November 10th, 2023 6pm Stage 2
Life in a Blender
For over 25 years, Life in a Blender has been the canvas for singer and songwriter Don Rauf's blackly comic landscapes. The group has released albums ranging from screaming punk to orchestrated chamber pop, and has brought the high theatrics of its live act to stages from Berlin to Austin to Toronto to Brooklyn and Seattle.
Don Rauf formed the band with high school friend Dave Moody (then bassist, now cellist), and within a couple of years had acquired the drumming services of Ken Meyer. Guitarist Al Houghton and bassist Mark Lerner joined in 1992, and violinist Rebecca Weiner Tompkins signed on in 1993. While the band's core lineup has remained remarkably constant for the past 18 years, the list of former members, guest artists, and collaborators includes Chris Butler (The Waitresses, Tin Huey), Chris Rael (Church of Betty), Jonathan Gregg, John Linnell (They Might Be Giants), Gavin Smith (Les Sans Culottes), Susan Hwang (Debutante Hour), Brian Dewan, and Olivier Conan (Chicha Libre, Las Rubias Del Norte).
Life in a Blender's "Friend from Quebec" was featured in Michael Moore's Canadian Bacon, and "Mobile Wash Unit" appeared in Sara Lamm's documentary, Dr. Bronner's Magic Soapbox.
The band's most recent album, SATSUMA, was released on November 20, 2020.
Kenny Young & The Eggplants
Claiming to be from Brooklyn (but possibly from another galaxy altogether), Kenny Young and the Eggplants perform folk-and-roll songs about giant squirrels, aliens, scary bits of cheese, malevolent washing machines and other important topics. Plantastic Voyage, their sixth album, featuring songs for TV and film from a parallel universe, rocketed up college radio charts and won three Philby Awards for outstanding musical achievement.
“From out of left field comes Kenny Young and the Eggplants. This brilliant, whimsical Brooklyn band always leaves me with a lightened heart and a spring in my step.” -- Tom Robinson, BBC
"The Eggplants mix brainy, funny lyrics with a fine sense of what makes pop music wonderful." -- Dr Demento
“The naivete Kenny wears on his sleeve is genuine – think of an East Village Brian Wilson, without the money but still tilted in his own wacked-out way.” -- The Village Voice