Tremble With Fear, And Maybe Also Delight

Chunklet Magazine Hosts Two Nights Of Comedy And Music At The 40 Watt Club

originally published October 25, 2006

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 27

Patton Oswalt

Patton Oswalt’s comedy hinges on razor sharp observational skills and a complete unwillingness to pull punches. For example, during a recent roast of universally-mocked-yet-strangely-loved actor William Shatner, Oswalt pulled a paper bag from his pocket and asked the guest of honor to act his way out of it. Oswalt has played Athens multiple times and chose our town as the place to record his 2003 debut album, Feelin’ Kinda Patton. One of multiple headliners on the Comedians of Comedy Tour, Oswalt should be at least somewhat recognizable to your parents from his lengthy run on the CBS television show "King Of Queens," so bring them along as well.

Zach Galifianakis

This appearance marks Mr. G’s third time in Athens. Currently playing the role of Alan Finger on Comedy Central’s "Dog Bites Man," Galifianakis is also the host of the VH-1 program "Late World With Zach" and appeared in the feature films Out Cold, Corky Romano and Heartbreakers. Also a featured performer on the Comedians Of Comedy Tour, Galifianakis can be seen in the video for Fiona Apple’s “Not About Love.” I’ve yet to catch anything involving him, but he comes highly recommended from solid sources.

Pull The Strings Players

This Nashville, TN puppet troupe is highly anticipated this weekend, and its performance will center on a character named MC Homo Side, the world’s first gay gangsta rapper puppet. The recorded bits available online are hilarious and raw and I may be looking forward to this more than anything else this weekend. There’s a chance the troupe will deliver a special Halloween show in the 40 Watt parking lot as well, so keep your eyes peeled to catch it all.

Elf Power

Local favorite Elf Power almost needs no introduction, especially here in town. Having grown over the past 11 or so years from a fuzzy, home-recorded project full of rock knowledge and aesthetics to a wonderfully realized song-based band, the members of Elf Power have never significantly changed the elements that fed their art. Those elements include everything from gorgeous and moody 1960s psychedelic folk, 1970s glam and pop, 1980s hardcore and punk and 1990s indie and college rock. But a band's influences are rarely the whole story, and members of Elf Power have always made good use of respecting their elders but making their own, specific brand of rock. The band's most recent album, titled Back to the Web, was released earlier this year via label Rykodisc, and an international tour just wrapped [see story here].

Tickets for Friday's show cost $10 in advance and $12 at the door, and are available at SchoolKids Records or at www.40watt.com.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 28

The Melvins with David Yow

The band that virtually defines the bridge between punk rock and heavy metal, all the while avoiding the somewhat-sleazy, market-driven "crossover" genre, The Melvins once again return to Athens. Joining them this time around is David Yow, whose pedigree includes the incomparable Scratch Acid and the one-time world-dominating Jesus Lizard. Whereas The Melvins are apt demonstrators of the heavy-as-earth rock-and-almost-no-roll genre they largely created, Yow is the entirely untied, super-humanly-animated frontman that most bands wish they had. With a dangerous disregard for personal safety - or, for that matter, personal space - Yow personifies rock and roll by keeping it dangerous. That’s really all I can say, except that he's the first man I ever saw naked onstage. But that’s another story.

Big Business

Playing original material and performing as part of The Melvins, the band formerly from Seattle and now of Los Angeles is the only bass-and-drums duo worthy of its reputation since the split of God Head Silo. I have only seen Big Business once, but was utterly blown away. Earplugs are required equipment for this show, as the group's tones regularly reach dangerous levels. Categorized by some as “hipster metal” - metal played by those with a taste for the ironic and intelligent rather than the sincere and somewhat goofy - Big Business is a great argument for disposing of genre categorization altogether and just rocking the fuck out.

Harvey Milk

The members of Harvey Milk have enjoyed their greatest success, notoriety and attention eight years after their original demise. Buoyed recently by several releases - the DVD Anthem, the re-release of the album Courtesy And Good Will Toward Men and newest album Special Wishes - the Athens/ New York band seems to have none of the cash-in mentality that would strike most acts when presented by nearly unending and fanatical interest. Rather, the band has played a smattering of shows over the past year or so and continues to work on its own schedule. Harvey Milk has always cultivated its own musical field, yielding classic-rock-styled jams, tender and pretty interludes and mind-numbingly intense and dense walls of noise and sound. Stunning to hear and incredible to witness.

Timmy Von Trimble

Timmy is the curious creation of Jon Wurster, who has performed with Robert Pollard, Superchunk and The Right Profile. He is, in my humble estimation, one of the funniest people making fun of things today. Timmy is a two-inch tall comedian who regularly appears on East Orange, NJ radio station WFMU and who will, reputedly, alienate everybody. Sounds like good times, and right in line with the contrarian and confrontational philosophy of Chunklet Magazine.

Tickets for Saturday's show cost $13 in advance and $15 at the door, and are available at SchoolKids Records or at www.40watt.com.

Gordon Lamb