One might consider it difficult to imagine that an influential band, active since the late ‘60s and counting among their fans a number of influential bands, producers and other celebrities could somehow remain obscure. But you probably still haven’t heard of The Residents. And they would likely prefer it that way.
The mystique of The Residents is that we don’t know who they are. Fiercely protective of their identities, they have never revealed their names, or even what they look like. Concert-goers are treated to the foursome playing in tuxedos, their faces often obscured by space helmets painted like giant eyeballs, topped off with a top hat. At one point, they claimed to have broken up due to an unfortunate food fight, but that information is likely a red herring, keeping music journalists and fans on their toes. These small snippets are really all anyone has to follow, considering The Residents have never even given their own interviews. Taking over this job is their management team, whose cryptic answers just bring up more questions. But they’re showing off their extreme blend of anti-music at the 9:30 club this Sunday.
Without the drama of keeping their personal lives separate from the music, The Residents have been able to put together decades worth of experimental music that takes bits from popular music to experimental jazz and mashes them together with their own very anti-pop aesthetic. Their first album, “Meet The Residents,” directly parodied the Beatles’ “Meet the Beatles,” down to the altered cover art that was just a little too similar to the Fab Four’s for their management’s comfort (though rumor has it that it turned both Ringo Starr and George Harrison into instant fans). It sold 40 copies its first year.
Their next album, “Not Available,” was recorded among much hype from a new-cult fan base that had latched onto their first album and was naturally awaiting the band’s second with fevered anticipation. So The Residents decided to finish recording and then shelve it until everyone had forgotten it existed. In the meantime, they began releasing experimental films, which would eventually lead them to adopt emerging computer technology later in their career to create more and more outlandish visuals.
Further albums were revealed, including the relatively infamous “Third Reich & Roll,” which parodied pop music as a tool of fascistic devotion. It was made up of several long tracks with pop songs mashed up, forgoing melody and what a casual listener would call musical affinity. “Commercial Album” consisted of 40 one-minute songs that savagely tore apart conventional music, using only one verse and one chorus each to send up all the clichés the music industry had to offer.
Since then, The Residents have not slowed down. Despite pushing past 40 years, there are no signs that their unique brand of anti-establishment music is losing steam. And though they are not often recognized, several acts have admitted their admiration for the band. They Might Be Giants and Animal Collective both count them as huge influences. Penne Gillette considers them his favorite band, as does Matt Groening. They’ve pierced through the shallow layers of pop culture, but kept their identities secure and their musical philosophy intact.
For a show guaranteed to be unique, check out The Residents’ performance at the 9:30 club on Sunday, Feb. 7. Don’t forget your top hat.
You can reach this staff writer at mrichardson@theeagleonline.com.
