The wacky heavy speed metal Explode-a-Tron blasted the pants off of the Black Forest in Downtown Eugene last night. Giving new meaning to the term “over the top.” Refusing to shed their adult diapers, despite audience requests, Jeffreytron calmly said, “sorry, my body, my choice,” before bursting into a lighting fast song. Jeremytron frenetically pounded on the skins and his double bass work was ins
ane.
Isaac and the Awkward Situations
Comics, Vaudeville, Art Education, and Music
Category Archives: music
Reel Big Fish and Suburban Legends!
Went to the Hawthorne Theatre last friday and caught REEL BIG FISH.
I’ve listened to them since 1996 when the wacky, energetic “Sell Out” was a hit on the radio. I could tell they were playing something similar to these “ska” bands… like the Mighty Mighty Bosstones and Sublime. Reel Big Fish were my favorite of that era, their happy fun zany sound delivering such nasty biting lyrics. I haven’t followed them in years, and of course, they never toured to Alaska, but I still enjoy the “Everything Sucks” album and “Why do they rock so hard?” quite a bit. They rerecorded all their old songs, if you haven’t heard them its an interesting listen. They are recorded only slightly differently, just subtle changes to most of the songs.
Here are my drawings of Aaron Barret and the gang. I enjoyed their playing short samples of other songs within their set, including Sublime and the Offspring. and playing “SR” in about 9 different styles, including hardcore punk, disco and country.
The opening act was “Suburban Legends” who played Disney covers like” You’ve got a Friend in Me,” Ducktales Theme, “and “I just can’t WAIT to be king.” Their horn players had mics attached to their horns, allowing them to dance around and do some wacky cheerleading. This group is really fun and full of infectious energy. 
Big Mama Lele, The Daughters Rea
The Daughters Rea put on a fun, quirky indie folk show, a nice mix of covers and originals, never taking themselves too seriously. 
Big Mama Lele played at Cozmic for their “draw night” artists draw musicians! its like what I do at every show I attend, and they keep the lights on and encourage it. She played all her classics, and “Montreal Boys” was a big hit, but she changed it to Portland boys.
Rufus Wainwright (with Lucy Wainwright Roche)
Rufus Wainwright, cracking wise! at the Shedd
I got to see Martha Wainwright once years ago at South by South West. I think my mom is going to see Rufus tomorrow, and my brother got to see him play in Japan. Sorry to rub it in, dear reader. His control over his voice is fantastic, and his melodies, humor and wit are sublime. Then there is the piano skills to consider. There is a heavy dose of Russian and French classical music in his style. He played guitar on a few songs, and they were fun, poppy numbers like “You Will Believe in Love.”
Looks like he’s got some gray hairs in his beard! He’ll be such a handsome old man. Well, you didn’t tune in for my commentary. Who should I draw next?
The Moody Blues.
Here are a couple of my sketches of The Moody Blues show.
The Moody Blues in 2013 at the Holt Center in Eugene, Or.
They played 30 amazing songs. Their light show was fun, I was impressed. It was cool that they had a live flutist. Having no live string players was a little bit disappointing. The sound was amazing, never too loud. People might complain about bands that tour with only a few of the original members, but I think this band still had the original members that mattered, Justin? The main guy, his voice is definitely the one on all my favorite songs, and the drummer told jokes and had a thicker accent like Ringo kinda, and he did two of his odd Poem- songs/intros… The space was really nice, its called the Holt center, its gorgeous inside, and everywhere was a good view. (They couldn’t quite sing the parts that were supposed to be really high for really long though) the drummer said he;s 72!
They played Isn’t life strange? Tuesday Afternoon (of course), Question, Ride my see saw, the story in your eyes, the voice, your wildest dreams, blue world, You and me. say it with love” And many more.
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When I was 10 my family had only a few cds. Those got listened to over and over and over again. I even slept with the boombox next to my head and the music at the lowest possible level. I think I remember my mother telling me I wasn’t allowed to sing as I went to sleep. Sgt. Peppers was one of them, Bela Fleck: Fight of the Cosmic Hippo was another, and on the Threshold of a Dream was among the first 10 cds… also Apollo 13 by They Might Be Giants. Rubber Soul… So Moody Blues are a part of my eternal brain waves. They permanently were infused into my creative thought processing, and thats what I learned was “good” music.
