Pleaseeasaur :: Neil Hamburger/Pleaseeasaur: Talk Of The Town
2002-06-30
SAN FRANCISCO BAY GUARDIAN
While silly locals AttaBoy & Burke were billed as "headliners"...the stars of this evening were definitely Neil Hamburger and Pleaseeasaur. This time around, the infamous Drag City (5 of his most recent releases are on the label) comedian was touring with the Seattle act that is so hard to define. (Pleaseasaur, also known as John Peter Hasson, was in Touch Me Zoo with Joe Talcum of the Dead Milkmen prior to his solo project.) By the start of the show, Pleaseasaur had completely taken over the space . He placed hospital-style screens framing the stage area so that he might project images onto them and hide behind them in order to change costumes. And change costumes he did: a furry dog, a guy in a car, and best of all: a wee granny with a baby equal her size (complete with footy pajamas and bonnet) piggybacking her. The costumes were sometimes explained by the songs, but most often were not. Images that were projected onto the screen helped prompt the audience to engage in call and response. Pop culture (a la Olsen Twins) and the stange inner workings of Pleaseasaur’s brain (“Beef Flavored Island”?) collided in this bizzarro slide show that was lo-fi and hilarious.
Neil was introduced by Pleaseasaur and came out in his signature rumpled tux and careful comb-over. “What do Elton John and a saber-toothed tiger have in common?” Neil asked on Queer Pride Day. “I don’t know, but you better keep them away from my ass!” he chuckled.
D
