MORE WITH THE PUPPETS...

Z“Selling Off My Body Parts” is up. Link is http://www.soundclick.com/share?songid=10473026. Two songs in a week is a little out of the ordinary, but I was already working on this one when the “pole dancing for Jesus” news clip was brought to my attention, and I just had to say something about that.

The Garibaldi Library wants to book another performance by the Great Intergalactic Puppet Show—for mid-June, to kick off their summer reading program. Noonish, on the Dance Floor at City Hall (which is next to the Library). They’d really like a fairy tale that has something to do with reading, and I’m not sure there is one: fairy tales are an oral tradition, after all. And the fans—the puppets have fans?—have requested the puppet band play again. So I have not only a script to write, but a song as well.

I have not managed to get a video out of the “Sleeping Piggy” puppet show footage yet; footage from both cameras is on the Arts Center’s computer now, and I’ve lightened up the film that was too dark, but I haven’t managed to merge them. And I want to use all of the soundtrack from one, but not all the film. (I need to spend more time with this.)

The Arts Center’s new Macintosh computers have very good built-in Webcams, and it would be possible to record a quick-and-dirty music video of me playing something solo. I’d like to do more than that, though; me and solo guitar isn’t a very entertaining experience—which is why I always fill out my “draft” recordings on the Tascam with lead and bass (even though I’m not very good at either). I might be able to do better on the PC—either “Alice” or “StuartLittle.” I inherited a Webcam (not hooked up yet), and that little $40 camcorder I got from Hong Kong can do double duty as a Webcam (and I’ve used it that way). I could theoretically record a soundtrack on the Tascam, and then videotape myself (on the PC) playing along with it. Have to try that.

The puppet band performed as “Southern Pigfish” in the “Sleeping Piggy” puppet show (easy to do, since the band Southern Pigfish doesn’t really exist), and it is tempting to use them to perform other Southern Pigfish songs. The one that comes to mind that really needs actors, that the puppets just might be able to pull off, is “Bedpans for Brains.”

That was a song about lost love (Southern Pigfish songs tend to have rather obscure titles) explored from six different perspectives—namely, those of the main characters in the Wizard of Oz. Each verse (of 6) is sung by a different Oz character—the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, the Lion, the Witch, Dorothy, and the Wizard. (And the whole band does the choruses.) We could have Luke as the Scarecrow (since he’s been the brainless one in the plays), Darth Vader as the Tin Man (since he has a bucket on his head), and Chewy as the Lion; Princess Leah has to be Dorothy, of course, Yoda, the Witch (he’s green, after all), and Hansolo, who is full of himself generally, could be the Wizard. Could work.

At one point, I’d hoped to tap the cast from the “Life’s SubtleTease” burlesque troupe I performed with, since they’re very good with costumes, and acting, and at least one of them does film work—but it hasn’t gelled, and they’ve all gone on to other things. I probably have to do something different. If the Southern Pigfish songs don’t get turned into videos, they’ll languish; except for the classic “For Their Own Ends,” which Deathgrass performs every concert (it’s on the Deathgrass album, too), these songs don’t get performed.

Music at the Library, then the play—and music Sunday with “the impromptus.”

Joe