If you’re going to see one comedic Wild West rock opera inspired–loosely–by American history…well, it’s safe to say Salt Lake Acting Company’s current production of Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson is your only option.
Thankfully, it’s a worthy one; the show is a Drama Desk and Outer Circle Critics Award winner, and SLAC’s version is a remarkably entertaining blast of song, dance and non-stop laughs that will remind many SLAC regulars of the manic energy of the theater’s summer Saturday’s Voyeur satires.
The difference, of course, is that instead of the laughs coming from the audience’s knowledge of hyper-local politics and culture, they come from the audience’s deep dive into the boisterous life of the country’s seventh president. No doubt many of us remember some U.S. history class nuggets about Andrew Jackson, from his “Old Hickory” nickname to his efforts to eradicate native tribes from the western frontier. But playwright Alex Timbers fills in some lesser-known details throughout the show that traces–again, loosely–Jackson’s rise from a dumb-as-a-stump redneck to populist president.
Whether or not those details are historically accurate hardly matters–I’m pretty sure that Jackson didn’t use “Old Hickory” as the nickname for his penis. I’m no historian. But it was damn funny during Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, thanks in large part to actor J.C. Ernst, who plays the title character with an Elvis-like swagger throughout the show, whether leading raucous rock tunes or wooing the women entranced by his backwoods charms.
The show gets the audience on Jackson’s side right away, as we witness Jackson’s family and friends on the frontier murdered by Indians or killed by cholera. It’s a rough start for the future president, one he describes accurately with a song featuring the line, “Life sucks. But my life sucks in particular!”
Yes, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson‘s dialogue and songs are delivered in modern vernacular, and that helps the comedic aspects of the show tremendously; seeing characters in historical garb liberally drop f-bombs is a treat for those of us who enjoy the cursing arts. And the rock tunes filling the production are funny as well; the song with the refrain “Populism! Ya! Ya!” totally reminded me of something you’d see in a South Park episode.
While Ernst is clearly the headliner of this party, he’s surrounded by a strong cast that manages to take some of the spotlight rightly focused on him. This is SLAC’s first demonstration of the theater’s University Professional Theatre Program, and the cast is filled with fine actors and singers from local colleges. Aaron Ross (playing Martin Van Buren), Austin Archer (as James Monroe), Chase Ramsey (as John Quincy Adams), Patrick Kintz (as John C. Calhoun) and Daniel Clay (as Henry Clay) are all excellent as a collection of East Coast aristocrats that Jackson absolutely loathes (they’re among a list of things he hates, along with the Spanish, the British, and Indians). Jessica Kennedy is sexy and sassy as Jackson’s wife Rachel, and Connor Norton does excellent work as the main female vocalist of the songs, whether acting as a fawning Jackson fan or a one-woman Greek chorus of sorts.
The stage set is relatively ornate for a SLAC production, with logs filling the perimeter around stacks of beer kegs and wood pallets–yes, Jackson was a backwoods party guy. Director Keven Myhre moves the show along at a ripping clip; Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson is delivered without a break between acts, so it definitely comes across as a rock show as much as a night of theater. The live rock band at the back of the stage led by David Evanoff (who also acts as a narrator at times) drives the rock-show vibe home even more. Put all the aspects together, and you have one seriously fun night out.
Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson runs at Salt Lake Acting Company through Nov. 4. Visit the Salt Lake Acting Company Website for showtimes and ticket information.
DINOSAUR JR., THE URBAN LOUNGE, Sunday, Oct. 14, 9 p.m., $20
Of all the ’80s and ’90s bands alt-rock reunions that have occurred in the past few years, perhaps the most unlikely is that of Dinosaur Jr. Granted, singer/guitarist J Mascis has kept the name Dinosaur Jr. going pretty much non-stop for the last couple of decades, using a rotating cast of backing musicians. But the classic lineup featuring Mascis, drummer Murph and bassist/singer Lou Barlow exploded early in the band’s career, after recording the classic album You’re Living All Over Me. Barlow, a fine songwriter himself, felt Mascis ruled the band with an iron fist, and left to form Sebadoh, Folk Implosion and a variety of other projects–often slagging Mascis in the music press along the way. As often happens, the years got all involved to lighten up, and the classic Dinosaur Jr. trio got back together a few years back. They just released their third album since the reunion, the excellent I Bet The Sky, and they’re on the road to support it. Last time they were slated to play Salt Lake City, the band was waylaid by a freak early fall snowstorm in Wyoming. Here’s hoping the weather stays sane and Mascis and Co. get to Urban Lounge in good time, and good spirits. A word to the wise: If you’ve never seen Dinosaur Jr., bring earplugs. There might not be a louder band on the planet. Shearwater opens the show.
First things first: the Psychedelic Furs in 2012 are a better show than any post-punk band whose first album arrived 32 years ago has any right to be.
Credit for that goes directly to the band, whose music holds up remarkably well. While many music fans were introduced to the Furs via their tune “Pretty In Pink,” later appropriated for the John Hughes flick/Molly Ringwald vehicle of the same name, the band actually had already built up a considerable catalog of dark-yet-poppy songs that settled in nicely between the straight-up punk pioneers of the ’70s and the synth-pop bands that came to define the early ’80s for many.
The Psychedelic Furs were certainly offered up to the masses via the same channels–MTV, more specifically–as bands like Duran Duran, but they never achieved full crossover success until Pretty In Pink. But for “alternative” kids who listened to college radio, or commercial stations like KJQ here in Salt Lake City, the Psychedelic Furs were an omnipresent force for a good 10 years.
