By TERI L. BROWN
The Blue Meanies and the Suicide Machines will entertain Provo ska fans tonight at the Station.
The Blue Meanies, a national band from Chicago, is opening for and touring with Hollywood Records’s super-freaks, third-wave, ska-punk band the Suicide Machines.
They are performing at the Station, which has recently renovated, creating more space for the bands to play in. The expansion will also allow more people to listen to the bands and provide better sound.
The Blue Meanies conjure visions of psycho circus clowns and dysfunctional sideshow freaks, according to Ilka Pardinas, Fly public relations specialist.
Compounding the bizarre trappings of the band’s musical carnival show are the lyrics, which deliver messages about working class issues, society’s blind “follow the leader” mentality and other contemporary subjects people would often rather not discuss openly, Pardinas said.
They just completed work on their sophomore full-length release, Speeder’s Get There Faster, which will be out in April on Thick Records.
The band line-up features Bill Spunke on vocals, Mike Pearson on guitar, Dave Lund on Bass, Robert Trondson on drums, John Paul Camp III on saxophone, Jimmy Flame on trumpet and Chaz Linde on organ.
“This exceedingly combustible septet is sure to ignite the passions of audiences across America,” Pardinas said. “The Blue Meanies’ energetic, carnival-tinged, punk rock combines eclectic influences from such diverse genres as klezmer, jazz and ska.”
Logan-based Model Citizen will be opening for tonight’s show. The group formed three years ago. Already they have toured the western states, including about every club between St. George and Logan.
Mainstay songs like “More Beer” and “Don’t Call it Anything” will still be there, but they will be overshadowed by “One Dollar Bill,” “Sorta Ska,” and “Tough Guys.” As bad as these songs need to be on a CD they aren’t, leaving live shows as the one chance to hear them.
The band recorded five new songs Sunday. The songs will be sold on cassettes for $4 at the show. Model Citizen is selling 100 copies to the public.
Doors open at 7:30 p.m. Fans that intend to walk through those doors should show up early or pick up tickets in advance at CD Warehouse in Provo or Crandall Audio in Orem.
