-but-enthusiastic crowd got treated to a couple songs that weren't played live the previous time SE played at Crossroads in January 2015, namely "Pipeline" by the Ventures, and "School" by Nirvana.  The set list was as follows:
 
- Like A California Plastic (Dirty Money)
- Surf-O-Rama in A minor (Dirty Money)
-  Back & Sides (Las Drogas/Johnny Shines)
- Pipeline (the Ventures)
- King of the Road (Roger Miller)
- Some Day (Sin Embargo)
- Afro (Jon Spencer Blues Explosion)
- Mama Tried (Merle Haggard)
- Inconstant Baby (Lapeer County Rockers)
- School (Nirvana)
MAY 4, 2016:  SHOW UPDATES & 1 MORE DATE ADDED IN JUNE !
Hello, and May the 4th be with you... Sin Embargo has a busy few weeks coming up - quite possibly the most active the band has been in several years !  Last weekend, Kyle, Eric & Eddiebaby got together to blow off the rust and work up a set list for this Saturday's gig at Crossroads Bar in Ypsilanti with "Ghost City Searchlight", "Flatfoot", and "BUFFAY".  
 
SE is also working towards a nice little set list for the upcoming Lapeer teen center reunion show at Cascaddan Lounge in Metamora on May 14th.  With any luck, it will work out to be a good cross-section of old and new originals and covers for everyone to enjoy !  The other bands & acts on the May 14th show include "Four Walls", "Thrown To The Wolf", LB Deverell, Brent Wheeler, Sam Bufford, and Juanita Smith. 
 
Lastly, Sin Embargo has just been added to fill in for Kyle's other band "Las Drogas" at the Tap Room in Ypsilanti on Friday, June 3rd.  The other bands on that bill will be finalized soon, so stay tuned right here !
APRIL 13, 2016:  NOW THERE ARE TWO SIN EMBARGO GIGS COMING UP IN MAY
Howdy... in addition to our appearance on May 14th at Cascaddan Lounge in Metamora for the Lapeer teen center reunion show, SE has now been added to the May 7th bill at Crossroads Bar in Ypsilanti.  The last time SE played at Crossroads was back in January 2015 and a fun time it was - come on down to Ypsi and check it out !!  
 
FEBRUARY 14, 2016:  LAPEER GIG FINALIZED
Greetings... as mentioned before, a new push for a Lapeer teen center reunion show has been in the works for the past few weeks.  Last week, a date and venue was finally settled upon:  Saturday, May 14th, at Cascaddan Lounge in Metamora, MI.  At this time, Sin Embargo & Four Walls are the main bands that are confirmed, but several other bands and solo acts are also going to be announced soon.  So, for the next 3 months, Kyle, Eric & Eddiebaby are going to have to focus in on a set list and try to dredge up a couple of surprises from the wayback and see what happens...  Happy VD !
 
JANUARY 24, 2016:  HELLO AGAIN...
Happy new year and thanks for stopping by... there are a few updates throughout the SE website as well as several newer photos that have been added.  There is yet another round of chatter regarding another attempt at a Lapeer teen center reunion show happening some time later this spring that would involve Sin Embargo and the other bands (or parts of bands) from the old Lapeer teen center days.  The date and location are still being determined, but as soon as something is figured out, it will be posted here and on the SE Facebook page.  It's sort of hard to believe that the last teen center reunion show happened just over 3 years ago already, back on January 12, 2013, at Flint Local 432...
 
SEPTEMBER 20, 2015:  CHANGES FOR KYLE
After being the guitarist in "the Devil Elvis Show" for the past 7 years, Kyle has decided to leave that group and is planning to join another established Ypsilanti-based band named " Black Jake & the Carnies " in the coming weeks.  So, keep an eye out for Kyle on guitar with " Black Jake & the Carnies " !
 
SEPTEMBER 10, 2015:  HAPPY BIRTHDAY ERIC !
Happy 41st birthday to "Greezy E" on the bass !
 
AUGUST 24, 2015:  HAPPY BIRTHDAY EDDIEBABY !
Happy 43rd birthday to drummer Ed "Eddiebaby" Stark... he doesn't look a day over 60 !
 
AUGUST 10, 2015:  HAPPY BIRTHDAY KYLE !
Happy 38th birthday to the face of SE !
 
