This band has been together since before I was born. The Residents formed (we think) in Louisiana in the mid-60’s and began recording in 1969—their first official album Meet the Residents was released in 1974. The members’ personal identities are often concealed and the band still keeps up that mystique in 2010. They came highly recommended by a very talented friend of mine, so I couldn’t resist. I said “Oh! The guys with the eyeball heads in the tuxedos..” (one of their better-known images) How to best describe them? Pure creative weirdness: cerebral, explorative, three dimensional, and literary (in the sense they sometimes tell stories with plots/themes..). Apparently the cultish fan base is alive and well.. 41 years after their first unofficial recording! The Residents-- as far as I could see, only 3 of them—had their heads cloaked in black sparkly fabric or masked with animal parts to represent some kind of pig-like creature.. The audience was right there with them in outrageous wigs, striped tights, puppy dog costumes.. The music? This particular night, electronic in nature with lots of experimentation on drums, keys, and guitar.. varied lights, and lack of lights, smoke.. and eerie storytelling. There is no category of music for them I think, other than “experimental” or avant-garde, loosely based in rock. Thanks to a great panel presented by AMF that night regarding SXSW, I arrived at this show late, but I am glad I saw The Residents at all. The Residents are a part of underground music history, and I encourage anyone with a frontal lobe to research the multimedia, musical, and performance art contributions to the collective imagination this band has made.
No comments:
Post a Comment