Concerts and Craziness
I’ve seen an absolute pissload of concerts in the last week or so and all of them have been of my favorite variety: The kind of show that makes you say, "What the blazing FUCK?"
But in a good way.
First off was Those Darn Accordions, who can polka your eyes out and then some. We're talking squeezeboxes, costume jewelry, poofy white skirts and cat glasses. We're talking songs about Mothra, Lawrence Welk and the Loch Ness Monster. This, ladies and germs is high class kitsch from San Francisco. Check them out if they come your way, and go to their website to listen to samples, such as "Lawnball," which is - as the band describes it - "the mysterious power of lawn ornaments explained." There's nothing like the lights coming up for a show and the lead singer screaming, "Are you ready to POLKA?"
Soon after followed mc chris, one of the world's last living geek rappers, who combined beatalicious misogyny with warm and fuzzy talk of video games, comic books and sci-fi movies. A girl who tried to flirt with me at the bar was later pulled off stage by security for jumping up on stage and awkwardly standing behind mc as he performed, subsequently calling her "the crazy librarian bitch."
This is Baby Gramps. He's delightfully bonkazoid. I think he's a flesh and blood incarnation of a muppet. He performed New Orleans-style jazz and sea chanteys, punctuated by yelps, howls, growls and percussive stuttering, whilst twirling his guitar around on the floor and in the air. I was so bloody delighted that my gut hurt and my face is still in pain from all the smiling. My new hero.
Last but not least is the Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players; a real life family, who are gorgeously weird and spanktastically novel. They collect vintage slides from garage and estate sales, then compose songs to explain the stories that they imagine might go with the images, which are projected on a large screen behind the performance. There was a sort of dadaist approach to the whole event, which started with father Jason Trachtenburg "explaining" the marvels and uses of "connection technology," via a series of slides showing random connectors and outlets. This was followed by songs with such lovely strangeness as "Vietnam, Watergate and Eggs," not to mention a "Mountain Trip to Japan," complete with cocker spaniel puppies and public executions.
Good times.
M-A
But in a good way.
First off was Those Darn Accordions, who can polka your eyes out and then some. We're talking squeezeboxes, costume jewelry, poofy white skirts and cat glasses. We're talking songs about Mothra, Lawrence Welk and the Loch Ness Monster. This, ladies and germs is high class kitsch from San Francisco. Check them out if they come your way, and go to their website to listen to samples, such as "Lawnball," which is - as the band describes it - "the mysterious power of lawn ornaments explained." There's nothing like the lights coming up for a show and the lead singer screaming, "Are you ready to POLKA?"
Soon after followed mc chris, one of the world's last living geek rappers, who combined beatalicious misogyny with warm and fuzzy talk of video games, comic books and sci-fi movies. A girl who tried to flirt with me at the bar was later pulled off stage by security for jumping up on stage and awkwardly standing behind mc as he performed, subsequently calling her "the crazy librarian bitch."
This is Baby Gramps. He's delightfully bonkazoid. I think he's a flesh and blood incarnation of a muppet. He performed New Orleans-style jazz and sea chanteys, punctuated by yelps, howls, growls and percussive stuttering, whilst twirling his guitar around on the floor and in the air. I was so bloody delighted that my gut hurt and my face is still in pain from all the smiling. My new hero.
Last but not least is the Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players; a real life family, who are gorgeously weird and spanktastically novel. They collect vintage slides from garage and estate sales, then compose songs to explain the stories that they imagine might go with the images, which are projected on a large screen behind the performance. There was a sort of dadaist approach to the whole event, which started with father Jason Trachtenburg "explaining" the marvels and uses of "connection technology," via a series of slides showing random connectors and outlets. This was followed by songs with such lovely strangeness as "Vietnam, Watergate and Eggs," not to mention a "Mountain Trip to Japan," complete with cocker spaniel puppies and public executions.
Good times.
M-A