Legendary art-rock group The Residents officially announce FACELESS FOREVER, their 50th Anniversary Tour kicking off at the Wonder Ballroom (Portland, OR) on March 16 and hitting 22 cities before culminating in a three-night run at the Great American Music Hall (San Francisco, Calif.) from April 17 - 19, 2023. Gloriously celebrating their odd and improbable 50 years of existence, The Residents perform selections from their iconic 1978 DUCK STAB! album as well as spotlight music from the recent release METAL, MEAT & BONE along with an eclectic collection of fan favorites. Always unpredictable, The Residents unveil to live audiences nationwide their debut feature film, Triple Trouble, at every music venue on the FACELESS FOREVERtour. Triple Trouble will be screened at 8pm with the concert showtime at 9:30pm.
Following its New York theatrical premiere on March 7, Triple Trouble will stream on MoMA's (NYC) member-only Virtual Cinema platform March 9 through 23, 2023 (CLICK to become a member).
For detailed information regarding DUCK STAB!; METAL, MEAT & BONE; and Triple Trouble, please see below:
DUCK STAB!
Released in 1978, DUCK STAB! was an EP featuring seven songs sung clearly, with understandable (if nonsensical) lyrics -- a first for The Residents. The EP was a runaway success. Quickly selling out of the first pressing, The Cryptic Corporation soon did a second pressing. Unfortunately, the sound quality of the EP was poor because The Residents had tried to squeeze sixteen minutes of music onto the record. The band decided to re-release the songs in an album in order to improve the sound. They took a similar, unreleased EP called Buster & Glen and made it into side two of the new album. DUCK STAB! / Buster & Glen was released the following November, and was later renamed as simply DUCK STAB. The album was a big critical success thanks to the accessibility of the music and the clever, Lewis Carroll-flavored lyrics (not to mention Snakefinger's amazing guitar work).
To get a sneak peek into the DUCK STAB! live set, view The Residents' exclusive performance of DUCK STAB! ALIVE! directed by renowned video artist John Sanborn: https://vimeo.com/557609428/b6c4031145 (MEDIA USE ONLY, DO NOT POST). Rolling Stone reported on DUCK STAB! ALIVE! (LINK).
METAL, MEAT & BONE
The Residents released a new double disc recording, METAL, MEAT & BONE, based on newly discovered recordings of Alvin Snow (a.k.a. Dyin' Dog). METAL, MEAT & BONE features 10 Dyin' Dog Demos, 10 interpretations of the demos by The Residents, and six new works inspired by Dyin' Dog. Black Francis of the Pixies is featured on the track "DIE! DIE! DIE!". Rolling Stone premiered the music video for "DIE! DIE! DIE!", which can be viewed HERE.
For more information regarding Alvin Snow a.k.a. Dyin' Dog, please visit: youtube.com/watch?v=trE_SmrngbM&feature=youtu.be
Triple Trouble:
Written and directed by Homer Flynn and The Residents and produced by Starr Sutherland, Triple Trouble premiered at the Chicago Underground Film Festival 2022 and went on to appear at the 45th Mill Valley Film Festival as well as other renowned festivals. Triple Trouble takes place in the near future, following the death of Randy Rose, former lead singer of The Residents. His son Randy Juniordiscovers that his father's ashes have been stolen and listed for sale on eBay by a mysterious culprit. While investigating, Junior discovers the footage for the group's unfinished feature film, Vileness Fats, in a foot locker in his mother's basement. Vileness Fats was left uncompleted following its initial filming in the 1970s -- and never released due to its format on half inch "industrial" video tape. The Residents resurrect Vileness Fats with a rewritten screenplay for Triple Trouble and feature an all-star cast of independent actors including Dustin York, Gerri Lawlor, Isabelle Ellingson, and Isabelle Barbier.
Triple Trouble Synopsis:
A former priest who lost faith in the church, Randall "Junior" Rose has become a plumber and instead of the simple life he envisioned, Junior's new occupation reveals an unexpected danger: a foreign fungus plugging sinks all over the city. Convinced that the fungus is a threat to humanity, Junior records a series of reports detailing the emergence of the strange white growth. Accompanied by his only companion Cherry, an AI enhanced drone, the plumber slowly gathers evidence to support his bizarre theory: an epidemic of white vans, a repeated pattern of black and white sidewalk drawings, a pervasive communications tower, and a massive increase in stopped-up drains. He's further provoked by news of a "white flu" infiltrating the culture.
The death of his mother and a recent divorce have left Junior emotionally isolated, a victim of his own deeply rooted anxiety, but despite the cautions received from Cherry and Suzi, his ex-wife, his obsession continues to swell at an alarming rate. Encouraged by the ghost of his father, Junior spirals out of control while being plagued by a mysterious figure menacing the edges of his solitary world. Panic-stricken, the plumber retreats to his apartment and begins to drink.
