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In these post Frank Zappa times it is rare to see a band that has the balls to offend people in such a high brow and talented way. The Global Achievers are a band attempting to do just that. With a powerhouse of great musicians and more creativity than you can shake a stick at - The Global Achievers are a band not to be reckoned with. I got a chance to see their first show, a four song set that was total mayhem. The show was at Point Park College in Pittsburgh, Pa. It was a bitter cold Monday night just before Christmas. After finding a janitor to get them the p.a. system (which they quickly blew the speakers on) they sat down to a restless crowd mostly there for the free food. The most memorable of the songs was "Don't Masturbate on Christmas" (I don't think I need to go into detail). Though the songs were instant classics, it was the stage presence and the way they jammed together that really made me want to tell the world about them. The Global Achievers seem to all be very talented and proficient at playing. I feel that there are no areas that they are lacking in musically. In fact the band's bass player [Willy] learned the song for the first show in about an hour. One of the songs, "Nazi Santa Claus," is a tale of how every ethnic group and part of the world has there own Santa; so why not a Nazi Santa? This kind of conceptual thinking is a cornerstone of the band. While creativity is a must in any lyricist's bag of tricks; the Global Achievers press this creativity until it almost hits the edge of nonsensicalness. The Point Park College show was filled with catastrophe; some of the technical problems included: no public address system when they arrived, a mess of people waiting to see something more "normal," and a group of friends that had to sneak into the college to see the show. The stage was a mess and most of the time was spent on fixing problems like wire shortages, blown speakers, and not enough amplification. Also they had seven microphones and about two that worked. However in between that, the performance that they gave seemed like well rehearsed madness. A madness I hope they stick with; as I am sure they will. Speaking of the chaotic nature of their stage presence (strangely reminiscent of a circus), I have to wonder if the madness of their shows will have an effect on being asked to play places more than once. I guess we'll have to check up on that one later. With all the craziness on stage it is hard to remember that they're trying to play music. They brought along a Santa Claus door hanging that they cut the mouth out of. John Allen, one of the bands two dynamic lead vocalists paraded around on stage with it yelling, "Santa gonna get you!" They are surrounded by a lot of other artists, not just musicians but filmmakers, painters, graphic designers, photographers, etc. They seem more of a cult than a band but either way it's all about having fun and brain-washing people. Speaking of brain-washing, they were dressed in tin foil, garbage bags, and spacesuits for the show. Maybe I sense a little paranoia and fear of brain washing with the guys in the band. This insane costuming -- part David Bowie, part Las Vegas, is hopefully what people can expect to see at future shows. I only hope that they can once again make the world safe for cheese filled hotdogs. They are the Global Achievers and you need to find them. They all live in Pittsburgh, Pa and will have a web page up soon and a record out too. I will maybe talk to them again when they want to let the world know what is going on. |
