How we were made.
Iced Ink:
Josh Arenberg Drums
Andrew Bergmann Bass
Mike Krenner Guitar
MN Alumni
Joe Berkman Bass (as in guitar, not fish)
Barry Knudson Drums, good deals
VomitGod (drums)
Scara (percussion, screaming)
I. "I'm Alive and Well... Where am I?"
Iced Ink is/are/am an instrumental surf-jazz-metal guitar - drum - bass - percussion group that was concocted within the snowy bowels of Minneapolis, MN in 1998 by a guitar playing dude named Mike Krenner. Suffering from severe M.A.D.D. (not the moms/drunk driving one but the Musical Attention Defecit Disorder one), he wanted to be in too many different styles of bands at once - metal, funk, surf, pop, rock, jazz, rockabilly... the list goes on and on. After a few years of playing out with a few different bands and never feeling truly content, it was decided that in the interest of time and not lugging guitars and amps all over the Twin Cities that it would be most efficient to just cram all of the desired genres he was craving to tackle into one
sole cohesive portable band. Equipped with a Boss DR-550 drum machine, Foxtex X-18 4 track, and a bunch of guitars, it was time to figure out how to merge everything he wanted to do into a world that made his ears, brain, and guitar playing psyche feel as if they'd just eaten a delicious turkey dinner. The first round of Iced Ink tunes were soon born and the demos were posted on mp3.com to go fishing for other interested minds and ears.
II. "OK.. Let's See if Humans can play this!"
Let's move ahead to July of 2001: Freshly transplanted to the Twin Cities from that one famous music school in Boston full of gifted wankers, VomitGod (drums) along with his wifeperson Sara T. (percussion) were lured in by shameless Iced Ink promotional bait printed on the back of Minneapolis' premier weekly alternative news source, City Pages. He contacted Mike and 6 months later, Joe Berkman's skillful (and very audible) bass manipulations won the Iced Ink Bassist Pageant to complete the lineup. They bought a colorful bus, were driven around by their mother and manager Reuben to perform to the delight of many screaming fans, and compelled families across the world to tune in every week for a half hour of pure watery comedy and bad lip-synching.
III. All good things must come to an end. And then keep going.
In the spring of 2005, VomitGod and Scara moved back out East which caused Berkman and Mike to search high and low for replacement drums/percussion. One of the first genuine Iced Ink believers and fans by the name of Doug Kasper was kind enough to refer an extremely lovely and gifted drummer to them by the name of Barry Knudson. Barry proved to be an eggsellent fit for the band and Iced Ink carried on as a boner feed power trio assaulting the ears and minds of Twin Cities bar patrons for a good four year strech.
IV. Some good things that must come to an end and then keep going must come to and end again and then maybe keep going somewhere else. Or as Ozzy would say, "Don't ask me, I don't know."
Over the years Mike was becoming discouraged by the lack of a market for Iced Ink music in Minnesota as well as the complete lack of support from the majority local club bookers. In July of 2007 he and his lovely bride honeymooned in NYC. All it took was one trip to a Brooklyn bar with live music (The Charleston) to realize that there was indeed a much more suitable and receptive home for Iced Ink music, and that home was New York Fuckin' City.
In late August 2009, Mike and his wife returned from their annual NYC vacation. That particular trip had manifested itself into an impromptu apartment search, inevitably resulting in taking a blind leap and signing a lease on a small place in Brooklyn. Back to MN they went where the rather difficult news was broken to Joe and Barry that in less than two months Mr. Mike would be moving to Brooklyn. Uncertain of whether or not Iced Ink would continue in NY or if Mike would embark on a new weird musical tangent from a clean slate, Mike and Barry and Joe played the Iced Ink farewell gig at a well attended show at Big V's on August 28th - the night before the 1,200 mile drive in a moving truck to Brooklyn. (Thanks again to Orange Blank for slipping us in at the last minute!)
V. Iced Ink rides again.
It is officially official: Iced Ink lives on in New York City. Mike found bassist Andrew Bergmann on Craigslist (freshly transplanted to Brooklyn as well). Andrew asked resident Brooklyn drummist Josh Arenberg if he'd be interested in playing. He was, and they did. A mere handful of months and rehearsals later, Iced Ink played their first set at the Delancey on Saturday, February 6th 2010 to a rather receptive and plentiful audience. The love in the room flowed through the air like a crappy, tired Elton John ballad written for an equally crappy and tired Disney cartoon. Difficult as it was to pack up, move, and rebuild in New York Fuckin' City, this moment revealed that the right decision for whatever Iced Ink music is and stands for had been made.
In closing, if you obtain a copy of our CD "There's A Bee In Here", "ALIVE!" from the previous incarnations of Iced Ink, and/or come out to see us live, you may find yourself wondering: "How come nobody told me weird music that people can't dance or sing to could be this totally bitchin?!!"
The answer, my friends, is ketchup.