R.I.P. Larissa Strickland

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former guitarist for the Laughing Hyenas died, apparently of a xanax overdose. Such a huge bummer, she was great, totally fiery guitar player. Obviously a pretty troubled woman.

― hstencil (hstencil), Saturday, 4 November 2006 16:39 (eighteen years ago)

Fuck. Larissa seemed like a really sweet person the couple times I met her and the Hyenas in Ann Arbor back in the '80s. Didn't keep up with what she'd been doing since, but this makes me really sad.

― xhuxk (xheddy), Saturday, 4 November 2006 16:53 (eighteen years ago)

yeah, i didn't know her at all really, just met once or twice, but man she was one hell of a great guitarist, and from what little i know of her life recently (she'd been living in florida), she hadn't been too well. totally sucks.

― hstencil (hstencil), Saturday, 4 November 2006 17:17 (eighteen years ago)

This year really has been awful for music-related deaths. A terrible shame -- only knew a little of the band's music but always liked what I heard.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Saturday, 4 November 2006 17:20 (eighteen years ago)

That's certainly very, very sad. The Hyenas put on some of the best shows I've ever seen with her, back in the 80s. Before I moved outta the midwest in 1990, I remember seeing how she'd had some her ink removed, and I thought maybe she was prepping for a career as a lawyer or somesuch. I lost track of her afterward, but maybe her end is consistent with that notion: Having kicked dope, perhaps she desperately craved the same high thru the semi-legit avenue of xanax.

― Shoes say, yeah, no hands clap your good bra. (goodbra), Saturday, 4 November 2006 17:24 (eighteen years ago)

Do you have a link to this? When I shake the 8-Google, it say, "try again later".

― Shoes say, yeah, no hands clap your good bra. (goodbra), Saturday, 4 November 2006 17:27 (eighteen years ago)

i don't have a link, only heard thru friends of friends.

― hstencil (hstencil), Saturday, 4 November 2006 17:43 (eighteen years ago)

I really like the one Hyenas LP I have. This is sad.

She was in the (Michigan) L7 as well wasn't she?

― DJ Mencap (DJ Mencap), Saturday, 4 November 2006 18:07 (eighteen years ago)

Yeah, before the Hyenas. So like 83 or so.

I have their 7", actually. I wonder if it's been reissued yet.

― Shoes say, yeah, no hands clap your good bra. (goodbra), Saturday, 4 November 2006 18:58 (eighteen years ago)

Aww... I just heard and was listening to Merry Go Round yesterday... I wonder what she'd been up to lately? I know Brannon's been with Easy Action, who are OK...

― js (honestengine), Sunday, 5 November 2006 17:01 (eighteen years ago)

Saw them play a colossal show in London with Killdozer in 1990 (I think). Both bands were spectacular that night. Laughing Hyenas seemed so dangerous. Killdozer had Tom Hazlemeyer on guitar and were in blistering form despite being a Hobson down.

I remember the guitarist for Laughing Hyenas being a lady, so I assume it was Larissa. A great shame as she can't have been old at all.

― Clumsy Colin in ACTION BIKER (coach_mcguirk), Sunday, 5 November 2006 20:13 (eighteen years ago)

aw fuck. the Laughing Hyenas classic lineup (w/ Kimball and the Stricklands) were one of the most titanic rock bands ever. Saw them a slew of times in the early 90s and they were never less than incredible. I can't think of my first year in college without thinking of the Life of Crime lp, I played that thing constantly when it came out. Funny thing too, I actually reacquainted myself with it just this year, after many years without pulling it out. Listened to it a bunch this summer. Larissa had a wicked tone and was great at layering sustain and feedback over that relentless rhythm section. God damn they were great.

RIP

― Stormy Davis (diamond), Monday, 6 November 2006 04:36 (eighteen years ago)

I've told this story 8 trillion times, but it's relevant...

one of the first shows i ever threw was laughing hyena at my friends house in East LAnsing- Fall '94 I belive. Long story short, the opening band (Universal Indians - later Slumber Party) broke the water main in the basement where the bands were playing, causing a flood and about 4 feet of water in the basement. rather than stop the party, we move the whole thing upstairs and had the next band (Jaks- look 'em up)set up in the foeyer, which seemed like a good idea until my friend who rented the house dragged me down to the flooded basement to show me that one of the floor beams that held up the living room had collapsed from the weight of all the people jumping up and down. Once we evacuated the house the hyenas were left just chilling by their van. We had already paid them, so the offered to play for the dozen or so folks left. they played and the house was condemmed the next year.

fond memory- although i also recall larrisa asking my friend where she could cop. i think my stupid 19-year-old student ass said something like 'we have weed if you want.'

― Joshua Glazer (matthewcampari), Monday, 6 November 2006 07:54 (eighteen years ago)

Man hold up this is some depressing news, though all I have heard about her inthe past few years was that she was kinda crazy on that shit. I knew those cats pretty well. My first show I ever booked was also the Laughing Hyenas, in 1989 in Erie, Pennsylvania. SHit was amazing. I saw them at least 15 times in their heyday from Merry Go Round till Kevin and Jim left.