AUGUST 1, 2015:  NO SHERYLPALOOZA GIG THIS YEAR
For the past 10 years, Kyle & Eric's relatives held their big "Sherylpalooza" family reunion bash with live bands, etc, at their house in Harper Woods.  However, this year they have decided to scale things back and just have a regular family reunion picnic (with no bands) at a park in St Clair Shores instead.  Maybe next year ??
 
APRIL 28, 2015:  20 YEARS SINCE LAST LAPEER TEEN CENTER BAND NIGHT
Twenty years ago, on April 28, 1995, the bands "Glen Related" and "Shunt" played at "The Portal" teen center in Lapeer.  The following week, the teen center was shut down and one of Sin Embargo's favorite places to play - pretty much their "home base" - was no more.  Luckily, Sin Embargo had gotten one last gig in at The Portal a couple weeks prior, on April 14, 1995 !
 
APRIL 25, 2015:  ANOTHER ATTEMPT FOR LAPEER TEEN CENTER REUNION ?
As before, ever since the Lapeer teen center reunion show went down at Flint Local 432 back on January 12, 2013, there's been a desire from some of the bands and people involved to try and put on another similar show.  Several ideas for another reunion show came and went during 2014 with nothing happening.  Now, there's another attempt for lining something up some time in January 2016, possibly at the Hitch-N-Post in Lapeer.  If anything pops up on that front, we'll let you know right here ! 
 
APRIL 22, 2015:  20 YEARS AGO "UNDERNEATH" WAS RELEASED
Can you believe that 20 years ago today, on April 22, 1995, Sin Embargo's Underneath album (cassette) was officially released ?!?  Underneath contains 9 original Sin Embargo songs, written by Kyle (with a couple of co-writes from Eric and then-drummer Jason Hofer) from the spring of 1993 to the summer of 1994.  Read more about Underneath HERE !
 
FEBRUARY 1, 2015:  UPDATE ON ARCHIVAL SIN EMBARGO VIDEOS
Last spring, Kyle started digitizing several old VHS tapes of live SE shows from the 1993-1997 time frame.  One video of a gig at Saginaw's Olde Jamestown Hall from January 1997 was posted on YouTube last May ( see here ).  The digitization of other videos is nearly completed, so look for the rest of them to be posted in the near future !
JANUARY 24, 2015:  SIN EMBARGO FILLS IN FOR "LAS DROGAS" IN YPSILANTI
Sin Embargo (with Ed on drums) filled in for Kyle's other band "Las Drogas" at a gig at Crossroads Bar in Ypsilanti due to a death in Las Drogas drummer (and one-time SE backup drummer) Chops' family.  It was kind of a last-minute thing, but it was great fun.  Other bands on the bill included "Ghost City Searchlight", "Salt City", "Silk Filled Stilts" & DJ "Agent 99".  The set list was as follows:
 
- Afro (Jon Spencer Blues Explosion)
- Mama Tried (Merle Haggard)
- Back & Sides (Las Drogas/Johnny Shines)
- Folsom Prison Blues (Johnny Cash)
- Inconstant Baby (Lapeer County Rockers)
- Surf-O-Rama in A minor (Dirty Money)
- Some Day (Sin Embargo)
- King of the Road (Roger Miller)
- Like A California Plastic (Dirty Money)
DECEMBER 31, 2014:  END OF AN ERA - KIPP HOMESTEAD IS SOLD
Today, Kyle & Eric's childhood home (and location of "Cat Box Studio" where Sin Embargo's first two albums were recorded in 1993 & 1994) in Lapeer was sold.  After their mom Vita passed way on August 20th, it was just a matter of cleaning the place out and putting it up for sale since neither one of them could spare the time and expense of keeping the property.  The Kipp house (and barn) was also the location of numerous band practices from 1992 till about 2001, and where many classic SE songs were written. 
 
SEPTEMBER 10, 2014:  ERIC TURNS THE BIG 4-0 !
Happy birthday number 40 to SE's bass dude !
 
AUGUST 24, 2014:  HAPPY BIRTHDAY EDDIEBABY !
Happy 42nd birthday to our aging percussionist, Eddiebaby !
 
AUGUST 20, 2014:  SAD NEWS
Sad news today as Vita Kipp, mother of Kyle & Eric, passed away today at the age of 73 at Independence Village Senior Community in Oxford, MI after a roughly 2-year battle with breast cancer that went metastatic and spread to her brain and other parts of her body, along with other complications.  Vita helped take several early band photos of Sin Embargo, and also helped pay for production of the "Super Fugue" CD's back in 1998.  Either way, we're all going to miss her a lot...
 
