absence from the band to deal with his addiction. Jay Adelberg, drummer of the Hartford, Connecticut-based band Forklift, filled in with the Queers, performing on the live album Shout at the Queers; their cover version of the Ramones' 1977 album Rocket to Russia (released as part of Selfless Records' Ramones covers album series); and "Blabbermouth", their contribution to the 1994 Ben Weasel-curated compilation album Punk USA. The Beat Off recording sessions were scheduled to take place partway through a U.S. tour, but O'Neill was once again sidelined by addiction. The Queers therefore called upon Screeching Weasel drummer Dan Panic, and also added his bandmate Dan Vapid as a second guitarist. "Hugh was strung out and couldn't do the tour", recalled King in 2014, "so Panic and Vapid jumped in. We had to do an album in the middle of the tour and just used Panic 'cause he was there. He was a bit busy on drums but kept a steady beat. Weird fucker to tour with; Vapid, me, and [bassist Chris "B-Face" Barnard] were like a gang, and then there was Panic. We used to laugh at him because he was so strange. I did like him a lot, though, and I know he drove Ben crazy and I could see why, but I always liked Panic." In addition to Beat Off, Panic and Vapid would perform on the Queers' subsequent live album, Suck This (1995), and Vapid—having been forced out of Screeching Weasel—would play on 1995's Surf Goddess EP. Recording Beat Off was recorded and mixed from April 1 to April 7, 1994 at Flat Iron Studios in Chicago, with Mark Schwartz and Mass Giorgini as recording and mixing engineers. Ben Weasel, who had produced both 1993's Love Songs for the Retarded and the Queers' cover of Rocket to Russia, served as record producer. As he had for Love Songs for the Retarded, Livermore flew out from Berkeley, California to be present for the recording sessions. According to him, Weasel insisted on a no-frills punk rock sound for Beat Off, which differed from his and King's vision for the album: The mood was distinctly different from the genial, drunken chaos that had accompanied the making of Love Songs for the Retarded. During the Love Songs sessions, Ben had been efficient, good-natured, and accommodating. In Chicago I found him curt, brusque, and, at times, just plain rude. Above all I