1/24 Slim's: The Phenomenauts

The Phenomenauts have been around since 2000. Their experience really shows at their live concerts. The Re-Volts opened for them 1/24 at Slim’s in San Francisco. Slim’s is one of my favorite venues in the Bay Area for tons of reasons: plenty of free parking, a spacious floor, a bar, supervised mosh pits, and good sound.

Next on the line up was the brilliant Jason Webley. I first came across him on a Springman Records compilation, and later heard him praised by Amanda Palmer (from the Dresden Dolls.) She covers his songs and works closely with him. A recommendation from her is golden. He plays accordion and simple drums by himself. He sings passionately, his tangled hair matted beneath a hat. His songs are downright awesome. He is not everyone’s cup of tea, but if you are at all interested in non-acoustic-guitar-folk music, consider checking him out.

My attempt to describe the Phenomenauts will not do them justice. They have a theme: rocket roll. They play rockabilly songs as space-minded 50’s greasers. They have special gear for their shows, including awesome microphones and uniforms consisting variously of captain’s jackets, goggles, and a lab coat. Themed bands are sometimes allowed certain privileges that other bands are not: they are allowed to wear their own merch in public, and their fans are allowed to wear their merch to their shows. Their merch fits in with their general theme, and I have seen some outstanding home-made Phenomenauts gear. They have a number of semi-theatrical moments during their sets which have not come to bore me, even as I near my 20^th show. During one song, the lead singer Angel says he has to “help JoeBot rock a solo,” at which point JoeBot releases his guitar and picks up a harmonica, and Angel reaches around him from behind and plays his guitar. There is a TP gun, which shoots toilet paper into the audience. At the end of the night, many in the crowd are sporting toilet paper bows and neckties. They also have globe balloons which they float on stage before launching into the crowd. Confetti flies everywhere when they pop. Audience participation is passionate but contained to a few parts of select songs. It includes chanting, dialog, and clapping. It might freak you out at first, but it’s hard to resist once you get the hang of it. The last striking detail I’d like to mention is that the Phenomenauts do not have haters. As far as I know, every band in my scene has people who can’t stand it, who gossip about its members, or who accuse them of selling out. I have not come across people who feel that way about the Phenomenauts. I am well aware that there must be people who don’t care for them, I just have heard next to nothing disparaging about them. That impresses me.

Photos courtesy of Eric Neuman.