The Seattle music scene continues as a hotbed of creativity, even in the face of gentrification and venue closures. Last weekend, we witnessed examples of this DIY spirit as not one but two bands, Canals of Venice and Bicycle Face, presented mini-musicals. You don't need a big theater or a rich producer if you have a friendly venue, a few costumes and props, yourself as the pit band, and the will to pull it off. Kudos to all concerned!
And it goes without saying that creativity spills over into the band names:
Bicycle Face
The initial appeal was the sheer silly awkwardness, even before I learned this was an actual Victorian medical diagnosis. Supposedly the faces of female cyclists were in danger of sticking in a pop-eyed grimace. (No coincidence that Bicycle Face's mini-musical "Pants!" concerns the scandal of cycling in bloomers.)
Comedy of Terrors
The simple addition of one letter takes you from Shakespearean farce to B-movie horror; so bad it's funny.
Hello Nowhere
This belongs with one of my favorite lines in children's literature, "Good night, nobody," found on an unillustrated page in the classic Good Night, Moon. Or else it's what you say when you stare into the abyss and invite it to stare back.
Insuburban Avenue
This play on a street name (I assume Interurban Ave.) suggests rock & roll rebellion (insubordination) and escape from the suburbs.
The Pro-nouns
Is this name standing in for the actual name of this band? The hyphen suggests nouns that have given up their amateur status. (This also reminds me of two siblings who swapped genders; I suggested they start a band called Pronoun Trouble. They have yet to take me up on it.)
My fiction and blogging projects collide in "St. Rage," the 13th release in the Pankhearst Singles Club.
This story of an all-girl teenage garage band with superpowers is
short, it's funny, and it's only $ .99. If you like "St. Rage," please
like St. Rage on Facebook and go listen to their demos, "Huge Guy in the Mosh Pit" and "Half a Bus Closer to Home."
I play drums in a band called Your Mother Should Know. Our album Rocks and Glass is available now on Bandcamp.
Naming a band is an act of concentrated creative expression. Square Pig in a Round Hole exists to reward five favorite band names each week. Winners are listed alphabetically. Selection is wholly unscientific and subject to whim, with a bias toward wordplay, humor, and local flavor. In most cases, I won't know anything about the bands at the time of selection. Thanks to the Seattle Times club listings for abundant source material!
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