Don't let the fresh faces fool you...this group scared the hell out of the dormant little city of Winsted, Connecticut from 1976 to 1981.

Also known as Daniels's Animals and Beardo's Weirdoes, they were a force on the streets and in the classrooms of the northwestern Connecticut town. Singularly, they were nothing but a bunch of wasted kids from broken homes in an alcohol-fueled town. Collectively, they were Alien Earth - the baddest family around.

Leading the gang of about 50 kids was an inner circle made up of Brian "Ace" Balfour, Todd "Pigeon" Daniels, Adam "Koons" Bashaw, Scott "Beardo" Beard, John "Hack" Jackson, Danny "Stony" Levine, Quinten "Twilt" Bashaw, and Mike "Pebs" Daniels.

Through timing and luck, this group came together in the fall of 1976 at Isabel M. Pearson Junior High School when Ace, Koons, Beardo, Stony and were assigned to the eighth-grade class 8-5 (along with Little Leo Bessette and Jay "Roach" Cadrain)

The Church Wall
Photo by Hack Jackson

This would form the nucleus of a misfit group that was years ahead of their time. They had long shaggy hair, wore flannel shirts and toques as a punk statement about 15 years before grunge made it fashionable, and experimented with just about everything life had to offer in a decaying factory town.

More history about this group will be posted in the days to come, so check back often.

I need as much information as possible to make this an accurate, concise history, so feel free to contact me anytime to share stories, facts, and pictures of AE. You can contact me at adam@bashaw.com, or call 206.226.6260.