At the time of their first self-titled EP, in 1980, the band changed their name to Red Cross, which was allegedly inspired by the masturbation scene in the film, The Exorcist. Ron Reyes became the drummer. Eventually, Hetson left to join the Circle Jerks (and later Bad Religion) and Reyes left for Black Flag. Keller left to join Trixie and the Doorknobs as its guitarist and singer. To complete the lineup on their first full-length album, Born Innocent, they assembled a revolving door of musicians including original drummer John Stielow and drummer Janet Housden. Full of the brothers' pop culture obsessions, Born Innocent featured odes to Linda Blair (who starred in a television movie of the same name), a cover of "Look On Up At The Bottom" by the Carrie Nations from Beyond the Valley of the Dolls, and Charles Manson (whose song "Cease to Exist" they covered). The album also contains nods to Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker, Tatum O'Neal, and Lita Ford. Not long after the release of the album, the group was threatened with a lawsuit from the International Red Cross and changed their name to Redd Kross, allegedly being inspired by Redd Foxx.
In 1984, Redd Kross returned with drummer Dave Peterson to record Teen Babes from Monsanto, an album featuring songs originally by such artists as KISS, David Bowie, The Rolling Stones, and The Shangri-Las.
In 1984, lead guitarist Robert Hecker joined the band, as Redd Kross embarked on tour in support of Teen Babes from Monsanto.
In that same year, they were featured on the soundtrack of Desperate Teenage Lovedolls with their cover of the Brady Bunch Kids' "It's a Sunshine Day". Jeff and Steve appear in the movie, along with Robert in the sequel Lovedolls Superstar which the brothers co-wrote with Dave Markey and Jennifer Schwartz. Both movies are available now on DVD.
In 1985, drummer Roy McDonald (formerly of The Things, and no relation to the brothers) joined the band.
In 1987, Redd Kross released Neurotica, an album reportedly influenced by Saturday morning cartoons and breakfast cereal (one of the songs was called "Frosted Flake"). Although the album itself was successful, the band's label, Big Time Records folded. The band continued to tour during these years however, and in 1988, drummer Victor Indrizzo joined the band.
On February 20, 1990, Redd Kross appeared on Episode 2 of the cult Public-access television show "Decoupage" with Summer Caprice.
In 1990, Redd Kross signed with Atlantic Records, releasing Third Eye, and appeared with David Cassidy in the film Spirit of '76, and issued several singles, including "Annie's Gone", which had some mild success on college radio. Former Red Hot Chili Peppers / future Pearl Jam drummer Jack Irons joined for the Third Eye tours, and appears in the promotional video for "Annie's Gone", which saw some light rotation on MTV. Brian Reitzell succeeded Irons as drummer in the band, and appears in the promotional video for "1976".
In 1991, Robert Hecker took leave from the band.
The album Phaseshifter was released in 1993, with new band members Eddie Kurdziel, Gere Fennelly, and Brian Reitzell. The videos for "Jimmy's Fantasy" and "Lady In The Front Row" were both shown on MTV's 120 Minutes. They toured on Phaseshifter for over a year, headling their own shows as well as tours supporting The Lemonheads and The Spin Doctors in late 1993 and Stone Temple Pilots in 1994. In 1995, Jeff and his wife, Charlotte Caffey (from The Go-Go's), had a daughter, named Astrid.
In 1997, Redd Kross released Show World, produced by Chris Shaw (who also produced albums for Weezer and Soul Asylum) and toured supporting The Presidents of the United States of America. The band took an indefinite hiatus after the Show World tour, and their future was uncertain after the untimely death of guitarist Eddie Kurdziel on June 6, 1999.
On July 1, 2006, Redd Kross returned to the live stage after almost a decade's absence. The Neurotica-era line up of Jeff McDonald, Steven McDonald, Robert Hecker and Roy McDonald performed a career-spanning set at the REDCAT (Roy and Edna Disney/Cal Arts Theater) at Disney Hall in Los Angeles. The band has subsequently gone on to play at the Azkena Festival in Spain, the Detour Festival in Los Angeles, give a performance of their entire first EP in honor of Rodney Bingenheimer's being awarded a star on Hollywood Boulevard, and a set consisting of the entire Born Innocent album opening for Sonic Youth (who performed Daydream Nation) at the Greek Theater in Los Angeles. They toured Spain and England in January, 2007. They have played a number of one-off shows including Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, and San Francisco. In 2008 they played the Coachella Festival in Coachella, California; ATP vs Pitchfork festival in Sussex, England; and NXNE Festival in Toronto, Ontario. In 2010, Redd Kross headlined the Turbo Rock Festival in Spain. In 2011 they headlined the POP Montreal Festival.
