Search - Hill of Beans :: The "Hill of Beans" Story

FEATURED ON THE HIT SHOWTIME SERIES "WEEDS"!!! Froo Froo HAH! If you happened to live in Los Angeles in the early 1990s and frequented coffeehouses (such as Jabberjaw, Highland Grounds, or The Pik-Me-Up,) attended one of the many anti-War Rallies (against Gulf War I,) or listened to your local college radio station, chances are you have heard and/or seen Hill of Beans. The duo existed from 1988-91. It consisted of Steve Moramarco playing the acoustic guitar and singing, with his partner David Markowitz singing and playing a variety of acoustic instruments including accordion, fiddle and mandolin. They would often show up at an event and perform unannounced, in a style they referred to as "terror folk." Their blend of comedy, harmony, rock, punk, and folk inspired a young folksinger named Beck to write "Satan Gave Me a Taco" in homage to "Satan, Lend Me a Dollar," and later "Steve Threw Up," about an unfortunate street fair incident. (Two things Steve throws up are "beans" and "saurkraut," a reference to the song "Down & Out.") Comedian/musician Jack Black was also an attendee at early Hill of Beans shows, having been a student at UCLA when both Steve and Dave were there. Jack went on to start his own comedy/folk acoustic duo "Tenacious D" several years later. Hill of Beans' first demo tape, consisting of songs such as "Appreciate," and "Lunatic Asylum" gave them instant popularity on college station KXLU. In 1990, with the help of a friend, they put out a seven-song CD, simply entitled "Hill of Beans," and sent it to college stations all over the U.S. The response was overwhelmingly positive, with top-ten spots all over the country, including Portland, Los Angeles, Indianapolis and Chicago. The song "Satan Lend Me a Dollar," was especially popular, although "Magic Toe" and "Ozone Layer" were close behind. One song, "Afghanistan," (a comedic Irish/Middle-Eastern jig) now sounds strangely contemporary, as does "The Sh*t Has Hit the Fan," in which they sang abo