AUGUST 10, 2014:  HAPPY BIRTHDAY KYLE !
Happy 37th birthday to our man out front !
 
AUGUST 2, 2014:  SIN EMBARGO AT SHERYLPALOOZA 10
For the 5th year in a row, Sin Embargo (with Ed on drums) was able to get together and play a set at Sherylpalooza in Harper Woods !  Unlike last year, where Ed & "Las Drogas" drummer Chops shared drumming duties, this year it was all Ed (and much less stressful !)  The set list included the following songs: 
 
- Afro (Jon Spencer Blues Explosion)
- Surf-O-Rama in A minor (Dirty Money)
- I Wanna Be Sedated (the Ramones)
- Back & Sides (Las Drogas/Johnny Shines)
- Inconstant Baby (Lapeer County Rockers)
- Like A California Plastic (Dirty Money)
- Blue Moon of Kentucky (Elvis)
- Mama Tried (Merle Haggard)
- King of the Road (Roger Miller)
- Ring of Fire (Johnny Cash)
 
JUNE 28, 2014:  SMALL SIN EMBARGO GIG IN LAPEER
Sin Embargo (with Ed on drums) played a short set at long-time band associate Rob Newman's daughter Emily's graduation party at the Newman residence in Lapeer, along with Kyle's other band "the Devil Elvis Show", and a solo performance by Sam Bufford.  This event was sort of going to serve as another Lapeer teen center reunion party, but none of the other bands were able to get together (although Mike Boyd did swing by for a few minutes !)  "Las Drogas" was also going to do a short set, but the weather wasn't looking too good (scattered thunderstorms), so things got shut down a little earlier than originally planned.   SE's set included the following songs (in no particular order since the set list wasn't written down):  Afro (Jon Spencer Blues Explosion), Blister In The Sun (Violent Femmes), Pipeline (the Ventures), Surf-O-Rama in A minor (Dirty Money), Some Day (Sin Embargo), I Wanna Be Sedated (the Ramones), Ring of Fire (Johnny Cash), Like A California Plastic (Dirty Money), and King of the Road (Roger Miller). 
 
JUNE 14, 2014:  SIN EMBARGO MEMBERS CONVERGE ON FLINT'S MACHINE SHOP
Much like this time last year, "the Devil Elvis Show" with Kyle on guitar, one-time SE backup drummer "Chops" on vocals, and Eddiebaby filling in on drums, were among several bands who performed at the "Rumbleville" festival held at The Machine Shop in Flint today. 
 
MAY 31, 2014:  TEEN CENTER REUNION SHOW POSTPONED
The Sin Embargo gig that was originally scheduled for Saturday, June 14th, at the Hitch-N-Post in Lapeer with "Four Walls" has been postponed.  This show was intended to be a follow-up to the Lapeer teen center reunion show that was held at Flint Local 432 on January 12, 2013, however, the logistics didn't pan out.  Stay tuned for further updates as to when this show might get rescheduled !
 
