Idiot Flesh

Idiot Flesh
Also known as	Acid Rain
Origin	Oakland, California
Genres	Art rock, experimental music, theatre, performance art
Years active	1985–1998
Labels	Vaccination Records
Associated acts	Sleepytime Gorilla Museum, Faun Fables
Past members
Gene Jun Dan Rathbun Nils Frykdahl Chuck Squier David Shamrock Wes Anderson

Idiot Flesh was an American experimental rock band formed in Oakland, California in 1985, initially as Acid Rain. Their work was characterized by its "rock against rock" attitude and defied classification with marching band routines, puppet shows, and the playing of household items as tuned instruments. Adopting the Idiot Flesh moniker in 1987, they went on to release three full-length albums before disbanding in 1998. Founding members Nils Frykdahl and Dan Rathbun later played in Sleepytime Gorilla Museum, while Gene Jun later joined the Sun and Moon Ensemble.

History

The group formed in Barrington Hall, a student co-op at the University of California at Berkeley, in 1985 as Acid Rain. Guitarist and composer Frykdahl ("Pin"), bassist Rathbun ("The Improver"), and guitarist and violinist Jun ("Captain Dragon") formed the group's core lineup, along with early drummers David Shamrock and Chuck Squier. Their demo album We Were All Very Worried was released as a cassette-only edition in 1987. They changed their name to Idiot Flesh prior to the release of their first vinyl album, Tales of Instant Knowledge and Sure Death, in 1990.

The band was known to tour the US in a converted city bus with Rathbun as the driver/mechanic, with the windshield destination banner set for "HELL." Their live set incorporated stage performers and characters known as the Filthy Rotten Excuse Chickens, "a motley bunch that enhances the Idiot Flesh experience with a variety of acrobatics, dancing and pantomime". These characters used such stage names as The Minotaurs of Baal, Beefra The Cook, Helpy The Hamburger Bee, Mr. Punch, Hatcha & Datcha: the Siamese Twins, Ming Tsao: Professor of Black Math, Uro Butoh, El Evil, Ward C. Picnic, The Queen of Oakland, and Mumble.

The Nothing Show, their second album, appeared in 1993, and drummer Wes Anderson ("Hyena Boy") replaced Squier. They appeared in the movie Oakland Underground, which has around three minutes of a secret Idiot Flesh show, and in which Frykdahl and Jun both had bit parts.

The followup, 1997's Fancy, was released on four different formats: digipak, digipak re-press, standard jewel case and hand-made metal slipcase, the latter in very limited quantity. The group disbanded in 1998, holding their final show on Friday the 13th.^{[citation needed]} Although work began on an unnamed fourth album, it has yet to surface.

Frykdahl and Rathbun went on to form Sleepytime Gorilla Museum with Carla Kihlstedt, with whom they and Anderson had worked in Charming Hostess. Frykdahl also became a core member of the group Faun Fables with Dawn McCarthy. Jun later formed the jam band BARGOOMA!! and joined the Sun and Moon Ensemble. Anderson went on to work with Les Claypool, Cirque du Soleil, The Fuxedos, Casino Royale, Kehoe Nation, and Schloss.

Members

• Gene Jun ("Captain Dragon") – guitar, percussion, violin, vocals, arranger (1985–1998)
• Dan Rathbun ("The Improver") – bass, multi-instruments, saw, talking, horn, vocals, trombone, cello, megaphone, engineer (1985–1998)
• Nils Frykdahl ("Pin") – flute, saxophone, percussion, castanets, vocals, guitar, cover design, graphics (1985–1998)
• Chuck Squier – drums, cover art (1985(?)–1994)
• David Shamrock – drums (late 1980s)
• Wes Anderson ("Hyena Boy") – drums, percussion, marimba, multi-instruments, talking, vocals, bassoon, trash cans (1993–1998)

Other players and contributors

• Penny Allman (Fancy: Photography; The Nothing Show: Voices)
• Mantra Ben Y'akova (Fancy: Vocals; The Nothing Show: Choir, Chorus)
• Erik Carter (Fancy: Guitar)
• Angela B. Coon (Fancy: Vocals)
• Katherine Copenhaver (Teen Devil Worshipper: Photography.)
• Paul Dal Porto (Fancy: Horn, Assistant Engineer, Sitar)
• Jindra Dolansky (Fancy: Saxophone)
• Jewlia Eisenberg (The Nothing Show: Choir, Chorus)
• Matt Embrie (Fancy: Synthesizer, Piano)
• Per Frykdahl (Tales of Instant Knowledge and Sure Death, Teen Devil Worshipper, Fancy& The Nothing Show: Cover Art)
• Jab (Fancy: Trumpet)
• Peter Josheff (Tales of Instant Knowledge and Sure Death: Clarinet)
• Kris Langan (The Nothing Show: Choir, Chorus)
• Rance Mannion (The Nothing Show: Percussion; Tales of Instant Knowledge and Sure Death: Engineer)
• Lorrieann Murray (Fancy: Design, Photography)
• Daniel Roth (Tales of Instant Knowledge and Sure Death: Piano, Saxophone, Drums, Metal Percussion)
• Mark Stichman (Tales of Instant Knowledge and Sure Death: Producer, Engineer; Fancy: Assistant Engineer)
• Danny Tunick (Tales of Instant Knowledge and Sure Death: Chimes, Glockenspiel)
• William Winant (Tales of Instant Knowledge and Sure Death: Glockenspiel, Marimba)
• Tom Yoder (The Nothing Show: Tin Whistle)

Discography

Albums

• We Were All Very Worried (cassette, as Acid Rain, 1987)
• Tales of Instant Knowledge and Sure Death (LP, 1990)
• The Nothing Show (cassette/CD, 1993)
• Fancy (CD, 1997)

Singles

• Teen Devil/Twitch (7" EP, 1995)

Demos

• Drip Demo (cassette, as Acid Rain, 1986)
• Rite of Spring/Gelatinous Goats (cassette, as Acid Rain, 1988)

Compilation appearances

• Komotion International – Live and Kicking Volume 5 (cassette, 1992)
• 31 Bands Trash 31 Songs to Find Their Way to Sesame Street (CD, 1995)
• A Compendium Preview Guide to Eyesore: A Stab at The Residents (7" sampler, 1996)
• Eyesore: A Stab At The Residents (CD, 1996)
• Oh God! Mother Blood! (CD sampler, 1997)
• Zehn (CD, 1997)
• Funny Rubber Hand (CD, 1998)
• Vaccination Records Rawk Party 2000-2001 (CD, 2000)
• East Timor Benefit Album (CD, 2000)

Filmography

• Oakland Underground (DVD, 1997) Appear as themselves in Club scene playing to a studio version of Twitch.

External links

• Idiot Flesh at Allmusic
• "Idiot Song" music video - short film from 1997.
• Idiot Flesh Videos at YouTube