Brrr! It’s Bay Area cold! Yeah, yeah, laugh it up, all y’all who live in places where you can actually get killed by icicles. You also have fireplaces and heating and mukluks and stuff. We aren’t set up for seasons here, so if it gets chilly we sit here and shiver in our bootie shorts.
And thus begins 2012 – the last year ever, if you believe poorly translated Mayan glyphs - with icy feet. How shall this year end, O little Nuggalos? Perhaps with fire? Revolutions? Toads? Global shifts of polarity, consciousness and underwear? We have no freakin’ idea. If 2011 is any indication, we will expect the unexpected. Already, this cute little duckling of a year is looking pretty darn fun for your unstoppable pals at Bobby Joe Ebola and the Children MacNuggits.
But first, a little recap of how 2011 ended: September, October, and November were largely spent on and off the road with our powerful and victorious cartoon buddies Tornado Rider. After more than month with them across the U.S., we developed a pretty hard-core sneth habit. Upon return, we jumped right back into recording a new batch of songs at Dutch Oven Studios, run by our friend and occasional bandmate Craigums!
In the meantime, the Occupy Wall Street movement was gathering steam, and in Oakland (where Dan lives and Corbett’s previous address) things got pretty hectic. We wanted to help, and in December our song “Pac-Man & Pop Tarts” appeared on a free compilation called Occupy International.
Then, in honor of and in solidarity with #OccupyOakland, #OccupyTogether, #OccupyWallStreet and all of the many other occupy groups around the world, our band offered up an unmixed, unmastered and unreleased recent recording we made in August 2011. It went out as a nod to all of the valiant protesters involved in this movement… to all of those organizing on the front lines of this struggle. From our upcoming 2012 cover album, “Theft“, the song was originally written by Woody Guthrie in 1940 as a anti-union busting song. It was then updated wonderfully in 2000 by Billy Bragg.
In the folk tradition, Bobby Joe Ebola and the Children MacNuggits added new and appropriate lyrics about corporate hegemony, billionaires and other modern world ails… the song is called, “All You Fascists“.
Barely had 2012 begun when we lit up the Bay Area with an astonishingly fun January trifecta of Bay Area shows with Tornado Rider and another group of familiar road dogs, Emily’s Army. The evenings were peppered with special appearances by several other local legends including Kevin Seconds of 7 Seconds and Angelo Moore from Fishbone!
And the fun’s just beginning. Later this month we’ll be heading back into the studio to put the finishing touches on some new releases. Get ready for a read-along story songbook, a new LP of original material, a 10″ split with Duluth, MN’s Hard Feelings and the cover song LP. We’ll also be filming 2 music videos this week which will eventually appear on the F: The Videos DVD album. Four other music videos already in production are nearing completion!
Oh, did we mention we’re going to England?
Yep! We’re hopping the Pond for a single show in London, the UnNamed Festival. Organized by Tony Anastasi of the Green Day fansite, www.greendayauthority.com, this free event will take place Saturday, Jan. 21, and Bobby Joe Ebola and the Children MacNuggits (as well as several other Bay Area luminaries). This will be our first show outside of North America, and hopefully the first of many! Dude! We’re going to England!
We also have tons more shows locally and semi-locally! Go here to see more info on all of them: http://bobbyjoeebola.com/?page_id=13
As exciting as this all is, there’s even more. On March 1, we’ll be playing at The Independent in San Francisco with Spittin’ Cobras, Flexx Bronco and The Butlers. This is a new milestone for us, and we can’t wait to take the stage at this all-around awesome show. Buy your tickets now at this link: http://www.theindependentsf.com/event/83057/
And in April, we’re confirmed to The Gathering of the Goofpunx in Portland, OR (April 5-8), as well as Way Out West Fest in Tucson, AZ (April 14). If you live in the Northwest or Southwest, keep an eye out for shows other shows we may announce, since we’ll already be on the road anyway.
One last Nuggit of news, friends & fans, and a little public service message. If you’ve ever felt empty inside, we have the answer. His name is Jesus! That’s right, we at Bobby Joe Ebola and the Children MacNuggits want you to let the Baby Jesus in. In where, we hear you ask?
This all may seem strange and sudden until you realize that we are now the official band of the glow-in-the-dark Baby Jesus Buttplug! Made by the Oakland-based artisans at Divine Interventions, this little buddy is 100% silicone, 100% fun, and is easy to find in the dark. We’ll have them available at most shows. Washes easily with soap & water… just like your sins! Available for a discounted price at our shows!
Here at Bobby Joe Ebola and the Children MacNuggits, things are changing day by day. We hope you’ll continue to check in with us regularly and let your friends know, as our amazing adventure continues!
Thanks,
-Dan & Corbett