MAY 13, 2014:  OLD SIN EMBARGO VIDEO FROM 1997 POSTED ON YOUTUBE !
For those looking for a blast from the past, Kyle has managed to digitize an old VHS tape of Sin Embargo playing live from 1997 and posted it on YouTube ( check here ).  This particular video was from January 18, 1997, when SE played at Olde Jamestown Hall near Saginaw, which would have been one of the last SE shows with Jason Hofer on drums.   This is the first of several old VHS tapes of live Sin Embargo shows from the way-back that Kyle is working on digitizing and will hopefully be up on YouTube in the coming weeks or months.
NOVEMBER 11, 2013:  SIN EMBARGO BACK IN LAPEER ?
Ever since the Lapeer teen center reunion show went down at Flint Local 432 back on January 12th, there's been a desire from some of the bands and people involved to try and mount another similar show.  Several various ideas were batted back and forth during the spring to try to get another show set up at a venue in Lapeer over the summer of 2013, but that didn't happen for various reasons.   After tossing around some ideas over the past few days, Adam from "Four Walls" & "Saint Paulie Street" was able to procure a date at the Hitch-N-Post bar in Lapeer on June 14, 2014 for the next teen center reunion show !!  At this point, only Four Walls and Sin Embargo are on the bill, but hopefully a few others will join in between now and then.  SE is planning to dig deep and bring back a few older tunes that haven't been played much in recent years for the old Lapeer teen center crowd.  So, please keep checking back here or at the Sin Embargo Facebook page for the latest info !
NOVEMBER 6, 2013:  FINALLY ON FACEBOOK !
After dinking around with it on and off for several weeks and months, Sin Embargo finally has an official Facebook page !  (Welcome to 2006, right ?!?)  Anyway, please stop by the official Sin Embargo Facebook page and "like" it to keep up on the latest information on the band, as well as some other interesting tidbits that might not necessarily make it up on this website.
NOVEMBER 5, 2013:  20 YEARS AGO TODAY...
Hard to believe it was back on November 5, 1993 that two significant things happened in Sin Embargo history...  First, it was the official release date of SE's first album "Nevertheless".  Secondly, it was the first time drummer Jason Hofer met Sin Embargo at a gig they were playing at the old Club 42-5 teen center in Lapeer !  Mike Boyd had been playing drums for SE's opening set that evening, but he had to split early to play at another gig with his band "Beatnik Mecca" in Saginaw later that night, so we were kind of left without percussion capabilities.  While "Manhasset", the other band on the bill that night, was playing their set, Kyle asked around in the audience just before SE was supposed to go back up for a second set to see if anyone could play drums for SE.  Jason semi-reluctantly raised his hand and said he could play drums "competently", so Kyle asked if he knew any Nirvana tunes and the like.  Jason said he could do it and SE plowed into their second set of the night with tolerable results !  The following week, Kyle got Jason's phone number and things went forth from there with Jason manning the drums on over 70 SE gigs and recording the albums "Nevertheless (Fixed & Remixed)", "Underneath", and "Super Fugue" up until he left the band in early 1997.  How time flies...
 
OCTOBER 15, 2013:  EDDIEBABY DONE WITH BABE MILLER & THE 10-4's
After drumming for Babe Miller & the 10-4's since February 2012, and appearing on two releases by the band earlier this year, Eddiebaby has parted ways with Babe.  Who knows what's up Eddiebaby's musical sleeve next ? 
 
SEPTEMBER 10, 2013: HAPPY BIRTHDAY ERIC !
Happy 39th birthday to the other half of Sin Embargo's low end ! 
 
AUGUST 24, 2013:  HAPPY BIRTHDAY EDDIEBABY !
Happy birthday number 41 to drummer Ed "Eddiebaby" Stark as he continues his journey into the "over the hill" club ! ;o
AUGUST 22, 2013:  HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHOPS !
Happy 38th birthday to Sin Embargo's back-up drummer Chris "Chops" O'Droski today !
 
AUGUST 10, 2013:  HAPPY BIRTHDAY KYLE !
Happy 36th birthday today to the voice & riffage of Sin Embargo, Kyle "KK Dirty Money" Kipp !
 
AUGUST 3, 2013:  SIN EMBARGO PLAYS SHERYLPALOOZA 9
For the 4th year in a row, SE was able to regroup and pull off a set at Sherylpalooza in Harper Woods !  It was a little iffy at first since Eddiebaby's other band "Babe Miller & His 10-4's" appeared to be scheduled for a gig out in Marshall, MI the same day, so Kyle & Eric decided to work with Chops again on drums to be on the safe side.  Well, as luck would have it, Babe Miller's gig got canceled at the last minute, so Ed was freed up.  However, since Kyle had worked with Chops to prepare for Sherylpalooza, it was decided that the set could be split up between both Chops & Eddiebaby, and it worked out great !  The set list for the Sin Embargo appearance at "Sherylpalooza 9" included:
 
