Pleaseeasaur :: Pleased To Be With You
2002-04-20
FLYING SAUCER MAGAZINE
PLEASEEASAUR
I sit across the table from John Peter Hasson (or JP as he’s better known) - front person, and cheerleader for the band Pleaseeasaur. (Please-e-us-or). Chatting over a round of our favorite beers (‘Mac & Jacks’ if you must know) we head into a noteworthy conversation about the past, present, and future of the mighty giant. “Right now were going to concentrate on what’s in the near future,” states JP about the upcoming months. “Were heading out on the road. We have a U.S. Tour starting in April, then we go to Australia in July, back to Europe in October, then come home.”
Pleaseeasaur is a Seattle based duo that is comprised of JP Hasson and Tom Hurley III. While JP manages the front of stage with the funky rhymes, Tom handles set changes, lighting, and costuming behind the scenes. While living in Philadelphia, JP began composing ideas for a band. What soon came was a special project, and began writing songs. After two years of writing, he moved back to Seattle and before long had added a couple untraditional members, were playing shows, and turning a few heads in the process.
These are not traditional performances by any means (think more artsy-fartsy, brain teasing, whimsically funny, performance art) but the originality of the sets, unpredictability of antics, and the tongue-in-cheek lyrics set this performance away from the crowd. Its kind of like seeing Jack Black, (being the mega-spazz that he is), doing ‘Tenacious D’, but perhaps in spandex, with a beat-box, and in a fuzzy “Snow Man” outfit. Pleaseeasaur’s celebrated songs pour into the mic, which are matched only by some phung-KAY dance moves (a strange likeness of Jane Fonda’s Workout, and Olivia Newton Johns famed ‘Lets get Physical’ video). I love it. It’s as fresh as it is quirky, and as real as one could possibly make it. JP isn’t just a guy prancing around stages, blurting out whatever comes to mind (okay, well that’s not exactly true), but he does manage to take the writing, and recording very seriously.
The songs are fused from an impromptu lyrical and musical writing style. “I do whatever comes to mind musically, and put it to tape,” says JP. “Most of it’s Improv, then I go back to listen to what I’ve done. Some of what I do, I keep.” JP Continues, “I don’t have to deal with too many tracks. I write my own sequences, and then play along with what I have, then add other instruments: bass, guitar, and vocals. I’d consider writing music in a different format,” claims Hasson, “it would be nice to arrange music differently.” JP Has been performing music for years, which has lead him to write scores for movies, make soundtracks, all the while doing his own booking, and management, which has taken him around the world.
It is hard to categorize the style of this music, and their performances. “I’m not trying to be anything,” claims JP about both. “Its like a guy slipping on a banana peel,” says JP, “Its so dumb its funny. I love it.” Pleaseeasaur challenges the audience by not taking themselves too seriously. “They see that I’m making fun of what I’m doing up there,” pointing out that the crowds are feeding energy back to him. “I perform the way I’d want to be performed to,” and offers, “if you don’t take it easy, you wont be able to respond to the people that are yelling for you.”
The shows are fast paced, and seem to be on the breaking point from going wildly out of control. If you blink, you might miss something.
JP is obviously driven to see the band through to its end, has accomplished a lot so far with his musical career, and has his sights set to the future. “I want to take it as far as it can go, obviously” stating his case calmly, “but I want to run for president in 2016.” A crazed trio from Seattle takes World by storm. Pleaseeasaur has established a following by simply being different from the rest. The spastic and dramatic live shows have captivated dozens over the years - and have even scared a few into hiding. Not for the faint of heart, and definitely a "must see" in the world of art-rock-dance-pop-techno-rap. They'll leave you guessing "why"?!
- By Steve-o