Dude, first time I saw them was like 1987, Peabody's Down Under in Cleveland with Sonic Youth and Die Kreuzen, I met them all that night after being thoroughly scared/scarred by their set. They immediately became my favorite band, and kind of still are. I was jamming Merry Go Round recently and I swear to God just this weekend I was thinking how I gotta get You Cant Pray a Lie and Life of Crime again cuz I can't find mine. Was even thinking of checking out iTunes.

Anyway, Larissa ruled, she acted like a mom to me when I would see her. Of course I was literally 15 and she was like 30. She was so nice. I totally had a crush on her from like 1987 till whenever she sort of disappeared.

Last time I saw the classic line up I thinkmight have been in Austin at Liberty Lunch with Gumball and Sonic Youth. She and John had broken up and both of them were beyond wasted on that shit. She basically pretty much cried to me for 2 hours about them breaking up and that John was a manaic and man I was like damn this shit is sad, I ain't never trying heroin.

And I'ma cut back on the xanax. LARISSA STRICKLAND RIP. She fuckin' ruled man.

Do we know this for sure? I'm um, assuming it's true. I been waiting for this news.

― Matt Sonzala (Pushermania), Monday, 6 November 2006 16:19 (eighteen years ago)

this is very sad. LH were a great band, and Larissa was a great guitarist.

― what does it mean “hockey sticks”? (teenagequiet), Monday, 6 November 2006 16:26 (eighteen years ago)

some of the best live shows ever. You Can't Pray A Lie is a total classic. She always scared me, I only saw her in a fairly wasted onstage mode. Her guitar tone was unequalled. RIP.

― sleeve version 2.0 (sleeve testing), Monday, 6 November 2006 16:34 (eighteen years ago)

I started seeing Larissa RIP on some sites over the weekend and unfortunately the first thing I thought of was the Hyenas + OD.

― Edward III (edward iii), Monday, 6 November 2006 16:49 (eighteen years ago)

yeah yo it really aint a surprise. I'm talking about 15 years ago i was scared as hell for her and John man. They were tippin on fo-fo's befo' i even saw the horse.

― Matt Sonzala (Pushermania), Monday, 6 November 2006 17:08 (eighteen years ago)

L-Seven 7" is here:

http://www.kbdrecords.com/2006/09/15/l-seven-insanity-ep-7/

― Edward III (edward iii), Monday, 6 November 2006 17:21 (eighteen years ago)

Though details remain hazy and unconfirmed at best, apparently this happened back on the 8th of October and the funeral was this weekend.

Peter Davis
http://www.punkvinyl.com/2006/11/04/rip-larissa-strickland/

― Mike Dixn (Mike Dixon), Tuesday, 7 November 2006 07:28 (eighteen years ago)

yeah that uh doesn't make any sense.

― hstencil (hstencil), Tuesday, 7 November 2006 09:08 (eighteen years ago)

The obituary online said Nov. 1st and said she was in Florida but I saw it on a New Jersey website. I don't know. I could be wrong but it said Larissa Stolchuk (sp?) 46 years old so I assume it was her.

― Matt Sonzala (Pushermania), Tuesday, 7 November 2006 19:51 (eighteen years ago)

can you post the link?

― hstencil (hstencil), Tuesday, 7 November 2006 19:55 (eighteen years ago)

Last time I saw 'em was in Chapel Hill, NC, about 15 years ago. John and Larissa seemed unwilling to speak to one another, and spent the night at opposite ends of the club. It was an uncomfortable, bitter show, full of tension and anger. Fascinating and repulsive as a body on the highway. Which, I guess, is just a long way to say "The Laughing Hyenas." Amazing, but sad. Can't have been more than 20 people there.

R.I.P.

― Adam Beales (Pye Poudre), Tuesday, 7 November 2006 21:55 (eighteen years ago)

statement from corey rusk

― hstencil (hstencil), Wednesday, 8 November 2006 20:16 (eighteen years ago)

A post from that Punkvault discussion:

Larissa is being buried today (I believe) in New Jersey - where her parents are. Also, I think it got out that she OD’d from Xanax, though I have heard from those who spoke w/ her husband that it was indeed heroin. Hopefully there will be some sort of memorial service in Michigan.

SLM on 8 Nov 2006 at 9:19 am:

The heroin OD thing makes a lot more sense than the Xanax OD angle, doesn't it?

― Baked Bean Teeth (Baked Bean Teeth), Wednesday, 8 November 2006 20:26 (eighteen years ago)

i'm ashamed to admit it, but up until recently i had completely forgotten how amazing Laughing Hyaenas were. that Merry Go Round album was an important part of my youth, when i began to seriously listening to underground music (like the Hyaenas, Butthole Surfers, Killdozer, or pretty much anything T & G/SST-related) and read mags like Forced Exposure, Your Flesh, and The BOB. i really miss that time, and REALLY miss Laughing Hyaenas.

― Robert Acosta (Rob 77), Thursday, 9 November 2006 23:24 (eighteen years ago)

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