The Queers

Portsmouth, New Hampshire, seems an unlikely locale for a punk band to form, but such is the case for The Queers who call the "Old Man in the Mountain"-less state. Rumor has it that the old-school punk rockers, who formed in 1982, were inspired by their name as a way...

By Kelly Wilson

October 1, 2009

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Portsmouth, New Hampshire, seems an unlikely locale for a punk band to form, but such is the case for The Queers who call the "Old Man in the Mountain"-less state. Rumor has it that the old-school punk rockers, who formed in 1982, were inspired by their name as a way to poke fun at what they referred to as the "art fag" community in Portsmouth. That same kind of humor has become a staple of The Queers' music. Just look to songs like "Can't Stop Farting" and "Born to Do Dishes" for proof. The guys broke up two years after forming but reformed with a new lineup in 1990, releasing their debut Grow Up. The album earned the band fans and notoriety within the New England music scene, but the release of their 1993 disc Love Songs for the Retarded brought them national recognition. The only constant in the band — often described as a cross between The Ramones and The Beach Boys — is frontman Joe Queer. Check out the band's MySpace page to see a long list of the musicians who have cycled in and out of the band over the years.

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