Artie, the media-sensation that almost never was, was a demented social experiment gone awry at UMass Amhurts in the mid-80’s. Artie presented himself to two Brett dormdwellers as an opportunity to alleviate the deadening routine of partygoing during those darkest chapters of college life. Under their shameful supervision, Artie rose to the early occasions splendidly. But he kept rising, ascending, like Willy Wonka’s glass elevator, beyond all social boundaries until, inevitably, the crash-and-burn grisly end of it all (which, of course, was not really the end of it all). For dino fans, Artie appeared at several early gigs, putting all of himself into a short selection of Neil Young covers. But that contribution is negligible when compared to his brilliant collaboration with Ms. Maura Jasper. Yes, that’s Artie himself rising over the peak of Mt. Wherever on the cover of the first dinosaur lp. Artie is the sun.
Who loves the sun? Had he known, Lou Reed surely wouldn’t have asked that. But J knew. His answer? Take a run at the sun….