Unappreciated: The Circus Contraption

The Circus Contraption

 

Some of the things I talk about under the guise of this "Unappreciated" moniker are actually highly appreciated. This one might actually be something you've never heard of - something far unDERappreciated ... something amazing as hell. The "band" The Circus Contraption.

 

 

 

When I went online digging for information about this group - there wasn't very much. When I dug a little further (while rapidly falling in love), I realized most of what they did was live ... soooooo ... if you didn't happen to catch one of their performances - you were basically S-O-L. It sucks because had I been able to go - it would have looked something like this...I'm not sure who wouldn't absolutely adore a show like The Circus Contraption but ... hey ...

 

 

Lucky for me, I came across them randomly about six months after the "band" disbanded. Go me! Always on time for the party, I'd never gotten the opportunity to sit in a tent (or wherever) and watch one of these shows unfold with my own two teary eyes. But still ... their music ...

 

 

 

I couldn't stop listening to the CDs. Armitage Shank's vision and voice was as infectious as a bad case of herpes - there was no escape. Like - it was bad, y'all. I think one of them was on a loop for about six days at one point, but I won't tell you about that. It's embarrassing. Suffice to say - I got really into their sound. Which brings me around to their sound (and why I put quotes around the word "band"). This is less a typical musical band and more a performing troupe of people who also just happen to play instruments. I think that's a more sufficient explanation. Listening to one of their CDs is like sitting in a tent and watching a weird carnival act play out - in your braaaaiiiiinnnn.

 

You think I'm exaggerating? You think such a thing is hardly possible? How can someone capture the feeling of being at a circus - with sound? What about the smells? What about the cotton candy, nipple piercings and sawdust? I honestly cannot explain how they managed to pull it off, but The Circus Contraption do it on such an epic level, no one walks away unscathed.

 

Now - the facts. Rather than prattle on like a geeked out fiend, the following is taken from their website (and says it far better than I ever could).

 

In classic circus fashion, Circus Contraption performances feature live, original music. The Circus Contraption Band plays quirky-jerky loony-croony gypsy carnival opera music, both to accompany our full-circus shows and to aurally ambush patrons at finer musical establishments far and wide.

You want us to describe what we sound like? Sometimes spooky, sometimes strange, sometimes raucous, and sometimes sweet. Imagine an off-kilter carousel accompanied by Halloween music gone wrong. At any given moment, you could hear accordion, banjo, clarinet, musical saw, trumpet, marimba, trombone, tuba, guitar, bass, theremin, 3 lead vocalists, washboard, violin, saxophone, drums, beer bottles, rusty junk and elbow grease.

 

That's precisely what it is, too.

 

I'm not going to break down each of the five albums because I like to think of them as a whole. There is no possible way to rank one over the other - so I won't even attempt to be so foolish. What I will say is that if you like odd, quirky music - or if you like circuses - or if you like uber-indie musicians - or if you like cotton candy, torture, acrobatics or kazoos...you should check them out.

 

Gone but not forgotten - I hope they perform together again one day in the future ... and I manage to catch it.

 

Here is a 75 minute documentary on just how incredible The Circus Contraption is - I dare you to watch it and not rush out and buy all five of their available recordings. I ... dare ... you.

 

 

 

Sigh...