Comments on: I'm laughing and I'm dancing and it's fun!

I'm laughing and I'm dancing and it's fun!

hydrophonic — Fri, 31 Mar 2006 19:31:53 -0800

Chic-a-go-go is an all-ages dance party that airs weekly on local access in Chicago, hosted by Miss Mia and Ratso, a teenage rat puppet. Costumed hipsters, youngsters and oldsters shake their groove things in a sparsely decorated studio, often while musical guests lip-synch their hits. Ratso gets to interview some real legends too. (Although Lemmy dissed him, and Vanilla Ice was too freaked out.) They've spawned at least one imitator. This Saturday, they'll be taping their tenth anniversary show. (More inside)

By: hydrophonic

hydrophonic — Fri, 31 Mar 2006 19:33:01 -0800

Here are few videos of bands on the show: 1 (scroll down a bit, and keep watching for the El Train Line), 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. The main site needs updating (but give the producer a break, he's a busy man), and the "Watch Chic-a-go-go Online" link takes you to defunkt video links. But it looks like you can still order the best-of video--good news, because it has the most amazing performance by Monotrona and a young adoring fan who copies her every move. Which you'd be able to see right now if only the video link here worked..

By: davejay

davejay — Fri, 31 Mar 2006 19:35:03 -0800

New York Public Access has always been, to me, something to avoid at all costs -- full of sex and stupidity. Chicago Public Access, on the other hand, has always had a special place in my heart, because it's full of people just goofing off with relatively little pretension. This is a key example of that.

By: zod

zod — Fri, 31 Mar 2006 20:29:46 -0800

i haven't checked mefi for months and then i find this. thanks hydrophic, i'm so glad this is happening in my city.

By: Bighappyfunhouse

Bighappyfunhouse — Fri, 31 Mar 2006 20:42:15 -0800

There is goodness on the planet. Chic-a-go-go rocks.

By: zod

zod — Fri, 31 Mar 2006 20:43:47 -0800

i found this myspace page via the host's site

By: Eamon

Eamon — Fri, 31 Mar 2006 21:23:07 -0800

OMG, I wish I could drive up for that taping. I've been a fan for most of these ten years, although I always thought that the soul rebel was a poseur because I never saw him at any Ska shows.

By: macdara

macdara — Sat, 01 Apr 2006 00:51:51 -0800

So this is the show in that Bobby Conn video for 'Never Gonna Get Ahead'? I always assumed it was fake, 'cause some of those dancers were just so damned creepy.

By: chrominance

chrominance — Sat, 01 Apr 2006 00:53:25 -0800

Oh man, Supersphere! (the site with the defunkt clippes de video) Whatever happened to that place? I remember everything seemed to shut down around the end of 2001 but never had any idea why.

By: jb

jb — Sat, 01 Apr 2006 01:02:25 -0800

That looks like fun.

By: dhartung

dhartung — Sat, 01 Apr 2006 03:19:10 -0800

Oh, man, don't miss the Pancake Mountain clips: Go! Team, Metric, Arcade Fire, Fiery Furnaces and Shonen Knife!

By: Enron Hubbard

Enron Hubbard — Sat, 01 Apr 2006 05:30:38 -0800

Any place that has Lucy Lui on guitar, Drew Barrymore in a sombrero, a giant rubber monkey and conga dancing Imperial Storm Troopers gets my vote.

By: hydrophonic

hydrophonic — Sat, 01 Apr 2006 08:19:18 -0800

Oh yeah! I forgot about the Bobby Conn video. I like how he'd recorded a clean version for the show--"saying yes" instead of "giving head"--but had slipped up a couple of times, and then had to lip-synch it with the mistakes.

By: Turtles all the way down

Turtles all the way down — Sat, 01 Apr 2006 13:20:07 -0800

I think this has restored my faith in humans. Look at it: some stupid cable access show with kids and adults dancing on a crappy set. With Imperial Storm Troopers. Totally hokey. Wow!

By: elr

elr — Sat, 01 Apr 2006 20:07:42 -0800

I always thought that the soul rebel was a poseur because I never saw him at any Ska shows. Soul Rebel is no poseur, just....long winded. Right now, he's at the Pilsen little-league benefit hardcore show, but, as you know, his name is "Soul Rebel"; look for him at mod dance nights with no cover. The taping was alright today, not one of their best but they played multiple tracks off the new Prince record, and Plastic Crimewave can't dance. This comes as no surprise.

By: elr

elr — Sat, 01 Apr 2006 20:10:44 -0800

Also, Ratso is Chicago's most charming skinhead.

By: Mid

Mid — Sat, 01 Apr 2006 20:23:08 -0800

If anyone knows, what's the story with Gentleman John Battles? I was at a show where he got up and basically yelled at the audience for 10 minutes.