Interview II, Punkabilly, Crime-Fighting Ska

Part 2 of 2 of that MMORPG.com interview.

Sorry about the absenteeism. It was crunch time at work, gearing up for Big Important Secret Things. It's mostly normal again now, but in crunch time, the first three things to suffer are my sleep schedule, my yard, and this website, basically in that order.

Way back on August 10th, D and I again met up with this chick, as well as Becky, a Gitto's people, for the Phenomenauts and Aquabats! show down in east STL. A summary awaits you.

First up: Time Again, a punk band from somewhere in the vicinity of Rancid's closet, I think. There was nothing wrong with these guys...they were kinda bouncy singalong punk rock. One of them had a mohawk. Nothing they did bothered me. They were just there. And very Rancid-influenced. Really. I'd see them again if it was convenient, and I'd nod along if they came on my iTunes.

Next: the Phenomenauts. While I do dig the Aquabats a lot, these guys are the reason I went. I found the Phenomenauts back in May of 2004 through a Springman records sampler. I really recommend picking up some of their samplers. They're like $2, postage included, and have some great stuff. I digress. The Phenomenauts blew me away...they were everything I hoped they'd be live and more. Incredibly entertaining and energetic, the Phenomenauts play what they refer to as Rocket Roll and what Denise refers to as punkabilly. Basically, they play punked up rockabilly/surf with a science fiction theme. If you ever get the chance to catch them, do it. I command it, yo. Dude played his upright bass behind his head, and if that's not a fucking display of dedication to your entertainment, I don't know what is, and I suspect you don't either. In the meantime, go download an MP3 or two from Springman's site or their own.

Third on the bill: The Eyeliners. As I mentioned to my showmates, they were a movie band: one of those bands you see in a movie about a band. That was a cheap shot, so I'll try to be fair here. Three piece all-girl pop/punk band from a place with a name. They had good songwriting, and the guitarist had good stage presence and was hell of cute. The singer did not do it for me, as she seemed to be trying to come off as kinda hardcore, as it were, but the vocals were very forced, rather like if Sixpence None The Richer opted to cover some Black Flag, I guess. She couldn't really decide whether she was going to shout or sing, so wasn't really pulling off either, and she had very American Idol stage moves, which works if that's what you're going for, but they weren't. Maybe she was having an off night, though, because apparently they're doing okay, and have played the Warped Tour and whatnot, and it's just me who had never heard of them before that night. Interestingly, all three members are sisters. Of each other, I mean. They reminded me of the Go-go's, but I read an interview where they were totally against that comparison; they do indeed intend to be out there rockin' it hardcore.

Ultimately, I think they're not at all bad, just trying for the wrong genre. On the other hand, if they're happy, I'm happy. That they played after the Phenomenauts couldn't have helped; there are only a handful of bands out there who could've followed that with any success.

Enter the Aquabats, and you can marvel at my segue if you like, because they were such a band.

I expected to love the Aquabats, but was there for the Phenomenauts and fully intended for them to be the highlight of the show for me; these crime-fighting ska superheroes had other plans. The easiest way to describe the Aquabats' live show is "Holy Mother of God, is this dangerously fun?" Seriously. It's like they were pumping fun through the central air, or perhaps slipping fun into my Guinness. I don't mean, like, fabricated beer commercial fun, or Saturday morning cartoons fun. Those funs can't step to this. This was not even rocking out fun, or young angst-driven rebellious fun, although these are very fine funs in their own right.

No, my friend - and you are my friend - I'm talking about pure, unadulterated fun, the kind where you can't help but grin, because you're just so damn happy to be there. A fun that doesn't come at the expense of others, require chemical enhancement, or involve a military coup. A fun so clean and pure that it's like a shining grail of enjoyment, a moment in time where the most glorious memory of the most perfect childhood could somehow be distilled and put on stage to be enjoyed by all humans equally.

Yeah, they were just that fun. I get a little misty just thinking about it.

In other news, I'm most of the way through Dungeon Siege II, and it's pretty fun.

Currently listening to: "Zooming Smoothly", Midget Handjob

Fame At Last

Part one of a two-part Hero's Journey interview with yours truly is now up on MMORPG.com.

Currently listening to: "Wicked Sensitive Crew", Dropkick Murphys

My Loss Is Your Gain

Couldn't sleep, as usual, so I added 13 new tracks to the radio. Some you'll like, some you'll hate, some are decidedly quirky. Enjoy.

