When music is presented in family tree form, there must always be a giant limb representing the great city of San Francisco, a place that has not only turned out iconic bands but entire cultural and social movements as well.
But we're not entirely sure that The Residents would simply be another leaf on the Bay Area-Santa Cruz limb, though they are much associated with the area. We see the famously surreal art collective as a weird little sprout covered in purple flowers that resemble eyeballs. The Residents are their own little plant attached to the music family tree, growing and twisting in its own way.
The band, which is known for its anonymous performances, outlandish aural adventures, mirthful cacophonies and that memorable tuxedo-wearing eyeball head, is marking its 40th anniversary. And the party isn't just about the donning of eyeballs and top hats, but giving the fans, many of whom have followed the arty high jinx from the beginning, a little something special.
Or try a big something special.
The Residents' special anniversary box set is $100,000 -- yep, all zeroes were carefully counted there, and the number stands -- and the box? It's a full-sized refrigerator.
The band is also thanking fans with a California swing-through, which culminates with a Feb. 28 show in Santa Cruz. They rocked LA at The El Rey on Monday, Feb. 25.
It's hard to distill a collective devoted to pushing the envelope in terms of art and music over four decades. In fact, we see The Residents collecting up all of the envelopes they should be pushing, taping them together and wearing them as a three-piece paper suit.
