Feed Us A Live Insect

My life with the Knife

So, Shonen Knife. Less than a week until our show with them--I am very excited. Someone (was it Don of Don's Music fame?) once told me that their original drummer lives in Eagle Rock? Is this true? I keep wondering if I'll spot her at the Super A, but no, no such luck. Maybe Don is pulling my leg.

ANNNYWAY. I can't quite remember who first mentioned Shonen Knife to me--this is almost 20 years ago by now. It might have been my brother. I do remember seeing a review of Let's Knife in some gearhead guitar dude magazine in the early 90's and thinking "huh." I think this same magazine was trying to politely suggest that, perhaps, Shonen Knife wasn't quite as heavy in the gearhead guitar dude department as some other quality bands at the time, for instance:



vs.



Hmmmm...

Well, despite Extreme's manifest charms, I ended up siding with Shonen Knife, even after a young woman who (I think) was trying to flirt with me by demanding that I lift her off the ground (I failed) tartly dismissed the band with a "they just want to be cartoon characters" comment. I distinctly remember thinking "doesn't EVERYBODY?!?" I didn't say it out loud, though--too busy trying to lift said girl off the ground. Failed again. She had a lame bowl haircut and was into Sarah McLachlan. I don't remember her name. But I DO remember THIS:

...and I think you would have to have a heart of stone not to like a video like that. Personally, I suspect that more bands would benefit by shooting space monsters with lasers from headless guitars. Especially bands struggling with their image. I can think of...well, just about everyone. Just saying.

Anyway, soon after the failed-girl-lifting episode, my brother bought me a copy of Every Band Has A Shonen Knife Who Loves Them and, for my birthday, took me to see them play in Detroit. This was the show that I mentioned earlier wherein much of the audience was dressed up as either Batman or Paul Revere and the Raiders. It made a very, very large impression on me and, along with that scene in Wings of Desire where Nick Cave plays From Her To Eternity in some decaying Berlin palace, cemented in my brain the idea of what a Cool Rock And Roll Show was like.

Over the next few days I'm gonna post some more about SK--but please please pass this facebook invite around to anyone and everyone. I would love to make this show extremely wonderful by seeing all of your lovely faces there. Thanks!

posted by Eli Monolator @ 10:57 AM