By Eric W. Jentsch
This post was originally published on the National Museum of American History blog, O Say Can You See?
Rocking leather jackets, teased hair, and loud music, Nova Rex traveled across America in the 1980s and early 1990s, living the rock 'n roll dream. While never reaching the heights of mega stars such as Mötley Crüe and Quiet Riot, the band packed clubs with screaming fans, released records on major labels, and landed corporate sponsorship. Their wild look, sound, and attitude epitomize the outrageousness and hedonism of the hair band era.
The museum recently collected materials from Nova Rex as part of our ongoing efforts to preserve historical instruments and represent the diverse forms of American popular music. Among the materials recently donated by bassist Kenny Wilkerson are a pair of leather chaps, an instrument sponsored by Budweiser, and a cassette tape featuring a mouse in a tank-top holding a knife. Needless to say, this is the first sound recording featuring a knife-wielding mouse in the museum's collections. These objects are not currently on display in the museum.
Kenny kindly answered a few questions for us about Nova Rex, metal's place in American history, and of course, his hair.
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