Show tunes

Boston Rock opera's Rocky Horror, plus Nigh and Ape Hangers

by Brett Milano

Is it still The Rocky Horror Show without the rice, toast, and flying toilet paper? Boston Rock Opera's production of the show is faithful to the original stage play and 1975 film in all but one respect: audience members are warned upon entrance that they won't be allowed to throw anything at the stage. And when I saw the show on opening night, a surprisingly polite audience also kept vocal participation to a minimum. Eternal nerd Brad Majors (David Ilku) made it through the entire show without once being called an asshole. The no-neck status of the Criminologist (Pat McGrath) was never remarked upon. And Frank-n-furter, the Transylvanian transvestite (played by Ryan Landry from Space Pussy), even got to "shiver with antici . . . pation" without having a roomful of people yell "Say it!" during the pause.

In some ways Rocky Horror is a more obvious choice than anything BRO has attempted so far -- it's more fun than Jesus Christ Superstar, has more memorable tunes than the Kinks' Preservation Act II, and is more theatrically fleshed out (so to speak) than the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper. Instead of building a plot from an all-music concept album, BRO had familiar characters and a complete script to work with; and it stuck largely to the look and spirit of the film. Frank-n-furter's house is still a cross between Dracula's castle and Man Ray. And the usual gang's all here: Charles Atlas dreamguy Rocky (Garrett Kimball) tapdancing groupie Columbia (Holly Sugar of the Sugar Twins), proto-goth vamp Magenta (Ticia Low), Eno-esque skinhead Riff Raff (Bill Hough). Ryan Landry played Frank-n-furter much as he plays himself in Space Pussy, managing to outdo Tim Curry's original for outright camp. Only one characterization was a major departure: instead of playing Eddie as a '50s greaser, as Meat Loaf did in the film, T.C. Cheever turns him into . . . well, we'd hate to give it away, but think Las Vegas.

For those of us who've attended The Rocky Horror Picture Show a handful of times without actually sitting down and watching the thing, last week's opening was a relatively low-key experience. Fortunately, the restraint was in the audience and not on stage. The Boston Rock Opera company (which includes more full-time actors and fewer bandmembers this time around) got right into the libertine spirit of this show, the bastard child of B-movies and '70s glitter rock.

Still, there were a few signs of the times. Since this production is a benefit for AIDS Action, Frank-n-furter inserts a safe-sex (but still pro-sex) message after he's had his way with Brad and Janet. He also does a lyric update during "Sweet Transvestite," suggesting they watch "an old Keanu [instead of Steve] Reeves movie" -- just the sort of subtext that Keanu has long been trying to avoid. And the sex and violence in the original were toned down a bit, with the two most visceral scenes -- the murder of Eddie, and Frank-n-furter's double seduction of Brad and Janet -- both played as slapstick (the latter was the night's funniest turn, thanks to a quick ad-libs with a fake penis that refused to stay attached). Still, you can't desexualize Rocky Horror too much, not when the Transylvanian crew distribute condoms during the intermission (likely why Thursday's show was picketed by the same five folks who hand out Jesus pamphlets on the Red Line).

In short, Rocky Horror isn't much closer to being respectable now than it was in the '70s, and that's one reason it holds up. Another is that the songs are a lot better than you may remember: composer/lyricist Richard O'Brien (whose only post-Rocky output was the flopped sequel Shock Treatment) synthesized show tunes, bubblegum pop, art rock, and David Bowie's early catalogue into obvious singles like the Queen-derived "Sweet Transvestite" and the big dance number "Time Warp." The house band, led by Mick Maldonado, navigated the soundtrack with ease -- no small feat, since it was originally performed by some of England's most expensive studio pros. (Special mention goes to Chainsuck drummer Perry James for nailing the parts originally played by Procol Harum's BJ Wilson.) By getting the music and the spirit right, the BRO crew can do the Time Warp without getting caught in a time warp.

The Rocky Horror Show will be performed tonight, tomorrow, and Saturday (October 9, 10, and 11) at 8:30 p.m. at Massachusetts College of Art's Tower Auditorium. Tickets are $18; call 450-1347.

NIGH

Cynthia von Buhler may do a lot of nasty things to people as a Woman of Sodom. But she continues to do the right thing as co-producer of a series of AIDS-benefit compilations on her local Castle von Buhler label. She and her CVB partners -- husband and Splashdown member Adam Buhler and designer Clifford Stoltz -- have lost their share of time, sleep, and money over the three comps: 1993's Soon, 1995's Anon, and the new Nigh. The disc will be launched this Friday (October 10) with a multi-band showcase that takes over T.T. the Bear's Place and both the upstairs and downstairs rooms at the Middle East.

