Zzyzx was a
band. From what I can glean, they did indeed break up. This is reported in the 7/16 Vine
column of the
Synthesis (http://www.synthesis.net/index.php?main=/columns/vine/07/16/). Do not try to access this site in
Netscape as the
java code only works in
IE. The
keyboard player, Kolby Barr, is the one that broke it to the columnist. The lead
vocalist Windy Wagner has since worked on a
solo career. They released two
albums, the second of which was Next Exit in 1986. I can find reference to their being on the
playbills of Palookaville in
Santa Cruz on
May 26, 2000 as well as for
Broke Ass Summer Jam 5 at the
Maritime Hall in
San Francisco on
July 21, 2000.
There was also a band called Exit to Zzyzx with lead vocalist named Lauren. She has since joined the band the Papercuts.
In 1989, the Mojave Group announced the release of the Zzyzx Integrated Mail Processor for QuickBBS (ZMailQ). Intriguingly, the Mojave Group was, and may still be, located in Westminster, CO.
The book Zzyzx Encounters was written by Thomas Thompson in 1994. The title was issued for the first time in early 1999. The byline from the editor is, "American revolution in the year 2030." Extraterrestrials, a black female Chief Justice, electric vehicles and an end to gun control are some of the themes. Amazon.com ships it in 4 - 6 weeks.
Another book, Captain Zzyzx, was written by Michael Petracca in 1992. It is the sequel to the book Doctor Syntax, which is listed under Mystery/Suspense with Amazon.com. While Doctor Syntax is available with a 1 - 2 week ship time, Captain Zzyzx is currently out of print.
In the 1870's, a public bathing establishment known as Soda Lake Station was built at Soda Springs. In 1944, Curtis H Springer and wife Helen found the land deserted and took posession under a mining claim, developing it into the Zzyzx Mineral Springs and Health Resort which operated until 1974. The National Park Service regained possession in 1994 and the site is leased to the California Desert Studies Consortium of the California State University. {1}
Zzyzx Road is an exit off of I-15. It is purported to be a 4 1/2 mile long dirt road leading from the Interstate to the springs. A good daytime photo of this exit can be found at (http://www.schweich.com/imagehtml/1440-11.html) Particularly interesting information on the road and expanding on the history of the springs can be reached at (http://www.wordways.com/zzyzx.htm) as well as another photo of the turnoff. I have yet to actually drive this bit of road, although I have passed it many times on my way to and from Las Vegas. I will eventually drive it, even though one of my coworkers reports it to be rather uninteresting.
(http://www.ihoz.com) is the International House of Zzyzx. The proprietor, David "ZZYZX" Steinberg, is something of a road buff, having compiled stats on the Interstates to be found in the US. The site also boasts Phish stats, Fun with Phone Numbers, a Random Color Generator, and several links to friends, ramblings, and Dr Pepper.
Finally, there is Zzyzx Peripherals, Inc. (http://www.zzyzx.com) Their main page byline reads:
" RAID. Workstations. Tape Back-Up. -- Zzyzx' custom computing solutions are designed to solve your current needs and future requirements. Call today to get the best combination of hardware, software and service to achieve your system's full potential effectively and affordably."
That pretty much sums them up.
{1} information from (http://www.nps.gov/moja/mojaplan/mojaaff.html)