Drunk and unhinged, Junior staggers around his apartment, neurotically craving the company of his dead mother. Desperate for a breath of fresh air, he opens his patio door just as an ominous figure bursts in. It's Al Gump, the former custodian of the crematory where Junior's father was incinerated. Five years earlier, Gump and his brother Ollie had kidnapped his ex-wife Suzi; in the ensuing aftermath, Junior's mom shot and killed Ollie and the raging Al is demanding revenge. But with the brute's fingers tightening around the hapless plumber's neck, Gump suddenly gurgles, snorts, and lurches around the room, falling to the floor with a massive thud as a foamy white substance ripples and oozes from his mouth.
Staring in amazement, Junior can utter but one word, "FUNGUS!."
About The Residents
The Residents (band, writers, artists; they/them) are an American art collective best known for creating avant-garde music and multimedia works. Since their first official release, Santa Dog (1972), the group has released over sixty albums, numerous music videos and short films, three CD-ROM projects, and ten DVDs. They have undertaken ten major tours and scored multiple films. Pioneers in exploring the potential of CD-ROM and similar technologies, the Residents have won several awards for their multimedia projects. Ralph Records, a record label focusing on avant-garde music, was started by the band. Throughout the group's existence, the individual members have ostensibly attempted to operate under anonymity, preferring instead to have attention focused on their art output. Much outside speculation and rumor has focused on this aspect of the group. In public, the group appears silent and costumed, often wearing eyeball helmets, top hats and tails -- a long-lasting costume now recognized as its signature iconography. Its albums generally fall into two categories: deconstructions of Western popular music, and complex conceptual pieces composed around a theme, theory, or plot. The group is noted for surrealistic lyrics and sound, disregard for conventional music composition, and the over-the-top theatrical spectacle of their live performances. In addition to their groundbreaking work in the areas of trance, world fusion, electronica, punk, industrial and lounge music, the group has also been credited with being among the originators of performance art and music video. Two of their videos are in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art and their Freak Show CD- ROM has recently been featured in MoMA's "Looking at Music 3.0" exhibition. The Theory of Obscurity, a documentary about The Residents, premiered at SXSW in 2015.
In January, 2020, resurrecting their widely acclaimed 1988 album, God in 3 Persons, The Residents, in collaboration with noted video artist John Sanborn, created a major multimedia performance at the Museum of Modern Art. In addition, based on the newly discovered recordings of Alvin Snow, aka Dyin' Dog, the group completed their 49th studio album, METAL, MEAT & BONE. In August, 2021, featuring the music of Snow, The Residents performed select concerts revisiting The Third Reich 'n' Roll and Duck Stab, two quintessential Residents albums. In winter/spring 2023, The Residents embark on their FACELESS FOREVER 50th Anniversary Tour throughout Europe and North America. residents.com
The Residents -- FACELESS FOREVER -- 50th Anniversary Tour 2023
Thu. 03/16/23 -- Portland, OR -- Wonder Ballroom
Fri. 03/17/23 -- Seattle, WA -- Fremont Abbey Arts Center
Sat. 03/18/23 -- Vancouver, BC -- Hollywood Theatre
Mon. 03/20/23 -- Salt Lake City, UT -- Urban Lounge
Tue. 03/21/23 -- Denver, CO -- Bluebird Theater
Thu. 03/23/23 -- Minneapolis, MN -- The Cedar
Fri. 03/24/23 -- Chicago, IL -- Lincoln Hall
Sat. 03/25/23 -- Detroit, MI -- Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit
Mon. 03/27/23 -- South Burlington -- Higher Ground
Tue. 03/28/23 -- Cambridge, MA -- The Sinclair
Thu. 03/30/23 -- New York, NY -- (Le) Poisson Rouge
Fri. 03/31/23 -- Philadelphia, PA -- The Foundry at the Fillmore
Sat. 04/01/23 -- Baltimore, MD -- Ottobar
Sun. 04/02/23 -- Carrboro, NC -- Cat's Cradle
Mon. 04/03/23 -- Atlanta, GA -- Variety Playhouse
Wed. 04/05/23 -- New Orleans, LA -- The Broadside
Fri. 04/07/23 -- Dallas, TX -- The Kessler
Sat. 04/08/23 -- Houston, TX -- The Heights Theater
Sun. 04/09/23 -- Austin, TX -- The Parish
Wed. 04/12/23 -- Tucson, AZ -- 191 Toole
Sat. 04/15/23 -- Santa Cruz, CA -- Rio Theatre
Mon. 04/17/23 -- San Francisco -- Great American Music Hall
Tue. 04/18/23 -- San Francisco -- Great American Music Hall
Wed. 04/19/23 -- San Francisco -- Great American Music Hall
