Seeing San Jose’s Culo A Boca live for the first time can be loosely akin to seeing Gwar live for the first time: it requires just as much time spent trying to figure out their costumes and obscene props as their music.
“It’s harmonious chaos,” says Fista NoGagreflexa, one of the two singers, donning an outfit that can be best described as demonic ragdoll.
Over five years, Culo A Boca has taken its mesh of punk rock and theatrics to all kinds of extremes. The other vocalist, Poncho Verde, wears skin-tight leopard pants, no shirt and a Mexican wrestling mask. The rest of the band, Sideburns McBlood (bass), Rev. BJ Gums (guitar), Herpe Hancock (drums) and new-comer Dick Rigormortis (guitar) all do their best to look like flesh-eating zombies.
Their audience can be as wild as the band itself sometimes. Stories of people trying to take a dump on stage, GG Allin style, and things breaking are not uncommon. Fista has had a personal request from an audience member for her to punch him in the face, which she gladly obliged. Another patron carried her around on his shoulders, and took some convincing to let her down.
Culo a Boca utilizes props to enhance certain points in a song. One is called “the Fear Boner.” This is basically a leaf blower fashioned into a giant erect penis with a roll of toilet paper on the end. There are also two more props called “the Clunghole”: two flat, wooded cut-outs that look like two women bending over. They are rigged to shoot liquids out.
“This chunky pair of nude vixens don lucho libre masks and generously bend over to shoot filth to whoever dares approach. Unfortunately sometimes this means one of us on stage,” McBlood explains.
In fact, the last time they played the Caravan, the bartenders thought the second story had flooded, because of all the liquid dripping from the ceiling.
McBlood claims they’ve never failed to win over an audience. “But our show has gotten us on the blacklist at more than a few venues, and every now and then there’s someone who doesn’t appreciate what we have to say about their shitty band,” he says.
Culo A Boca play Saturday, Aug. 4., at Caravan Lounge in San Jose, 9pm; free.