Bal-Sagoth - The Dreamer in the Catacombs of Ur
Brand New - Sic Transit Gloria, Glory Fades
Devin Davis - Iron Woman
G Love and Special Sauce - Yeah, It's That Easy
Ice Cube - No Vaseline
Lunachicks - Heart of Glass (Blondie Cover)
Ministry - Stigmata
Muse - Stockholm Syndrome
Pitchshifter - You Are Free (To Do As We Tell You)
The Delltones - Pretty Vacant (Sex Pistols cover)
The Faint - Agenda Suicide
The Pictures - Milkshake (Kelis cover)
Zebrahead - Wannabe (Spice Girls Cover)

Kinda cover-heavy, now that I look at it. Oh well.

Music That Puts Everything Together

So D and I went to Indianapolis to the Melody Inn on Saturday, to see Jason Webley, having no idea we were in for a night of musical genius.

First up was none other than Lord of the Yum-Yum, a Chicago-based music teacher gone crazy. To say that his show was interesting is like saying that there's a LiveJournal out there with overwrought faux angst. He claimed his name was Max, short for Maximum Happiness, and he delivered mightily on that, planting a stupid grin on my face right away, and exiting the stage amidst a swirling cloud of euphoria. I know, that's all well and good, but what exactly does he do? You're so damn impatient.

Essentially, he performs classical music - usually in a hip-hop or techno style - with no instruments or electronics whatsoever, except a microphone and a single loop-based sampler. Using this, he layers his own voice, dozens of levels deep, doing all of the sampling on the fly, nothing prerecorded. Throughout this, he improvises constantly, mixing in a capella Led Zeppelin, reenactments of B-grade horror movies, and dancing spastic enough to shoot Ritalin's stock through the roof. On top of it all, he's a super nice guy who spent ten minutes or so sitting and chatting with Denise and I afterwards. If this is not the ultimate evolution of geek rock, it's at least the pinnacle thus far, and was single-handedly worth the drive and price of admission. If you can catch him out and about, do not miss the opportunity. His website has a couple of MP3s, but they are to the live show as a postage stamp is to Van Gogh's Starry Night. I encourage you not to go and listen to them, unless you can do so without forming a preconceived notion about seeing him perform, as making a judgment call based on those impersonal digital samples would be a crime against humanity, and no one wants to see you go down that road, least of all me.

Next on the bill: Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band. Indianapolis local Peyton, who is indeed an ordained Reverend (although I have no idea as to the church, and don't necessarily want to), plays the dobro and guitar as though he were born to, and perhaps he was. A large man with a larger beard, Peyton is also the Big Damn Singer, swapping between growling punk and a deep soulful...I don't know, a yodel, almost. Thoroughly entertaining to watch. His brother Jayme plays the drums, and by contrast looks like the nicest, most clean-cut kid you could ever hope to warn not to go near your daughter. Peyton's wife Breezy wraps up the trio on the washboard, and is also extremely entertaining to watch. All of their songs were full of energy and tight playing, and while I didn't get to talk to Breezy, both of the fellas were extremely nice. Also singlehandedly worth the trip.

And then of course, there was Jason Webley. I already knew that Jason was a genius; I consider him the Leonard Cohen of our generation, except with a slightly better singing voice. Now I know that he's a gifted stage performer as well. Besides performing a brilliant version of Outkast's "Hey Ya", he worked the crowd into a single happy, partying entity seemingly at will. A lot more energetic than you would expect from his largely introspective albums, he seemed right at home in a dive bar, bantering with the crowd, stopping in the middle of songs to tell jokes or anecdotes, and generally having a really good time himself.

As I mentioned before, you can listen to one of his albums free online, and they're only $10 anyway (postage included). He runs the entire operation himself, which surprised me, since most people at least farm out their merchandising; got a little handwritten note of thanks when I ordered some albums. Listen, if you ever do anything for me, please support this guy, as I would love to see him be successful at something he's so talented at and so obviously enjoys doing. Go give him a listen, and if you like him, pick up an album or two, and go see him play next time he's in town.

Also, like the others playing that night, Jason stopped by for a chat with D and I, and I'm supposed to try to find him a good place to play in St. Louis, so if you live in the area and have any suggestions, drop me a line.

There was a fourth band after him, but I didn't especially care for them, and am not going to name them so as to not potentially step on anyone's feelings.

Finally, I just added about 40 phonecam pictures. Go peruse them, won't you?

Currently listening to: "Stockholm Syndrome", Muse