Jonny McGovern is The Gayest of All Time

by Toby Click

The latest offering by Jonny McGovern (aka "The Gay Pimp") is The Gayest of All Time. The album represents a culmination of his work over the past year or so. To make this dream a reality, the Big Gay Sketch Show alum appealed to his fans through the online fundraiser site Kickstarter— first to produce a series of videos, and again to cover mastering, video captioning, and other technical stuff.
The finished product has a great polish to it, and the songs just work. They could fit right into the mix at Tracks, the Compound, or the Wrangler. Maybe even on the radio, if it weren't for some very, very naughty lyrics.

Fans of his podcast (Gay Pimpin' with Jonny McGovern, available for free on iTunes and elsewhere) will already be familiar with some of the songs. Things kick off with "Sexy Nerd" ("Take your clothes off... but leave your glasses on!"). There's a remix of "Likin' Big Dicks", a gay parody of the club hit "Like a G6" (I am actually more familiar with Jonny's version—don't ask me to sing "Like a G6" in mixed company!).

And of course, there is "Modified", a collaboration with Nadya Ginsburg, inspired by a true story about a middle-aged lady in their aerobics class, who really wasn't quite giving it her all. She does her workout "modified". A "modified" sit-up sounds intense, doesn't it? Uh, it's not. But there's a lesson to take away: when life throws stupid chores at us, it's OK to handle them in a halfassed fashion. We are all empowered to do things ... "modified."

There are some new songs too. The much-anticipated "Man Areas" video was released the same week as this album, full of scantily-clad gentlemen filmed at The Cock in New York City. The pop-infused "#Totdf" will have you "texting on the dance floor," with notification tones worked into the beat.
You'll laugh hard throughout, but especially at "Gay Questions". Trust me on this one.

"Blanche Deveraux" appears late in the album, one of a series of songs Jonny wrote about the Golden Girls. He puts a twist on the TV show's theme song, that would even make Betty White blush.
Things wrap up with the title track, an imagining of how great it would be if all the different folks throughout our wide, diverse community could join together and just dance.

And if you can't get enough of the Gay Pimp, be sure to watch all his videos, listen to his podcast, and follow him on Facebook and Twitter!

DON'T THINK: The Chemical Brothers Spill Onto The Big Screen

The Chemical Brothers perform at Denver's Fillmore Auditorium, September 2010

by Toby Click

For nearly twenty years, The Chemical Brothers have created electronic music designed for listening as much as dancing. So perhaps this makes them especially suited to being the subject of a concert film.

Don't Think is a full-length movie, directed by Adam Smith (who made a complete set of videos for all the songs on the British duo's 2010 album Further). Chronicling a performance at Japan's Fuji Rock Festival 2011, it was shown in movie theaters across the nation in a one-night-only event on February 1.

If you have not seen Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons perform live, this is arguably the next best thing. No less than twenty cameras were positioned on the stage, above the stage, in the audience, near the concession stands, all with the goal of capturing the experience from every viewpoint.

The pair performs against an enormous dazzling video backdrop, which displays imagery such as toy robots, 3-D zooms through cathedrals, wild animals, silhouetted lovers, and a giant evil clown commanding the audience to "get yourself high." Throughout, we see the reactions of the audience: some are amused, exhilarated, bewildered, disturbed. At one point, pictures of crickets are projected onto the ground, and curious fans chase after them like a cat following a laser pointer.

Songs include most of their better-known hits: "Block Rockin' Beats", "Star Guitar", "Out of Control", and the title's inspiration: "Don't Think", a bonus track from Further that figured prominently in another movie, Black Swan. A generous portion of screentime is devoted to the sprawling epic "Escape Velocity".

The mix does not simply blend each song's finish into the beginning of the next, but there is layering of elements, sometimes from three or more tracks at once. There's a lot more going on than a couple of guys on a stage pressing a spacebar on a laptop. Although there's a particular moment, when a single finger presses a single key labeled "HBHG", which sends the audience into raptures with the droning intro of "Hey Boy Hey Girl". In a post-movie commentary, the director points out how he included this moment to illustrate how something as simple as pressing one button can ignite such an emotional response among thousands of people at once. And Tom & Ed have many, many buttons at their disposal.

Although no announcements have yet been made, it stands to reason that Don't Think will soon be available for home video and/or audio. When and if it shows up, give it a listen. And maybe dance, too.

Concert Review: Me Talk Pretty One Night

by Toby Click

One Saturday evening last month, I went to the Gothic Theatre to see a lineup of punk bands performing as part of the "Wake Up!" Tour. With a small but enthusiastic crowd, these up-and-coming performers put on an energetic show.

The first band, the Texas-based Avion Roe, took the stage around 7 pm. They first formed about a year ago, and during the summer they played a few dates on the Vans Warped Tour (as have all the featured bands). Singer Evan Lester screamed through their set, while bassist Sean Humphrey climbed atop a speaker and took a dive to the stage.

Avion Roe

Next on tap: Madina Lake. Hailing from Chicago, their music is infused with a storyline about a fictional 1950s town, and a mysterious disappearance. Clues to the mystery can supposedly be found in their lyrics, in album artwork, and on their website.

Madina Lake

Finally, Me Talk Pretty came on. According to singer Uliana Preotu, the band takes its name from the David Sedaris book Me Talk Pretty One Day. Her favorite song, "Wake Up", is dedicated to her deceased mother. For this song, they have a special piano decorated with colorful handprints—one for every tour date, each made by a lucky fan.

Me Talk Pretty

I tell ya, you've gotta love these types of shows—bands who set up and break down their own equipment between acts, the ones you find later at the front door hawking their own merchandise. It makes me smile, seeing young, hardworking folks who—if they keep at it—just might find themselves huge someday. Good luck and best wishes to all of 'em!