Mindless Self Indulgence, Chantal Claret, Bunny The Bear - Irving Plaza, NYC - 3/25/14

Story and photos by Deborah J. Draisin

If you have been paying any sort of attention whatsoever to social media, you will know that this tour is MSI’s final one for a while. The band plans to go on indefinite hiatus (which could be a week or ten years, not even the band knows for sure) once this tour wraps up at the House of Blues in West Hollywood on Tax Day. To say that this tour stop was not merely an event, but a must-see, would be an understatement.

So my eclectic editor and our wonderful friends at Reybee PR arranged for full coverage, including a fun backstage interview over Starbucks and pizza (to be posted soon) with the eccentric but brilliant brains behind it all, Jimmy Euringer (dba Urine) and the best photos that I was able to take of a band which seriously never stops moving for an hour and a half.


Chantal Claret

Sweetening the deal some was the openers. Chantal Claret (nee Euringer, wife of Jimmy and former frontperson of the beloved Morningwood) is foraging out on her first solo tour (and, to put it in her own words “happily slept her way onto this slot,”) along with a drummer and two amazing backup singers and dancers.


Bunny The Bear


Also along for the ride was The Bunny The Bear, who are something of an enigma, the way that hardcore bands are wont to be nowadays. They started things off with what I can only describe as something resembling a jumper video, with dark lighting, creepy bunny and wolf masks and a very friendly greeting to the audience. There are a lot of members in this band (I counted seven, but Wiki only counts two. Perhaps they kill the others afterwards?) The music was brash, abrupt and satisfyingly unsettling. I don’t think the crowd knew quite what to make of them, especially the three rather innocent-looking stringmen wandering peacefully through the crowd after their set,) but I rather enjoyed them. They were super fun to (try and) photograph.

Next up was the Belle of the Ball, and boy, did her band tear it the fuck up! Chantal’s songs are catchy, they’re funny, they’re easy to learn and they put on the performance of a lifetime right out of the gate. Third song in, Chantal walked into the crowd and did a bit of moshing. A few songs later, she was up on the balcony. The drummer looked like he was having the time of his life as the three women before him got everyone in the crowd to shake their booties with them. Chantal sounded amazing – so much so that I found myself purchasing a ticket for her headlining set at Piano’s two days later. The girls were all gracious and I am definitely picking up a copy of that cd.


Mindless Self Indulgence


The band of the hour took the stage like gangbusters not too long afterward. MSI shows are raucous events, with Jimmy teasing the costumed crowd, bantering with his bandmates, insults flying back and forth from audience to stage, flashing, crowdsurfing, backbending, drum-perching, and really rad hair.

It took this band a while to grow on me at first – they’re one of those bands that you absolutely have to see live to fully appreciate (although, that being said, my favorite song by them remains “Pre-Teen Violence,” one of the few which they never play live, as it’s non-instrumental.) I’m always so hit-and-miss with industrial / electronica, but their songs are absolutely fucking hysterical and ridiculously contagious. Jimmy is the perfect frontman: he’s interactive, he’s fun, he keeps things moving along at a rapid pace, and he comes up with new ideas every show. This tour, the band has been having each member choose a song for the night – an opportunity to hear seldom-played cuts like “Seven-Eleven.” The band also likes to bookend their sets with popular jams early on and toward the end, to keep the crowd interested.

They blew it up, and the gig was over much too quickly. They will for sure be missed, especially in their hometown, but I expect that we will be treated to some very interesting stuff by the bandmembers in the coming months, so stay tuned!

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Read up, listen up, watch a vid or catch them live
http://mindlessselfindulgence.com/
Give the band a shout
https://twitter.com/MSI?
https://twitter.com/jimmyurine
https://twitter.com/steverigh
https://twitter.com/kittymsi
https://twitter.com/lynzway
Check out the fine openers
http://www.chantalclaret.com/
https://www.facebook.com/thebunnythebear

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