Redd Kross will tour Australia again as part of the Hoodoo Gurus' 30th Anniversary on the "Dig It Up" Festival concert series.
The band released "Researching the Blues" in 2012.
Ms. Lady Evans
Redd Kross Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In rubber phallus dreams
It's OK to be stupid
If everybody else is
Never want to go to that place
All the people there are bad things
And fools, what can you do
Lady Evans was the one
Who watched us on the prison yard
Unattractive was the main attraction
When she was on guard
Never want to go to that place
All the people there are bad things
It's like Babylon for sad morons
And fools, what can you do
The neighborhood is clear and bright
The people know they're looking fine
You're never gonna leave
It's plain to see
Fallen stars and their stolen cars
In reality, you see
He's the one who rocked the nation
Inter-racial
He's the one who rocked the nation
Inter-racial sex sensation
The neighborhood is clear and bright
The people know they're looking fine
You're never gonna leave
It's plain to see
Fallen stars and their stolen cars
In reality, you see
The neighborhood is good
The neighborhood is good
The neighborhood is good
The lyrics to Redd Kross's song "Ms. Lady Evans" are somewhat cryptic and open to interpretation, but they seem to touch on a few different themes related to sexuality, power, and social dynamics. The opening lines mention a "wicked witch" who "reigned supreme" in "rubber phallus dreams," suggesting some kind of BDSM or dominant-submissive power dynamic. The next lines suggest that it's okay to be stupid if everyone else is, perhaps implying that there's a certain conformity or herd mentality at play in certain social situations.
The chorus repeats the line "never want to go to that place" and describes it as a kind of Babylon for sad morons and fools. This could be interpreted as a comment on a specific place or group of people, or it could be a more general statement about the dangers of falling in with the wrong crowd or getting caught up in negative social dynamics. The next verse brings in the character of "Lady Evans," who is described as watching over the singer and others while they were in prison. Her "unattractiveness" is noted as being a kind of attraction in itself, perhaps suggesting that there's something compelling about someone who is socially or physically marginalized.
The final verse takes a bit of a different turn, describing a "neighborhood" that is "clear and bright" and full of people who know they're looking good. However, this is juxtaposed with the idea of "fallen stars and their stolen cars" as a reminder that all may not be as it seems. The final refrain repeats that "the neighborhood is good," but the repetition could be interpreted as a kind of anxious insistence, as if the singer is reassuring themselves that everything really is okay.
Line by Line Meaning
Wicked witch, she reigned supreme
There was an evil woman who had control over everyone
In rubber phallus dreams
She had disturbing sexual fantasies involving fake penises
It's OK to be stupid
Ignorance is accepted in society
If everybody else is
As long as the majority is ignorant, being stupid is fine
Never want to go to that place
There's a certain location the artist doesn't want to visit
All the people there are bad things
The individuals found in this location are not good, morally-speaking
It's like Babylon for sad morons
This place resembles a land filled with foolish, unhappy people
And fools, what can you do
Not much can be done to help these foolish individuals
Lady Evans was the one
A woman named Lady Evans was prominent in the story being told
Who watched us on the prison yard
She was keeping an eye on the artist and others while they were in prison
Unattractive was the main attraction
Lady Evans was the center of attention due to her unappealing appearance
When she was on guard
This occurred when she was fulfilling her duties as a prison guard
The neighborhood is clear and bright
The singer's current location is a pleasant, well-lit area
The people know they're looking fine
The individuals in this neighborhood are confident in their appearances
You're never gonna leave
The singer has no intention of departing this location
It's plain to see
It's clear and obvious that staying put is the best decision
Fallen stars and their stolen cars
There are famous individuals who have struggled and resorted to criminal activity
In reality, you see
This is what's truly happening in the world
He's the one who rocked the nation
There was a man who had a significant impact on the country
Inter-racial
This man's impact involved the mixture of different races
He's the one who rocked the nation
His actions caused a great deal of change in society
Inter-racial sex sensation
The man's actions and beliefs regarding race and sexuality made him famous
The neighborhood is good
The current location is a positive and enjoyable area to be in
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JEFFREY A. MCDONALD, STEVEN SHANE MCDONALD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind