[Kill The Critic] The Independent Entertainment Blog [Film-Theatre-Comedy]

John Waters Would Probably Love This Band: HUG

HUG

Zom Zoms

Brown Sunset Riders

Halo Rings Her Head

September 2, 2005
Room 710
710 Red River
Austin, TX

(4 John Waters Pics Circa "Pink Flamingos" Out of 5)

I originally attended this show to see Zom Zoms, and thank them in person for a great interview and story. (They're also playing at CMJ 25 Music Marathon in New York City.) And from what I heard of the opening bands, I wasn't impressed. But after getting zonked on the head by Zom Zoms again later that night - even with 2 broken guitar strings - I ended up listening to a great headlining band. A band with a hyper-kitschy (is that a word?), post-punk, really dirty south sound and look. The bands' name is HUG. The singer Blair, who reminded me of Drew Carey dressed in a pornography littered jumpsuit (big glasses and all), welcomed the audience by proclaiming that they (the band) were all retarded. But I suspected we were all in for a treat when two folks dressed like extras from a John Waters movie littered the stage with stuffed animals and dolls bound and gagged with electrical tape. The keyboardist and drum machine operator, Scott, had on a giant sombrero, and Jack the guitarist wore a groupie-style "Hug" tank and a silver sequined skirt. Sexy... The vocalist began the set with an almost a ska/skat like vibe, and the two movie extras with stage props become go-go dancers. Both are dressed in black lingerie, one a rubenesque woman with a red wig with devil's horns (I'd like one of those for Halloween) and the other a man in drag who bared a striking resemblance to Leslie*. At first it distracted me from the music. But by the second tune, which was about sex and shit (the singer was literally shit-faced by the end of this song) I was hooked like a junkie. I also hoped that was just chocolate pudding on his face. Before I picked up my jaw from the floor in the middle of the same song, I noticed one of the members from the previous band, Zom, was dancing like a maniac. A fan maybe?
There were some playful moments of audience participation, and once I picked up my jaw I was part of the action. We all had a chance to throw a beachball back and forth, and avoid a stuffed animal the guitarist wiped his nose with. Yuck. There was even confetti. And the music was a sleezy carnival ride. One of the best songs of the night was a Big Boys cover, "Fun, Fun, Fun"**, in honor of the recently departed Randy "Biscuit" Turner. Of course, biscuits were tossed around in his memory. We also witnessed some simulated sex acts performed by the go-go dancer sideshow freaks that at once repelled and intrigued me. And it all coincided with the freak lyrics that spewed frankly about sex, drugs and having fun. The stage show antics reminded me of a John Waters movie, perhaps an earlier flick of his - "Pink Flamingos". And the music felt like a big hug from a completely creepy stranger you grow to love. I'm seriously considering buying Lickable*** today and mailing it to John Waters.

HUG is:
Blair - Vocal Pornographer & Theremin Player
Jack - Cross Dressing Guitarist
Scott - Sombrero Wearing Keyboardist
PLUS Sideshow/Go-Go Freaks!

Visit the official web site: www.hugmusic.com.
Photo by Caroline Homer, used by permission of hugmusic.com.
* Leslie Cochran Austin, TX - Google it!
** "Fun, Fun, Fun" is on the Big Boys brilliant record The Fat Elvis. You can buy it here.
*** Listen, download and buy the Lickable CD @ hugmusic.