COPYRIGHT © COWARDS OMNIMEDIA 2007

A CONDITION OF OUR PAROLE - (REVIEW)

Fool Fest 2001
Sak Theater, Orlando Florida
By CARL F. GAUZE, INK-19 ARCHIKULTURE DIGEST

February 24, 2001

You can tell it's almost Spring Break - the Canadians are in town, and they're swimming in the hotel pool. Two of them dried themselves off and sang a few songs at Fool Fest, with favorable results.

Mark Richardson (the scared looking one) and Dave Pearce (the tall guy playing guitar) sang a few of those silly sort of songs you tuned into Dr. Demento for - "Grandpa's Hooked on Heroin" and "Bastard Son Of Stompin' Tom" and "I Want To Have Sex With The Ladies That Read The News."

When they ran out of music, they pulled off a string of short and funny sketches about Art and Canada, not two subjects one often groups together. There was Dr. Krevorkian and son, ready to sell your home and move you elsewhere, and a debate over the difference between Bok Choy and Pol Pot (Leafy vegetable or bloodthirsty dictator? Beats me.) And Genghis Khan went to Catholic School.

But the best skit, the one that brought tears to the eyes involved two Shakespearian actors rendering James Brown's greatest hits - Across America, Licken' Stick, and Sex Machine/I Feel Good. You have to listen hard, but the Iambic Pentameter is lurking down in the Godfather of Soul's bass line, and it's, it's, it's moving. And short. And devoid of the Elizabethan inflection that trips up some many high school students.

We know they'd sell their soul to Satan to get an album on the charts, but I think they should stay on parole and do community service with this act for another few months. They're way too funny to rehabilitate.