Even without the altruistic motives, Nigh would be a beautiful piece of work. It is lavishly packaged, with a striking cover design (by William Tisdale, the late local artist to whom it's dedicated) and a separate illustration card for each of the 21 songs. Much of the music also has a visual quality; atmospheric instrumentals, including one by the usually guitar-oriented pop group Orbit, take up a third of the disc. But the series has grown away from its goth-inspired origins; only two of the tracks (by Felidae Chant and the Moors) fall into that category no matter how loosely you define it (i.e., somehow traceable to Bauhaus or the Cocteau Twins). For a change there are as many guitar as synthesizer bands, but there's still a general moodiness about the disc.

"That's probably because we're moody people in general," von Buhler points out. "I guess we visual artists like things that sound visual and emotional. Or maybe it's just because I've stopped taking my Prozac."

Reflecting the hopeful "world without AIDS" tone of the title, the current collection is more upbeat than its predecessors. The Women of Sodom's "Crash My Car" is likely the first pop song about car-crash fetishism, but from this group the Bananarama-like chorus is more shocking than the subject matter. A more playful sexuality turns up in tracks by Turkish Delight (their last before breaking up; singer Leah Callahan's new band Betwixt -- who sound like a more melodic Mecca Normal -- are also here) and Coppe (a Japanese singer who had hits on Japanese MTV when she was 10). And von Buhler, who's come to know my taste, points to a track by a Canadian band called Green and Yellow TV: "You're going to like that one best. It sounds like Matthew Sweet." Right on both counts.

Von Buhler and her crew are not starving artists. She's done solo exhibitions in Boston and classical-CD packages for Sony; Adam Buhler's Splashdown are knee-deep in major-label offers, and Stoltze has a successful design business. So the compilation series is probably the biggest headache they take on, but one close to their hearts, especially after Tisdale's death from AIDS over the summer (proceeds from Nigh will go to a trust fund for his daughter's education, and eventually for other art scholarships). Von Buhler says she's already pondering a fourth installment -- in fact she's already thought of another four-letter word meaning "soon" for the title, but she isn't yet revealing what it is.

The Nigh CD-release party features Orbit, Women of Sodom, Splashdown, Betwixt, and Suran Song in Stag downstairs at the Middle East; the Curtain Society, Curious Ritual, the Moors, and Cathode upstairs at the Middle East; and Margo, Max, Veronica Black Morpheus Nipple, and Mile Wide at T.T. the Bear's Place this Friday, October 10. Call the Middle East as 864-EAST, or T.T.'s at 492-BEAR.

APE HANGERS VENTURE OUT

Punk-poppers the Ape Hangers, who play at Charlie's Tap this Monday, are not by any means the first local band ever to cover a Ventures song. But they're definitely the first to do one with a real live Venture sitting in. Their version of "Action Plus," which will appear on their Ape Hangers album (released next week on Jerry Tunes), includes rhythm-guitarist Don Wilson, from the legendary surf combo, playing the same parts he first laid down 35 years ago.

"We had to teach it to him, because he forgot how it went," points out drummer Dennis McCarthy. The Ventures happened to be using the same studio when the Ape Hangers cut their last batch of demos in Los Angeles. "It was easy -- we just said, `Hey man, we dig your scene, come in and rock with us,' and he said sure," McCarthy recalls.

The band's luck in Los Angeles hasn't always been that good. Signed to A&M five years ago, they released a pretty good album that went nowhere. Now they're back in Boston, where they're likely to get compared to the Real Kids and Prime Movers (McCarthy's old band) instead of Green Day and Offspring -- and that suits them fine. They've also gotten confident enough to use their original name, which they changed for a time (to the less memorable 3XL) after returning to Boston. "Sure, we said, `Fuck it, let's go back to who we were,' " McCarthy admits. "It's more like we're playing for ourselves nowadays, but let's keep doing what we do best."

COMING UP

The Toasters do the ska at the Middle East tonight (Thursday) while Popgun (with assorted ex-Allstonians) play Harpers Ferry and Ms. Pigeon and Shake Appeal are at T.T. the Bear's Place . . . Tomorrow (Friday), Providence skasters the Agents are at Bill's Bar, the Nines are at Mama Kin, Four Piece Suit are at the Tam, and Tanya Donelly hits Avalon . . . Saturday's a big pop night at T.T.'s as Boy Wonder celebrate the release of their debut CD with the Sterlings, Permafrost, and Jennyanykind opening. Elsewhere on Saturday, the Gravy play the Linwood, Laurie Sargent is at the Lizard Lounge, the Red Telephone are at Bill's Bar, Commander Cody touches down at Johnny D's, Skavoovie & the Epitones are downstairs at the Middle East, and Karate play upstairs at the Middle East . . . The Wheelers & Dealers do Green Street on Sunday, Xixxo are at Mama Kin, the Jayhawks are at the Paradise, and Royal Fingerbowl are at the Middle East . . . Monday it's Scissorfight at Mama Kin . . . Expect some new material when Bob Mould plays the Paradise Tuesday; expect lots of old material when Paul "Can't Get Enough" Rodgers hits House of Blues that night . . . And renowned eccentric David Lindley plays the House of Blues Wednesday.