Geoff Palmer (Geoffrey Palmer born January 17, 1980, in Wakefield, Massachusetts, United States), also known by the stage name Geoff Useless, is an American musician from Portsmouth, New Hampshire, now living in Madison, Wisconsin. He played bass and provided backing vocals for The Queers[1] straight out of high school, and played guitar and did lead vocals for The Guts and The Nobodys.[2][3]
In early 2011, he did a folk punk solo project with other musicians around Portsmouth called The Geoff Useless (Band).[4] Currently, he co-writes songs for, and plays lead guitar in, a traditional rock and roll /powerpop band called The Connection. The Connection's debut album New England's Newest Hit Makers was released in the Summer of 2011. It, and subsequent releases, captured the attention of Steve Van Zandt, E Street Band member and creator of the popular Sirius XM Radio Station, Little Steven's Underground Garage. Over about a one-year period, Van Zandt went on to name four Connection songs "Coolest Song in the World," putting each in heavy rotation to give the band continual nationwide exposure. Geoff signed with Stardumb Records, on August 13, 2018.
Dee Dee's wife, Vera Ramone, who the song Baby Doll is written for, provided a quote for the LP's hype sticker:
"This tribute album to the late and great DEE DEE RAMONE/KING by GEOFF PALMER is just as fun and entertaining as the original from 1989. Geoff and his bandmates have done a fantastic rendition of "Standing in the Spotlight" with a fresh and updated spin. I'm sure Dee Dee would feel honored and proud by this kind gesture, just as I am. Many thanks from both of us! - Vera Ramone King (a/k/a Baby Doll)."[5]
Biography
Palmer was born in 1980 in Wakefield, Massachusetts, and as a teenager became the bassist for the Portsmouth, New Hampshire punk rock band The Queers. He played on the band's 1998 release's Everything's OK and Punk Rock Confidential. Following his departure from The Queers, he was the guitarist/singer for The Nobodys, and then his longtime band The Guts.
The Guts were formed by Palmer, along with bassist Nate Doyle and drummer Rick Orcutt, when they were students at Portsmouth High School. Originally known as She's a Guy, they changed the band's name to The Guts.[6]
They released their first album Sensitive side of The Guts in 2001. In 2003 they put out their second full length Say Goodbye to Fun and the EP So What If We're On DBD? After going on a hiatus, the band reformed in 2006, and did a worldwide tour, with stops in America, Canada, and Europe, adding Courtney Denison, of The Lanterns, as their second guitarist for the European dates.[7][8] That year they re-released all their old material in a compilation called Sometimes You Just Can't Win, and put out a new EP called Mucho Punk Rock N' Roll.
In 2007, the band played Insubordination Fest, where in addition to doing a set of their own, did sets backing up Screeching Weasel singer Ben Weasel, and former Queers singer Wimpy Rutherford.[9] CD/DVD sets from the show, of The Guts, and Wimpy Rutherford with The Guts, were released on Insubordination Records in 2008. That year they would also release what would be their last full-length album, Let it Go, which was recorded at Butch Vig's Smart Studios.[10]
Geoff Palmer released his first solo album Don't Stop in 2010.
Palmer started The Connection in 2011 with Brad Marino. The band has toured Europe twice and has gained an avid following in the Power Pop musical genre, playing shows with The Flamin' Groovies, Mark Lindsay, Richie Ramone, The Figgs, Muck and The Mires, the legendary Paul Collins (musician) of The Nerves and The Paul Collins Beat. The Connection's song "Seven Nights to Rock" was picked by Steven Van Zandt and his SiriusXM radio show "Little Steven's Underground Garage" as the "Coolest Song in The World" for the week of August 12, 2012. The band went on to receive "Coolest Song" honors and saturation airplay three more times over the next year with the original Marino/Palmer compositions "Comes 'n' Goes," 4/7/13, "Crawling From The Wreckage of A Saturday Night," 7/8/13, and "Girls In This Town," 9/1/13.
In early 2014, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum selected The Connection to perform at its 11th annual "It's Only Rock and Roll" Spring Benefit to "an exclusive audience of 1,000 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame VIPS." The event will take place at Cleveland's Public Hall (Auditorium), the same venue at which the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction ceremony sometimes is held. Daryl Hall and John Oates are slated to perform later in the evening. Proceeds from the May 10, 2014, event go to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum's music education activities.
In 2012, Palmer founded Collector's Club Records with fellow New England musician Kurt Baker. The label has released albums and singles by The Connection, Baker, and Wimpy and The Medallions, which features the original vocalist for The Queers Wimpy Rutherford.[11]
In November 2013, Brad Marino, Geoff Palmer (The Connection) and Kurt Baker recorded a two-track CD as The New Trocaderos. On March 3, 2014, the New Trocaderos track "The Kids" was named a "Coolest Song In The World" on SiriusXM radio show "Little Steven's Underground Garage". In September 2014, the trio recorded a second New Trocaderos EP entitled "Kick Your Ass." On January 4, 2015, the song "Dream Girl" was named a "Coolest Song In The World." This was the thirteenth time (including four Kurt Baker "Coolest Songs" and one Kris Rodgers "Coolest Song") that a song featuring Palmer went on to receive "Coolest Song" honors.
On August 13, 2018, Geoff signed with Stardumb Records and released five albums with them to date.
