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The last temptation of Harvey Christ >> Are H.C. and Friends a band, a belief or a bunch of baloney? by RUPERT BOTTENBERG
Brother Grayson Walker: That was "It's Great to Be Poor," one of our hit songs from like, two years ago. It's about being poor and crazy and going to the metro to bum money from people. M: What the hell are you guys, anyway, a trio? A duo? What? BGW: We're a duo with something we almost consider as sentient as a human, which is my beige 1984 64K Tandy Radio Shack computer. It's a little standoffish at times, but I think the three of us working together are able to create an atmosphere in which we can best represent our twisted take on Christianity. M: Yeah, what the hell's this religious thing you guys got going on? BGW: Well, Brother Randy Peters comes from a very strict Mennonite background, and I come from a cross between Unitarian and Southern Baptist. Unitarian is very open and Baptist very strict. So we both had questions about our Christian dogma, and as we grow older, we become more afraid of death. So we've developed a brand of Christianity that while remaining Christian, removes some of the stigma. Which is all the raping, killing, pillaging, etc. that happened under Christianity. M: What the hell kind of music do you do, anyway? BGW: It's mostly German pub-style sing-along. M: What the hell are you talking about?! BGW: Well, I play accordion and Randy plays, variously, guitar and clarinet and, as I said, the Tandy helps us out, too. But mostly we try to play songs that are sort of melodic but simple and repetitive enough that even the stupidest in our audience can sing along and be brainwashed into the wonderful annals of Harvey Christianity. M: What the hell kinda band counts pope-on-a-stick puppets as a release? BGW: Any respectable band would consider anything they've done as a piece of their history, their mythology, their expanding influence in the world. Every time someone looks at the puppet on the wall, the whole show and the whole ideology flashes back into their mind, once again bringing them closer to our spirit as Harvey Christians. M: What the hell kind of future do you think this band has? BGW: This is our last show because Randy's leaving town. Or is it the first, in a brilliant, floating tour of shows that we can take throughout the heavens and in fact the galaxy on our trip through this particular multiverse? M: What the hell are you... ah, forget it. Harvey Christ and Friends, plus guests, at Jailhouse Rock on Tuesday, June 30 at 10pm, $4
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Mirror: What the hell was that song you left on my answering machine?