Broad Cast

At almost 8 p.m., Jeff Wood, frontman for the Sound and the Fury, brought his acoustic guitar to the mike, donned headphones and began rattling off tight solo versions of his band's metal tunes. Then came Grasshopper (the band and the man, evidently) and Patrick Spurgeon of Pull, who is among the jilted former bandmates of Wes Scanlin embroiled in lawsuits with the Puddle of Mudd singer. All three weathered the wisecracks of Venkman and the softball interview questions of Frank and the others between songs, plus the indifference of a slowly building crowd of regulars. Before the night was over, a waitress had acquired a band sticker on her skirt-clad ass, all three bands had received free publicity, and the hosts of the BDFS couldn't have declared the night anything other than a success.

Overall, the Big Dumb Fun Show is way more sophomoric than assholic, so the man whose personality was plastered all over American Chrome -- pictures on the wall, personalized Aerosmith platinum albums and motorcycle parts, even a small card signifying his membership in the National Association of Large Penises -- namely, Johnny Dare, needn't feel threatened that he might soon be toppled from the top of the morning-show dung heap. Not yet, anyway.