Fairmont vs. Mt. Notre Dame
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'Tis the Season Festival
Sir Geek-a-Lot goes beyond the funny
Friday, December 01, 2006
If you haven't heard of Jonathan Coulton, you haven't been hanging out much on the Internet recently. With a combination of funny geeky songs about fractals, zombies and mad scientists, and canny cover songs (including a James Blunt-like rendering of the Sir Mix-a-Lot rap classic Baby Got Back), Coulton has become the unofficial troubadour of the Geek Nation.
He will perform at Dayton's Canal Street Tavern on Saturday.
Extras
We caught up with Coulton (online, of course).
Q Explain what the uninitiated might expect from a Jonathan Coulton live show.
A They should expect acoustic versions of all their favorites. There will be a lot of talk about robots and monkeys, and certainly a sing-along moment or two. I can guarantee that I will make lots of mistakes, and that I will play them off in the most charming and self-deprecating way. At the end of the show, they (fans in the audience) will all throw their panties on stage, both the men and the women.
Q Your forte is funny, geeky songs about things like robots and giant squids. As a songwriter, do you have ambitions to expand beyond that genre?
A I've always swung back and forth between funny songs and serious songs. I've long been a fan of Tom Lehrer, They Might Be Giants, Loudon Wainwright, even "Weird Al" (Yankovic) — I feel bad writing "even" because I actually think "Weird Al" is pretty awesome. I suppose I do it because of my fear of the "novelty song" label. "Weird Al" has a lot of great original music in addition to the parodies, but he's not often sincere.
And while I think that a lot of the stuff I do is pretty solidly in that genre, I always hope that the songs about giant squids and zombies actually go a little deeper than the goofy patina. I've always loved that moment you get when you're hearing a funny song that sucker punches you with something really sad and true.
Q One thing you've done is release your songs free online (albeit with payment encouraged) through "Creative Commons" licensing, which allows your fans to share the music with others without worrying about getting sued. How successful has that been for you?
A Maybe it doesn't make sense for U2 to use Creative Commons (or does it?), but for me, the more circulation my music gets the better.
John Scalzi is a freelancer from Darke County. Contact him at john@scalzi.com.
how to go
WHO: Jonathan Coulton (right) with Paul and Storm and Sometimes Why.
WHEN: 9:30 p.m. Saturday.
WHERE: Canal Street Tavern, 308 First St., Dayton.
COST: $10, available through Canal Street Tavern.
MORE INFO: (937) 461-9343.
