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Monday, May 21, 2012
Ukulele Loki Gadabout Orchestra Rocks That Uke
by Jonathan Mendick, published on July 11, 2009 at 6:53 PM
Storyline: Music, art and film in Sacramento
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It was a sideshow of sorts in the Guild Theater Friday night. Ukulele Loki's Gadabout Orchestra incorporated balloons, hula hoops and even a saw into their circus-like performance.
The concert, held before a crowd of about 30, was a special presentation held in conjunction with the screening of a documentary Rock That Uke for Movies on a Big Screen. Co director William Robertson was on hand to answer questions and introduce the film.
"This is a documentary about alternative and post punk ukulele bands," he said of the film. "The people in it are not necessarily accomplished."
A performance by Ukulele Loki's Gadabout Orchestra, headed by Aaron (Ukulele Loki) Johnson, followed the film. It included many originals, and a number of Tin Pan Alley-style covers.
Instrumentation varied from song to song, but by the end of the night, no unconventional instrument was spared. Making its way onto the stage were a melodica (a wind-powered keyboard), a saw played with a bow, a washboard, and of course, the ukulele.
After one song, Ukulele Loki made two balloon animals -- a worm and a lion. During another, he performed a spoken word poem.
For one of the songs, the horn section moved to the left side of the stage. On the right side, one of the musicians performed a dance with a hula hoop.
Several of their covers included "Georgia on My Mind," "Shine on Harvest Moon" and the much more modern "Take on Me," the pop song by A-ha. They capped off the night with a version of a Tom Waits tune.
The film, sans the band, will play again at the Guild Theater on Sunday. The show begins at 7 p.m. and tickets cost $5.
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If you do come tonight (Sunday, July 12), I'll be selling DVD copies of the documentary at a reduced rate from what they'd go for online via Amazon. All proceeds will go to support the precious microcinema gem that is Movies On a Big Screen.
...And while Ukulele Loki has moved on and won't be performing, and I can't make balloon animals. I am willing to blow balloons up, then squeeze them until they pop and have you enjoy the startled look on my face when they do.
Thanks go out to DeeAnn Little and Robert McKeown of Movies On A Big Screen, the film's Co Director William Robertson, Capital Public Radio (for the band interview/performance earlier in the day) and Sacramento Press; for being the place that an announcement was posted and the second late Friday showing of the film was noted. And thanks to the incredible traveling band from Denver.
The documentary was full of wonderfully odd individuals, most with post punk backgrounds, who picked up the uke and thought they were "the only one" doing this.
Some were more traditional like the Dixon resident who played with the Cheap Suit Serenaders and a woman who had the whole 30's era down completely, from her home to her voice, hair and wardrobe, songs and singing style.
Ukelele Loki and the Gadabout Orchestra delighted the crowd. Their style is clever and quirky, piecing cultural fragments together in an original way, Loki fronted on ukelele and vocals; with the other excellent players on drums, tuba, clarinet, trombone, glockenspiel, melodica, saw and hula hoop.
One high point were the singalongs with "Harvest Moon" with "Take On Me." The group is so versatile they can turn on a dime and nail any style, which they weave into their colorful, musical crazy quilt.
Loki spoke in the radio interview about his influences: being a college radio DJ for ten years, post punk music, his grandmother's record collection and working for the circus freak show.
One photo on his website shows him with some old side show friends, including "Enigma," the gent tattooed with puzzle pieces, familiar from a classic episode of The X Files.
Online, Loki tells the story of how he came to play the ukelele in My Ukulele Obsession and the Joy of Sad Songs:
"That's when I began trying to achieve the impossible: creating sad songs for the ukulele. I've been told that these sad songs mostly end up sounding charmingly nostalgic. But I enjoy the combination. It brings me happiness--the sort of happiness one gets from listening to The Smiths."
More info, some songs and videos are available on the links below. CDs were only $10.
http://www.ukuleleloki.com/
http://www.myspace.com/ukuleleloki
Video of Prague: 1998
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHq5qEB_NQI
Thanks again to everyone involved. It was a blast and the quality of musicianship in the gem setting of the minute Guild Theater was a joy.
And speaking of joy, here's another uke treat:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLQ2eh5LfZY&NR=1
The CD is very good. Did you check out the links above to songs and video?