Seeking info on the Hadjis and the Black Labels

Here's the Black Labels track "Henrietta" from the compilation album Undergroundhog Day, released by the Ripsaw News in 2002.

The Black Labels track on the Shaky Ray Records compilation Let's Get Sloppy is titled "Please Give Me Something." When I put that CD into my computer it grinds like I'm feeding it into a wood chipper.

I don’t have media to share, but I have great memories of Black Labels shows at the Red Lion in the early 2000s. The “Roar by the Shore” was a gem of a venue and hole in the wall bar. An awesome and diverse mix of freaks at those shows, as I recall. I think they played a weekly show on Mondays, maybe? I was a huge ska and rocksteady fan then and now, and I recall good musicianship delivered loud in a garageband style. Full horn section, thumping base, crowd involvement. Recall them running some of the old Studio One riddims like “Real Rock” and “Rockfort Rock” and some Skatalites tunes, if I’m not mistaken. I miss the walk along old Superior Street down to R.T. Quinlan's at 12:30 a.m. Good times. Tell your brother thanks for the memories, if he is around.

The weekly gig at the Roar was on Wednesday nights.

Probably not helpful, but am providing it for the record ....

Is that Marsten and Norby in the photo?

You can check out the CD Undergroundhog Day from the Duluth Public Library. It's in the local music collection. The library also has the compilation Duluth Does Dylan with one song by the Black Labels, but that seems to be the extent of what's in the collection.

I think it's Marsen and Norby in the video image and Marsen and Gomez in the newspaper ad image, but neither is clear enough for me to say it with confidence.

I'm pretty sure I have that Undergroundhog Day CD. I know I used to have Duluth Does Dylan and I even featured one or two tracks on various radio projects I did over the years.

I might have some promotional material from gigs they did around the NorShor in 2004 and 2005 where I was briefly, but memorably, the manager. We had live music almost every night and the Black Labels played several times during that period. Gomez was a regular even when the band was not playing and I remember him fondly. We were not particularly close but he was always decent and on board with what we were trying to cultivate there. That vision failed, but it was nice that so many people tried to make it work. 

Finding these items will require some digging. And it might actually be something that I have you do for me or with me as I have a lot of other things on my plate these days. If this works like the old days you will get my contact info along with the comment. If not, the webmasters and PDD honchos will know how to reach me. 

Best wishes to you in your project. It sounds fantastic.

I have the Let's Get Sloppy CD, Plays fine and all that, cover is even in pretty good shape and looks like it was signed by Mark Lindquist to "J-Dog." (I'm pretty sure I bought it used.)

Here's the Black Labels covering Bob Dylan's "Rainy Day Woman #12 & 25" from the compilation album Duluth Does Dylan, released in 2000 on Spinout Records.