On Saturday night, Liz and I headed over to Neumos to see this band called "Circus Contraption." If you haven't seen them yet, I think you probably need to. Really, they are more than a band...they are an experience. Sprinkle together 1/3 circus freak side show, 1/3 macabre horror, and 1/3 big band jazz…and you might even begin to describe the show.
Here is a short clip of one of the songs they performed (this is not at the show we were at, but what I could find on YouTube):
There were no jugglers, stilt walkers, or fire-eaters, but still great. For another taste, check out this music in this clip:
So, we headed over to the show, bought our tickets, and then ran over to the Maharaja to get some cheap, yet strong, libations. We made it back just in time to catch most of the set of the band “Awesome.” I know Kate is a huge fan of theirs…and I did enjoy them, but since I wasn’t really sure what to expect, I think I was a little let down. I liked their music fine, their harmonizing was awesome (pun intended), but lyrically they seemed to be lacking.
Circus Contraption, however, far exceeded any expectations I might have had. There were some weird people in the crowd (like the older woman with perma grin who kept literally pushing into Liz because she was “in her spot” well before the band even went on or the girl with the horrible tribal tattoos who kept trying to do stripper moves), but then there were the weirdos (people dressed up like they were part of a circus) and I thought those people were kinda cool.
For this show the band consisted of the following members:
Armitage Shanks (although as the ringleader, not a butcher)
Dexter Mantooth
Pinky d’Ambrosia
Chameleo
Shmootzi the Clod
Bunny LaMonte
And a few other souls I cannot identify at the moment…But we had keys/accordion, and another member of the brass section. They all played a ton of instruments, so its hard to narrow it down for you (for example, the Ringmaster, at one point, was simply playing sandpaper). For example, Sally Pepper
made an appearance.They started out with 3 older songs, and then played their newest album, for which this was a record release show, all the way through. It was very good times, other than the fact that it was so hot in there that during one slow song we actually had to go outside for a few minutes. Liz was a little bummed they didn’t play more old stuff.
What is really exciting, however, is that they have a new show, with the FULL CIRCUS, that they will be performing in Fremont starting in May.
As they put it:
The SHOW to End All SHOWS presents a traditional American circus as it romps joyfully toward oblivion. featuring Pink Poodle Girls, A Ball-Balancing Seal Boy, A Real Mermaid, and an original music score by the incredible Circus Contraption Band!
Previews run May 16-18, and the show runs May 22 through June 22 at our new space in Fremont.
And that the show…
imagines a family-owned circus with all of the glamour and glitz of the 70’s and 80’s. The time, however, is now, and the glamour shows signs of decay. A sense of imminent destruction looms as things begin to go awry under the tent. The Ringmaster insists upon the willful denial of their world’s demise by not only his progeny, but also the audience. This twisted take on Americana tells the story of the show that must go on, despite all evidence that the show, and maybe even the world, will be extinguished before the closing act.
I’ll be there…WILL YOU?!
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