Loud was part of “An American Family” in 1973, but his wild band, Mumps, never signed a record deal. Now their songs are being released on the 20th anniversary of his death.
The march on June 27 will be mostly virtual. But not to worry: There are plenty of in-person events, performances and celebratory exhibitions throughout the city this month.
June 1, 2021
I was lying in my bed listening to the cicadas sing. The “Loreleis of the insect world,” as The New York Times called them that month, had emerged to “drum their compelling love song to herald yet another cycle of their amazing and mysterious 17-year life span.”
It was a sound so loud and strange, it was easy to think I’d strayed out of Pennsylvania and woken up in some other world.
A different world would have suited me fine. It was June 22, 1970, my 12th birthday, and the first day of summer school. For six hours Mr. Williamson that day drilled us on word problems.