Please Support Local Advertisers
IPSWICH — The Fools, an Ipswich rock band known for its outlandish parodies and comedic stage antics, returned home on Monday night to celebrate its 50th anniversary.
Four of the five current band members — two of whom still live in Ipswich — gathered at Town Hall to receive a proclamation from the Select Board recognizing their “unparalleled 50-year legacy of musical camaraderie, humor, and live performances.”
Linda Alexson, the Select Board member who spearheaded the effort, said she found out about The Fools’ golden anniversary while attending one of their concerts in Hampton, N.H. this year.
“I felt that this incredible milestone really needed to be recognized here in Ipswich since they are from here, they got their start here, some of them still live here, and Ipswich is always a part of their introduction,” Alexson said.
Formed in Ipswich in 1976, The Fools rose to fame in 1979 with the release of “Psycho Chicken,” a parody of the Talking Heads’ “Psycho Killer,” complete with clucking noises.
In the 1980s, the band released numerous other hits including “Life Sucks… Then You Die” and “It’s A Night for Beautiful Girls.” The Fools also opened for artists like Van Halen and The Doobie Brothers on tours across the country.
The group has maintained a loyal local following and continue to perform in nearby venues today. Ipswich designated April 1 as Fools Day in the band’s honor more than a decade ago. Then, in 2024, the band was inducted in the New England Music Hall of Fame.
During the ceremony on Monday, Fools frontman Mike Girard fooled around with the Select Board, pretending to pull out a lengthy speech with at least five pieces of lined paper taped together and joking that one of the band members can’t afford to live in town.
“I don’t want to make it seem like I’m not taking this serious — we are very honored,” he said.
Girard said it is rare to be in a rock and roll band with someone you’ve known since childhood, but that has been the case for him and bandmate Stacey Pedrick, who both grew up in Ipswich.
The Fools are deeply proud of their Ipswich roots, he added.
“We’re still the same boys that grew up here, and no matter where we play, we’re going to introduce ourselves as from Ipswich, Massachusetts, home of the fried clam and entertainment capital of the world,” Girard said, drawing laughter and applause.
