SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: THE RESIDENTS – SECRET SHOW (LIVE IN SAN FRANCISCO)

THE RESIDENTS
SECRET SHOW (LIVE IN SAN FRANCISCO)
CHERRY RED RECORDS

Like Sparks, The Residents have been able to keep their loyal, core audience while bringing new people into their fanbase over the years. In January, 2023, The Residents decided to celebrate their 50th anniversary with their old and new fans by holding a concert in their hometown of San Francisco (at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music), although it is more of a homebase than a hometown (members of The Residents were originally from Shreveport, Louisiana). They invited some special guests to help them out, and the end result is a spectacular concert full of surprises and great music. They filmed and recorded the show and it was released a year later as Secret Show (Live In San Francisco). It is a CD/DVD package which gives those who could not attend the show a document of the incredible show.

Since their debut album, Meet The Residents (1974), which featured a sleeve design that parodied The Beatles’ Meet The Beatles, they established themselves as Avant Garde rock ’n’ roll. They also managed to keep their identity a secret. One cannot forget their famous ‘eye’ heads. The band kept on progressing and breaking new ground with their image and sound. It is hard to believe that they have released 60 albums and had a career against all odds.  This is why this album, Secret Show (Live In San Francisco) is an important milestone in their career.

As far as Secret Show (Live In San Francisco), it is a standard live album, and it sounds great. It opens with The Residents alone on stage with “Would We Be Alive”. As with most of their music, it is a well-structured rock song and at the same time it is creepy in its own way. It is an interesting choice for an opener, as this song debuted during their first ever tour. As noted, the band invited some friends and fans to augment their sound for the concert. Les Claypool (Primus), who has been known to release some very interesting and intriguing music, joins the band for “Hello Skinny”. It is a short journey into discordant rock and brings to mind Captain Beefheart. Claypool’s vocals fit the song and band and it is a great moment in the show.

Other guests include David J and Ego Plum joining the band for the atmospheric “Santa Dog”. The use of vocals and bells is disturbing and music that is not for the faint of heart. They also bring on friends and those whom they influenced, which included Sarah Cahill, Josh Freese, Conspiracy Of Beards and The San Francisco Girls Chorus (who join the band for “Constantinople”, which is just astounding) to name a few of the guests. However, the stars of the show are The Residents and 21 carefully chosen songs from their vast catalogue.

The concert, like most of the music The Residents have created during their career, is incredibly intense and unrelenting. At times the music is almost too much and is very dark and scary, but it is all in good fun. The band and their guests are enjoying themselves, or so it seems, and the audience was treated to a once in a lifetime concert. The Residents are one of the most original bands in the history of rock and have never ceased to be interesting and way outside the norm. They are kind of like Zappa meets Devo meets Captain Beefheart meets John Cage. And yet, their music and art are not inaccessible. It is different, but given the chance, it is a fun ride. This concert could serve as an excellent introduction to the band and some of their guests.

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