The Cherry Poppin Daddies
Fancy shmancy swingin sleaze, delivered with so much charm and swagger. The horn section was so tight. the dance moves, hat juggling tricks and stage banter was all so much fun. I listened to these guys back when I was 19. I think they have new members now. They had a young Japanese guitarist. A fan told me that their bass player had been there from the beginning. I didn’t have my art stuff with me, so I just sketched them in pencil on some flyers that were on a table. Their fans are loyal. They were fantastic.
Mood Area 52
Mood Area 52 is a Eugene based band that experiment with many different genres. They play indie pop sure, but they also play some Tom Waits like dirges, Tangos, traditional Russian Music and just for good measure a spot on Country song or two. I thought they were wonderful.
They are playing many shows in October including Halloween and All Hallows Eve eve (oct 30, 31) at Portland’s Mission Theater with their live soundtracks to F.W. Murnau’s Nosferatu and Buster Keaton’s The Boat. I can hardly wait!
check out their full schedule here
http://www.rocketboyarts.com/shows/
I apologize to Amy for not getting her face right, but wow, i sure did a great job on that hand (Billy’s, directly above).
Thao and the Get Down Stay Down
Last week I got to see Thao and the Get Down Stay Down. The show sold out, and there were many people in line outside when the show began. I saw many of them pumping their fists with smiles, because of the window, they could still see and hear the show. Wow, her band sure looks humorless in my drawing. They do seem to be concentrating on the music while they play.
Here are some drawings I made. I left a lot of the pencils in, because they contribute a great deal of excitement, action and fun. 
Also, I drew Thao and her guitarist Kyle three times each. She doesn’t have a band made of clones, as my illustration might suggest. Her band plays very tight, I caught them play in Austin at SXSW at a show at 2pm with Phox.
A highlight of the show was “Holy Roller” from her new album. It was especially fun when she got out an electric guitar and placed it on a keyboard stand and played it like a pedal steel. I do listen to her album “We Brave Bee Stings and All” all the time at home and it would be transplendent to hear her perform that album from front to back, but I really don’t mind her new material. She certainly performs with passion. Her crowd was enthusiastic. She played a fun 60s girl group pop song for a second encore.
In a bizarre coincidence, she is doing a show with my favorite comedian, Maria Bamford but it is in Minessota.
Deep Sea Diver also played. I liked them too; pop rock. Jessica Dobson played with the Shins, and Spoon. They are from Seattle. Alex on guitar is friends with Ian LeSage of Whisky Tango
Trapper Creek Music and Arts Fest ’13
I drew people and things at Trapper Creek. I played as a 3 piece band, Bernie Bousa on drums and James Brookes on Bass. we played songs from the new album, and some paper scissors classics.
I also drew lots of people and things. Here are some of my drawings.
the sound booth
The Stage
End of the Road Coffee
I submit these as evidence that beautiful girls are not the only things I draw.
The gutter Shieks (one member not pictured)
I didn’t draw the other member because I already drew him and when He takes a photo of the drawing that he took from me and emails it to me i will post it here.
Unicorn Justice. (that’s not the name of the band)
This cute band was led by ANgie, but Hunter played some 90s covers- “for the kids” including Soul Coughing (yes!)
Jo the Coffee Girl
Angie from Unicorn Justice
I also got a chance to see “the No Chance Charlies” a very kooky band made up of nearly all of the members of the Overby Family Band, but they are dressed in dresses, heels, makeup and flirt with the audience more. I do prefer the Overby’s set, because the clarinet and trombone were so fun, but I can understand wanting to mix it up. I played with a band so as to not repeat the same performance from the May Trapper Creek.
Of course, Slaughter Daughters, Saucy Yoda, Corrine Rose and The Phineas Gage put on fantastic shows.
I even got to play a little with Jake from Goat Rodeo at the second stage.
Now I am off to Eugene. I hope to play some music there, maybe it will be in the cards to travel to Seattle, Portland, Bend and ?? to play shows there. If you know of somewhere I could play, or a library where I could do a comics workshop, please let me know!
Nokie Edwards
Nokie played at Ferguson Field Stage closing night of the fair with Marc brown and the Blues crew as his backing band. He played several surf hits from the Ventures and his originals, some from his new cd of Latin music. It was a delight to hear those tunes as the sun set and hippies and children danced on the grass with the smell of fried food and kids screaming from carnival rides off in the distance.
Isaac and the Awkward Situations 