   With Chops on drums:
     - Back & Sides (Johnny Shines/Las Drogas)
     - Mama Tried (Merle Haggard)
     - King of the Road (Roger Miller)
   With Eddiebaby on drums:
     - Ring of Fire (Johnny Cash)
     - Pipeline (the Ventures)
     - Inconstant Baby (Lapeer County Rockers)
   With Chops back on drums:
     - Folsom Prison Blues/Axl Cash (Johnny Cash/Las Drogas)
     - Like A California Plastic (Dirty Money)
     - Some Day (Sin Embargo)
     - Blister In The Sun (Violent Femmes)
     - This Magic Moment (the Drifters)
Please check the "Photo Gallery" for a few new pictures of SE at Sherylpalooza 9 !  The goal for Sherylpalooza 10 is to mix up the set list a bit and dig up a few "gems" that haven't been played live in quite some time !
JULY 6, 2013:  CHOPS GETS HITCHED !
Congratulations to Sin Embargo's back-up drummer Chris "Chops" O'Droski and his wife Samantha as they walked down the aisle in wedded matrimony today !
JUNE 15, 2013:  SIN EMBARGO MEMBERS CONVERGE ON FLINT'S MACHINE SHOP
It wasn't an actual Sin Embargo gig, but "the Devil Elvis Show" (with Kyle & Chops) and "Babe Miller & His 10-4's" (with Eddiebaby) were among several bands who performed at the "Rumbleville" festival held at The Machine Shop in Flint today.  In the audience for both bands' sets was none other than Eric supporting his SE "brothers" and showing his wife Amy a fun time for her birthday ! 
MARCH 17, 2013:  QUICK UPDATE
Greetings... and happy St Patrick's Day !  (It's also Eric's daughter Kayla's 7th birthday today as well...)  Anyway, spring will hopefully be in the air soon since the snow and cold weather is getting old.   Speaking of spring, there is a rumor that a show potentially involving Sin Embargo, Four Walls, and Tin Kitten is in the works for somewhere around Lapeer in the next couple months.   Nothing has been finalized yet, but once it is, you'll be able to read all about it here.  In other news, we're still working on a new-and-improved Sin Embargo Facebook page with hopes of launching it in the very near future.
FEBRUARY 20, 2013:  SAD NEWS
Sad news today as Noel Kipp, father of Kyle & Eric, passed away today at the age of 79 at the McLaren Lapeer hospital.  One of the funnier Sin Embargo-related stories about Noel was that back in the 1993-1996 era of the band when Kyle, Eric & Jason Hofer would practice 1-2 times a week down in the Kipps' basement (a.k.a. "Cat Box Studio") for 2-3 hours at a time, and he would typically be taking a nap in his recliner located in the living room immediately above the practice space.  Apparently the loud volume didn't affect his nap time too much!  Either way, we're all going to miss him a lot...
JANUARY 20, 2013:  FLINT STILL ROCKS
Last Saturday's Lapeer teen center reunion show at Flint Local 432 was a fun blast from the past from several of our old musical cohorts and contemporaries as we wound the clock back to 1993-1995 for a few hours.  After sets by former "Eeyore" & "Schroeder" frontman Clint Hoagland, "Four Walls", former "Williams Bench" guitarist Chris Sowa, and Sam Bufford, Sin Embargo took the stage with a set list spanning from latter-day Sin Embargo & Dirty Money songs all the way back to 1993's "Beets, Butter & Piss", as well as a few covers from along the way.  After Sin Embargo's set was complete, former "Beatnik Mecca" & "Lapeer County Rockers" guitarist/vocalist (and early Sin Embargo drummer !) Mike Boyd hit the stage, with "Tin Kitten" rounding out the night with a rousing set down memory lane. 
 
Due to logistical and scheduling constraints between Kyle & Eric with Eddiebaby's commitments to his band "Babe Miller & the 10-4's", it was decided that Las Drogas drummer Chris "Chops" O'Droski would play drums for the entire show in lieu of Eddiebaby.  However, Ed was still able to come along and help out with merchandise sales and stepped behind the drums for a powerhouse version of the Ventures' surf classic "Pipeline". 
 
The entire Sin Embargo set list was as as follows:
   - Power Me (Sin Embargo)
   - Back & Sides (Johnny Shines/Las Drogas)
   - Some Day (Sin Embargo)
   - Like A California Plastic (Dirty Money)
   - Way Out Blooze (Dirty Money)
   - Blister In The Sun (Violent Femmes)
   - Beets, Butter & Piss (Sin Embargo)
   - Pipeline (the Ventures) - with Eddiebaby on drums
   - Folsom Prison Blues (Johnny Cash)
   - King of the Road (Roger Miller)
   - Territorial Pissings (Nirvana)
   - Negative Creep (Nirvana)
   - Tourette's (Nirvana)
 
Thanks again to the organizers of the show (Jodi Bufford, Joel Rash) for making it possible.  Also, thanks to Four Walls bassist/vocalist Mike Schwerin, who recorded the whole show on audio & video... hopefully, some of that will be available in the near future. 
 
In other news, the SE website is slowly getting re-vamped.  As mentioned before, the photo gallery section was completely restructured.  Be sure to check out the new photos from last week's Flint Local 432 show in there !
 
Till next time,
- Sin Embargo

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