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Beat Street

By Todd S. Inoue

Hail to the Chiefs:
Presidents ready to go platinum


Photo by Karen Mason

Front Runners: The Presidents of the United States of America

Boy, that was quick. The Presidents of the United States of America's self-titled album went platinum and scored a Grammy nomination. What does that say about today's music fan that jumpy, energetic pop blasts like "Lump" and "Peaches" can score as much as Garth and Hootie? Drummer Jason Finn thinks purely in statistical terms. "It means about a million people like us," he says, calling from the offices of Sony Records. "Beyond that, it's not our place to say that 'times are a-changin'.' We're fun to listen to and fun to watch. We're rockin' out every night." The band is in Seattle, resting before crossing the United States and heading for Europe, Japan and Australia. The tour began on Feb. 15 and pulls into The Edge in Palo Alto on Feb. 19. Take a look at their official home page.

Could 1 million fans' embracing of the Presidents' quirky sound represent a backlash against the dour tunes currently plaguing the Top 40? "Nah, if they were that sick of it, then Bush wouldn't be selling so many records," Finn figures. "Obviously, people like having a good time. I don't see it as a reaction." Finn goes on to express bemusement at how audiences interpret the band's witty ditties about boll weevils and kitty cats. "Everyone thinks 'Kitty' is about sex," Finn says. "It's about a cat, but if they say, 'It's about sex,' we say, 'Sure!' "

Though the band has a political name, it turned down a chance to play a Democratic fundraiser because of Tipper Gore's stand against explicit rock lyrics. The Presidents did film a big "get out the vote" campaign for MTV, and an upcoming concert is slated for Mount Rushmore, but the band backs off of any endorsements. "We would be more cautious about it now just because of our higher stature," Finn says. "We're not into being a political band. It's not our place to say, 'Vote for this person.' We do say it's important to vote. I wouldn't feel good about jumping on a particular bandwagon. You shouldn't be looking to a rock group for your information, anyway."

Okay, say the Presidents of the United States of America win a Grammy for Best Alternative Performance. An orchestrated version of "Lump" is blared out. The fellas walk up to the podium. What do you say?

"Oh God, I don't see us having much of a chance," Finn confesses. "We'd thank Ted Nugent, then get off the stage."

Smash and Grab

Compared to the Pearl Jam ticketing debacle, Smashing Pumpkins' ticket-buying method was a smooth ride, but I think the band overestimated its popularity some. Tickets were still available three days after the initial sale day. After Lollapalooza '94's lame-ass performance, they owe us a good two hours, and for $25 and no opening act, we'd better get it. The Pumpkins came through with a very loose Kezar Pavilion performance Feb. 6 that relied heavily on lucid jamming--"Today" and "XYU" being the most memorable numbers for James Iha's explorations into guitar atmospherics.

For the archivally inclined, here's the set list from the show. Mostly acoustic: "Tonight, Tonight," "In the Arms of Sleep," "Cupid de Locke," "Galapogos," "Today," "Soma," "Take Me Down," "Beautiful, Rocket," "Lily." Lead vocalist Billy Corgan embellished "Tonight Tonight" with a very Journey-like reference to the Bay Area: "And the embers never fade in your city by the bay." Mostly electric: "Mellon Collie & the Infinite Sadness," "Where Boys Fear to Tread," "Zero," "Fuck You," "Here Is No Why," "To Forgive," "Bullet With Butterfly Wings," "Muzzle," "Through the Eyes of Ruby," "33," "Geek USA," "Cherub Rock," "Porcelina of the Vast Oceans." Encores: "1979," "XYU," "By Starlight," "Silverfuck" (completely redone encompassing a portion of lyrics from "Drown," a nice touch), then "Farewell and Goodnight."

The lingering thought from this warm-up show is that you'd better be into the new album (Tuesday's show featured only three songs not on Melon Collie & the Infinite Sadness), or the band's upcoming arena tour will be an exercise in frustration.

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