And a bit more music: John Wilkes Booze is insane
Date 4/29/2004 12:00 AM | Topic: Arts & CultureThe first time I encountered John Wilkes Booze, I left frightened and confused. That's how good they are. The Booze pour out an indie rock/soul/art-punk/r&b sound distilled in Bloomington, Indiana - not too far from my hometown. It's insane.
I was introduced to them when they opened for Spoon and The Crooked Fingers at some cramped and smoky bar in Bloomington, home of Indiana University. The six members of John Wilkes Booze waded their way to the stage through a sea of college students and spilled beer. They were dressed in well-fitting suits, and I expected them to act accordingly. I was wrong.
Basically, they got on stage and freaked out. That's the only way I can describe it.
Vocalist Seth Mahern spent their entire set stumbling and flailing like a liquored-up Gumby, stopping occasionally to ramble into the microphone in a falsetto squeak. At one point he crawled up onto the speaker stacks and rolled around on his back. I was convinced that he was going to come crashing down and be crushed under the weight of the speakers. Now that's rock 'n' roll.
Throughout their performance, other people kept coming on stage and playing auxiliary percussion instruments. At one point, there had to be 15 people up there. Then, for the last song, Mahern issued an invitation for everyone to come on stage. Many accepted. Some brought large, industrial trash cans full of rubbish. Needless to say, chaos ensued.
Five Pillars of Soul is a good introduction to this rock 'n' roll madness, without the sloshing beer and airborne trash. The album rocks you from the beginning, especially with the first two tracks, "Sweetback's Gonna Make It," and "See Through Sound," which showcase Mahern's distinct vocals over driving guitar and organ riffs.
The recordings on Five Pillars were originally made for a series of limited edition handmade CD EPs that were released two months apart during 2002, starting with Pillar One, "Martin Van Peebles," and ending with Pillar Five, "Yoko Ono," (the other three are Tania Hearst, Albert Ayler, and Marc Bolan). Each "Pillar" was recorded live in one day to analog tape with little or no overdubbing. The band researched each "Pillar" before writing the songs, and the liner notes contain over 8000 words, so listeners can learn while they rock out. Amazing.
Be warned, John Wilkes Booze is not for the weak-kneed or the avid Top 40 fan. In fact, the first time you hear them, you might be a little scared. But isn't that the point of rock 'n' roll?
--
Zach Hawkins
[ Comment, Edit or Article Submission ]
