Truesday: Who's Behind The Bunnymen?
*The views expressed in Truesday are those of the author and do not represent Austinist as a whole. Thank heavens.* -The Editors
The insanity has officially arrived. By way of rented Uhaul trucks, borrowed Econolines, and I’d like to say: VW Microbuses, but it’s really hard to tell when that population has increased around here. You can’t drive drunk down Kinney Ave. without pin-balling off one of every color in a standard crayon box (more faded and/or rusted though).
[Austinist and Truecraig ADAMANTLY and ACTIVELY discourage drinking and driving under ANY circumstances.]
[But if one were to wake up, say, after a top-secret military experiment, or alien abduction and find themselves terrifyingly drunk and driving down Kinney Avenue, one would likely hit a few bread-loaves-on-wheels before stopping and calling a trusted friend for a ride home/anal inspection. That’s all I’m saying. Hypothetics and shit.]
But if there was a way to calculate the Myspace haircut quotient of this city, I would estimate that it tripled yesterday as of 2pm. And that’s due in no small part to that bitter sweet time of year where people come from all over the globe to celebrate St. Patty’s Day here in Austin. I didn’t even know there was such a thick population of Dubliners around these here parts. I guess they all live up off Jolleyville or some shit. They sure don’t visit Bouldin Creek Cafe much.
But may the good lord bless ‘em for bringing us all together for this big-ass celebration!
One thing that is hitting me a tad strange is the excitement surrounding Echo and The Bunnymen. Not that I don’t enjoy a little Bedbugs and Ballyhoo, pretty much anything off of Crocodiles, or whatever. Because I’d be lying if I said that. I digs getting’ some sugar kisses action. But what catches me as strange is that I’ve never really known any hardcore Echo and the Bunnydudes fans. Even when they were young and hip, they were something of a side band. And much time has passed since then. Like, coming on two decades.
In fact, I can safely say that in the last ten years: of the four or five times that I have actually heard any Echo played out in public (three times it was Lips Like Sugar – two of which were occasions where I was the one playing it – and once at Whisky when they played Bring On the Dancing Horses, which was absolutely fucking brilliant), I was the only asshole there who knew the words.
And yes, I was singing them really loud, with spittle flying from the corners of my vodka-doused mouth. There’s no other way, really. Unless you’re trying to get laid, or make/keep friends with any witnesses.
Everyone else was acting like it was some esoteric Sonny and Cher B-side. Funny, because when Love Will Tear Us Apart hits the decks, everyone sings along so loud you’d think it was some top-forty hit, even on Kansas City radio back in 1982. Which it certainly wasn’t.
But no love for the Bunnyfellows (not usually, anyhow). Should they have pressed to get on the Director's Cut for Donnie Darko? Did anyone else notice that they totally replaced Killing Moon from the opening bike-peddling (where Gyllenhaal - had to google that name twice - looks even more androgynous than normal) with something else? Yes, I am totally spacing on what it was replaced with. I blocked it out, I guess. Out of rage, or something else equally passionate sounding (because "I can't remember shit like that" comes off as "lame", so there's that). Would that have given them that magical neo-street credibility?
Or maybe if some popsters did a tribute-ish remake like what happened with Talk Talk? I mean, no one knew or cared who they were until Stefani and company dusted off their work and shat all upon it. And then, of course, it was immediately assumed that Talk Talk had done a No Doubt cover, whenever the original got some air play, which is simultaneously hilarious and sad.
Back to finish my second ramble.
So where have all these fans been hiding?
Maybe they’ve been big in Bastrop all these years, and I just never went down there to witness their brilliant resurgence. Kinda like when The Mighty Lemon Drops saw a huge boost in retro-popularity back in ’02. Remember that craziness?!! When they got back together for their North American tour, and launched it at The Austin City Music Hall where they double-billed with The Airplane Crashers, opening up with Cetu Javu and friends! Man, when When in Rome hit the stage, remember?!! The crowd went all South-American-Soccer-Stadium-Riot and set the back bar on fire, and…
oh, wait, that was only in the privacy of my own crib. Alone. No one else gave two shits.
I love nostalgia. I reminisce about it all the time. And with that in mind, I honestly welcome Echo & The Bunnyguys (they really are a talented, typically overlooked/shadowed band). But who are the people pushing to hear them live, today?
Bygones, if it's you. That, and I might see you at one of their shows this week (if I can get in, damnit). I've been pulling for them all year, honest.
