We Are The Seahorses, Killspree Burlesque, and Real Life Time Machines at an “undisclosed” basement location
By BARRY THOMPSON | October 24, 2008
During Real Life Time Machines’ set in an “undisclosed” basement location Saturday evening, a sombrero traveled from one of their heads into my possession, and I dutifully attempted to pull it apart with my teeth. I think I also ate some of the confetti that was showered upon us. The ensuing batshit hysteria of this gathering was probably as close as one can realistically and safely get to a temporary autonomous zone. I hardly need say that what few legible notes I took don’t make a lick of sense now.
This type of aggressive surrealism was to be expected from another band on Saturday’s bill, We Are the Seahorses, New Jersey’s hyper-theatrical tempest of electro-noise. Despite being a hairy, rotund gentleman, Darren Seahorse possesses a mystical anti-charisma that persuades people to dance with no shirts on as he himself strips to a G-string and screams funny lyrics about cancer. WATS appeared as a duo Saturday, with merely a laptop for instrumentation, proving that the likes of keyboardists and drummers can be more than adequately replaced by strobe lights, costume changes, and unadulterated zazz. Somehow, Darren Seahorse and numerous others wound up covered in glitter.
Earlier in the living room, the Killspree Burlesque troupe had presented self-depreciating stand-up comedy, not-so-self-depreciating stripteases, and an awkward/hilarious dating game. The whole thing might’ve come off amateurish if not for the packed room and the pro stripper pole. The downfall of Miss Trixie (who at one point donned a mermaid costume and sang a bit of “Part of Your World” while pulling sex toys out of a box) was that she was a brunette with glasses — which never used to be a bad thing. It could be years before the sexy-librarian look recovers from Sarah Palin.
Perhaps as the result of a liberal conspiracy, cosmic-punk scalawags Real Life Time Machines have already been overexposed by the elitist media. So, to be brief: keyboardist Ben Izenson described their performance as “somewhat overwrought” and “loud.” The same should be said of any party worth its mess.
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