In their own humorous, self-effacing way, The Young Fresh Fellows are everything you need to know about the Seattle music scene, which is really made up of a surprisingly small but tightly-knit group of people who are music lovers first and foremost. Nerdy types who worked in record stores just so they could use their employee discounts to buy the same records they'd been bombing customers with all day. Cellophane Square, in Seattle's University District, employed members of The Fastbacks, Modest Mouse, Kinski and many other bands including the unruly haired Scott McCaughey of The Young Fresh Fellows.
The Fellows achieved some cult status sized fame around the country in the 80's and in the 90's but in Seattle they were the cool slightly older brothers of the rock scene, adored by most. Annoying only to bands who came up with great, clever and novel ideas for songs only to hear that The Fellows had already done that.
When The Fellows were taking time off, Scott played with his friend Peter's band. You wouldn't know the name if I said it so I won't bother. Okay it was R.E.M.
In 1999, on an afternoon before Danny DeVito hosted Saturday Night Live, Scott and members of R.E.M. were walking down a street in Manhattan when a fan from Seattle stopped them and asked what they were doing in the city. Buck said they were playing Saturday Night Live. "You're kidding!" the fan said. "That's so cool! The Young Fresh Fellows are on Saturday Night Live!"
