"It was exciting. I remember sneaking in to see them when I was 17 or 18. After that, they became a very reliable 'go-to-see-them-at-the-spring-music-fest' bands. The first album, obviously, is a classic. But, I liked the second album ('Hallowed Ground') a lot. That second record had a really haunting vibe to it. Nothing they did really grabbed me after that and I kind of lost touch with them, but I liked those first two records a lot."

Mike Gent, guitarist for The Figgs, vividly remembers the first time he heard the Violent Femmes. "I remember being at a party in a basement with many girls singing along to the whole thing," Gent said. "Girls in my high school loved that record."

In the introduction to his iTunes playlist, Ben Kweller wrote the following about the Femmes song "Add it Up": "This is acoustic punk, something the Femmes basically created. They are probably the greatest minimalistic band of all time. Acoustic guitar, mariachi bass, snare drum, a cymbal. This album is pure energy; teenage angst at its best. Key lyrics: 'I look at your pants and I need a kiss.' and the ol' curve 'I waited my whole life for just one ... day.'"

Dejan Kralj, bass player for The Gufs, cites the Femmes as an influence for his band.

"They came out in the early '80s, did something completely unconventional and original and created a soundtrack to everyone's teenage angst filled years," Kralj said. "I used to listen to them a lot when I was in high school and could totally relate to and understand their sound and their lyrics.

"The interesting thing is that kids over the past two and a half decades have been doing the same. They created a sound and a message that is still relevant and resonates with today's younger audience. I think that is quite an achievement. As far as an influence, it was more personally than as a band. We were always aware of the Femmes, but never really took any cues in terms of style and sound.

"For me, they were more of a cultural influence similar to other bands of the day like The Replacements, Husker Du, etc."

Over the years, Ritchie has heard similar things from various artists. Asked to list a few, he said: "Just among people who have spoken to me about it I could list Smashing Pumpkins, Pixies, Nirvana, Bob Dylan, Robyn Hitchcock, REM, U2, Aztec Camera, Midnight Oil, Pink, Gnarls Barkley, Al Gore, Tracy Chapman, Lou Reed, John Cusack, Ween, Bic Runga, Liz Phair, White Stripes, and who knows who else?"

The idea of "influence" is a critical component to any band's viability for the Hall of Fame. Another factor to consider is the competition. The list of first-time eligibles joining the Femmes in the Class of '08 includes: Anthrax; The Art of Noise; Bananarama; Big Black; Billy Bragg; Bon Jovi; Butthole Surfers; Corrosion of Conformity; Dio; Europe; Frankie Goes to Hollywood; Howard Jones; James; k.d. Lang; Katrina and the Waves; Lita Ford; Naked Raygun; New Edition; NOFX; Pantera; Paul Rodgers; Pulp; Queensryche; Ratt' Run DMC; Slayer; The Smiths; Social Distortion; Stevie Ray Vaughn; Suicidal Tendencies; Wham! and Zebra.

"(The other groups eligible) can have a big impact on a band's chances," said Walls of futurerockhall.com. "You can't underestimate that."

Gent, who remembers seeing the Femmes live in Burlington, Vt., during the tour for "3," said the Femmes are worthy of induction into the Hall of Fame "right after Graham Parker, Nick Lowe, Dave Edmunds, Squeeze and (Milwaukee's) The Frogs."

Walls adds bands like Rush, KISS, The Cure, Joy Division, Moody Blues, Tom Waits and others to the list of bands "snubbed" by the committee.

Much like in sports, the debate about who belongs in the Hall of Fame and who doesn't can percolate for years as fans debate factors like record sales, chart position, the whims of the nominating committee and voters and the influence of TV, which now broadcasts the induction ceremony.

"That's all part of it," Walls said. "That's why we started our site -- to kind of see who was worthy. You look a band that formed three years ago and wonder if they'll still be relevant after 25 years."

The Femmes have passed that test.

"Twenty-five-plus years have passed so quickly it's difficult to believe," Ritchie said. "Maybe we have changed, but the music hasn't very much. It's amazing, because we routinely play for audiences which consist mainly of fans who were not born when we released the first album. It's like "The Picture of Dorian Grey." We are very lucky to have a fresh crowd reinvigorating us all the time."

Ritchie and bandmates can expect the crowd to be fresh -- and festive -- Thursday night at the Miller Lite Oasis.

"We always enjoy playing in Wisconsin, but we don't really do anything differently or carry a higher burden here," he said. "We've traveled the world so much that we have similar relationships with fans in many different places. But of course we have a special feeling for Milwaukee because it's home."

One day, maybe the Femmes will find a home among the rock and roll's immortals at the museum in Cleveland.

"I have been there several times," Ritchie said. "At one point, there was a display of drumsticks of famous drummers and Victor had the only brushes. That was really nice. Otherwise, I don't think we are mentioned anywhere. One thing that really stuck in my mind was how tiny most of the costumes were. Like Jimi Hendrix -- his clothes were ridiculously small."