Monday night at the State Room, the band land by singer Richard Butler and his bass-playing brother, Tim, delivered a strong set of old favorites, with Richard Butler in particular evoking the band’s heyday with his stage movements and still-gritty voice. Who would have ever thought Psychedelic Furs would be a band that would age gracefully, but that they did.
The band wasted no time in pleasing the crowd, opening with a strong salvo of “Only You and I,” “Love My Way” and “Run and Run,” all of them featuring Richard Butler teasing the audience, slapping their hands while strutting the stage. He remains a remarkably lithe frontman, even while he’s added glasses to his look, and taken his mussed mop down a few inches from the video days.
“Mr. Jones,” “Heartbreak Beat,” and “The Ghost In You” immediately followed–some of the Psychedelic Furs most beloved songs. I quickly came to realize, though, that among the hardcore Furs fans on hand, ALL of the songs were beloved. Songs that weren’t very familier to me–and I’m a casual Furs fan at best–made up the heart of the show, and tunes like “No Easy Street,” “She Is Mine” and “Believe” were some of the strongest performances of the night.
Naturally, “Pretty in Pink” got a massive reaction from the crowd, and it sounded great. But I was most impressed with the fact that the Furs didn’t end the show with that song. Rather, the song came roughly two-thirds of the way through the 17-song set, and it was followed by a group of songs that had the band turning up the volume, and the energy. “Highwire Days,” “Danger” and “Heaven” rounded out the show well.
A couple of encore songs later–“President Gas” and “India,” if memory serves–and the Psychedelic Furs were gone, about 90 minutes after they began. And one had the feeling that we weren’t simply seeing an old band one more time before they disappear forever. Instead, based on their performance Monday, it’s easy to imagine seeing the Furs a few more times before that day comes. I’d do it again.
CELEBRATE THE BOUNTY, RICO’S WAREHOUSE, Thursday, Oct. 11, 6-10 p.m., $55 for food and drinks/$50 for food only.
I’ve been lucky enough to attend Local First Utah’s Celebrate the Bounty fall party and fundraiser a couple times, and it’s one of the best benefits you can go to in Salt Lake City, and at a pretty remarkable price for what you get. Not only are you supporting the Local First Utah organization and its support and promotion of Utah businesses and communities; you are also getting a fine night out with live music, an interesting crowd to mingle with, and food and drinks from some of Utah’s very best restaurants. Among this year’s offerings, you’ll find me lurking around the booths to sample fare from Avenues Bistro on Third, Caffe Niche, Communal, Finca, Frida Bistro, Hell’s Backbone Grill, Tin Angel, Mazza and Red Iguana–and that’s just scratching the surface of what’s available. Tickets are limited, so you’ll want to get on it! You can buy them at Squatters Pub Brewery, the Harmons City Creek location, The King’s English Bookshop, or online at the Local First Website linked above.
PSYCHEDELIC FURS, THE STATE ROOM, Monday, Oct. 8, 8 p.m., $35
For far too many people, Psychedelic Furs are simply the band that lent the title (and title song) to ’80s John Hughes flick Pretty in Pink. That sells the British crew led by Richard Butler WAY short. After forming in 1977, they released a couple of excellent albums in their 1980 self-titled debut and 1981’s Talk, Talk, Talk–the album where “Pretty In Pink” first appeared. For the rest of the ’80s, the band was increasingly commercially successful–songs like “Heaven,” “The Ghost in You,” “Love My Way” and “Heartbreak Beat” were staples of so-called “alternative” radio–but the band split for most of the ’90s before reforming and started to tour regularly again at the beginning of the new millennium. I’ve seen Psychedelic Furs in the past few years, and Butler is still a fine frontman, and those ’80s tunes hold up remarkably well. In terms of a Monday night in Salt Lake City, it will be hard to do much better than this gig. Muscle Hawk opens the show.
One of the upsides of touring behind a rock opera for a musician must be that the show’s energy doesn’t rely on the crowd as much as it does the work being played.
Proof positive? Mike Watt’s show Wednesday night at The Urban Lounge, part of the bass master’s second U.S. tour in support of his hyphenated-man album/opera. While the crowd was depressingly small–come on, Salt Lakers, this guy’s a legend who’s been coming here for years. Where ya at?–Watt and his two Missing Men (guitarist Tom Watson and drummer Raul Morales) knocked out the 30-song blast of arty punk with undeniable energy.
Watt is always one magnanimous mofo, and that was no different Wednesday. While he and his band never paused once they started the hyphenated-man song cycle, once they started in on a few post-opera tunes Watt was chatting up the crowd and his typical garrulous self.
While the hyphenated-man set is delivered as a whole, you can divvy up the pieces into highlights from the show. One of them was the loping groove monster of “hollowed-out man.” Another was the aggressive “hammering-castle-bird-man.” Some songs are obvious nods to Watt’s past bands The Minutemen and fIREHOSE–“bird-in-the-helmet-man” and the almost gentle “baby-cradling-tree-man,” which features Watt vocals reminiscent of old tunes like “Walking The Cow.”
Angular punk styles came via songs like “fryingpan-man” and “shields-shouldered-man, while songs like “pinned-to-the-table-man” was more like a spoken-word poetry jam than traditional rock and roll.
But that’s Watt–the man has spent the better part of four decades throwing jazz, punk, rock, politics and poetry in a blender and spitting out the results with some of the most distinctive bass-playing you can imagine.
Here’s hoping he keeps coming back to town, no matter how big the crowd. Knowing Watt, I imagine that’s exactly what he’ll do. He was effusive in thanking the people who DID show up for doing so on a work night. And we thanked him right back.
Daniel Nailen 