Long Underwear Bands

After beginning this blog a few years back, I was surprised to keep running across singers and band members who enjoyed performing in their long union suit underwear. And not long after, I discovered bands who actually named themselves after Long Underwear. So today, I kick off my new series, Long Underwear Bands. 

I thought it might be of interest to you first to go back and review performers in their union suits. I've featured them since the inception of Unionsuit Fans in the Limelight, beginning with the Barberi Quartet back on May 4, 2018, clad only in their long red underwear:

And, a month later on June 4, 2018, along came Spike Jones and His City Slickers with all band members marching down San Francisco's Market Street in their union suits:

Soon, other Union Suit Performers were posted in this blog, such as Panic at the Disco, also on June 4th in 2018:

Thee Long Johns appeared
on July 3, 2018

Union Suit Dads took their turn
Walkin' in Their Winter Underwear
December 16, 2018

Ler LaLonde
February 5, 2019

Les Claypool
February 5, 2019

Jake and The Possum Posse
August 17, 2019

Rufus Wainwright sang
Rules and Regulations
October 24, 2019

Big Red & The Boys in their Christmas Show
on December 24, 2019 in Chicago

The Poontang Wranglers
without their jeans on
July 22, 2020

As you can see, only one of the above ensembles used "Union Suit", "Long Johns" or "Long Underwear" in their group name. But some have. And today, I'm proud to introduce, Long Underwear Bands....

          Long Underwear Bands

The first band I had ever heard of named after Long Underwear, was the short-lived Unionsuit. This New England group from Boston, Mass consisted of four performers: Matt Firestone (vocals), Aaron Turner (guitar), Michael Poorman (drums), and Josh English (bass). The metalcore band existed for a scant two years before disbanding. They performed from the winter of 1996 to late spring,1998. Except for a demo consisting of five songs, the boys made just one known album, Accidents Happened. It was released in the U.S. in 1997 with three songs under the label, by Second Nature Recordings.

Unionsuit played live, mostly in Boston but occasionally 

were found performing in Providence, RI and Montreal, Canada. After only 18 months, Unionsuit disbanded, 

never developing much of a fan base. 

Reportedly, their final show was at a music festival in Northhampton.

There is no evidence they ever performed in their namesake, wearing only their union suits or any other type of long underwear. But what a name for a Long Underwear Band.

Leeside Skateboard Mayhem 

Somewhere in the lost, dark night of Vancouver, BC, Canada on October 31, 2011, streetsurfers, rumbletumblers, and their fans gathered for a night of ghoulish fun and games.

Performers included Vampires Dream, Banana, Lemmy, She Wolfs, Manwolfs, Ladyman, Scarecrow, Werewolf, and, of course, Long Underwear Man, dressed in his red union suit.

It's really surprising where all we find public performers like this Union Suit Fan in the Limelight, known to the crowd and participants as "Long Underwear Man:" 

Long Underwear Man is joined by another skater
who drops his pants to show he's wearin
 his union suit too.

To see the video of this mayhem, 

     Copy and Paste:   https://vimeo.com/35557799

Long Underwear Man joins these knarly dudes in the Long John Skateboard and Sledding Hall of Fame, previously featured herein

Comin' Soon to Union Suit Fans in the Limelight, a new posting: Long Underwear Bands, like The Long Johns and The Union Suits. Watch for them and their interesting and amusing stories!

Movie Trivia:

In what 1965 Columbia Pictures movie did Lee Marvin play a dual role winning an Academy Award for Best Actor? Who was his co-star? In this movie, Marvin appeared twice in union suits. One was a faded raggedy suit of long underwear which was revealed when he quickly and drunkenly drew his pistol causing his britches to fall down. Later the other suit was a spanking new white one as he prepared for a final showdown with his nemesis. Bonus Questions: What was the name of the character Marvin played while in his faded red union suit? And, how about the name of the white union suited character? 

You can participate by answering in the comment section below. If you use "Anonymous," please add your first name or nick name, last name optional, and your home town. Or, if you like, email me your answers at cayersnd@gmail.com

Added August 25, 2021:

Thanks to all of you who emailed me with your answers to "Movie Trivia," including Chad, Eddie, Josh, Richard, Torrie and Michael. Thanks to to Macheath48 who, in his comments below, gave us the names of the two characters Marvin played in his dual role: Kid Shelleen and Tim Strawn. 

Great job everyone. You all nailed the popular classic, Cat Ballou, the film title from the woman's name in this film, played by Marvin's co-star, Jane Fonda. The young man assisting Kid Shelleen in getting dressed and tightening his girdle was Tom Nardini who played Jackson Two Bears. Cat Ballou was filmed in late 1964 at Buckskin Joes just outside Canyon City, Colorado, at Columbia Pictures Ranch in Los Angeles, and on Columbia's sound stages.

Here's some more shots of the drunken gunman from the movie: 

And later, the Kid cleaned up, bathed and wearing a new union suit:

Buy, rent or stream today. It's a western classic!.... Chris