DVD REVIEW Action Spectacular

2005-09-20

Comedy ages badly, but absurdity is timeless. Dude from Pleaseeasaur is absurdist theater incarnate. Projection screens, 1950s robot space-hero suits, costume changes, and inane stage banter ("Cuz all the droids are happy! Like Joanie and Chachie!"). It's like Devo fronted by Andy Kaufman-Devo, who promptly oust Andy and then try to do the songs he wrote for the band on their own (still following me?) but not really knowing-per se-the lyrics or choreography. Action Spectacular, released by the spectacular electronic label imputor?, is a live set with videos. It's shot clear and steady, with good color, sound, and switching camera perspectives (A fixed camera angle is the death of so many live DVDs-just yawning you into oblivion). All this is good since the Pleaseeasaur (don't make me type that again) trip is visual-the bad lounge singer dance moves, the funny unfunny costumes, the tie-dye stretch pants... you need to be front row, literally or figuratively (In my favorite moment, the guy ducks offstage, comes back in a white furry eagle costume and yells to the crowd, "You guys ever been to elementary school?!" like he's AC/DC or some stupid shit asking folks if they're "ready to rock.") The videos, though, are where homeboy shines. Limited by the constraints of time and DJ'd backing tracks, his live show can only get so effed up. But on video-what with editing, special effects (more like special ed effe! cts) and time to tweak out ideas-it's unrestrained transgressional madness (Best one, "Johnson and Johnsonstein," is a rock opera done as a commercial for a personal injury law firm with breakdancers, burning bodies and panel vans plunging off cliffs.) So, Pleaseeasaur: packed with vowels, absurd as fuck. Lovely.

- Adam Gnade

RE-UP MAGAZINE (NEW YORK. NY)