Interview: The Super Geek League
Q & A With Floyd McFeely
The Super Geek League isn’t quite like any band you’ve seen before.
Part idiosyncratic local indie band and part misfit performance theatre, the group’s live shows have included: stripping nuns, dead fish, trampolines, fire, human cakes, presidential be-headings, and a host of other eccentricities. Their cast of performers includes characters named Dr. Cumsalot, Captain Plastic, the Disgustoids and the Fat Cannibal. And they’ve got song titles like “Seamen” and “Jesus in Clown Shoes.”
Attend one of their shows and you’re likely to be unwittingly involved in the execution of their performance in some fashion, either as an audience volunteer, the recipient of any number of non-hazardous fluids and solids projected out from the stage, or at the very least accosted by one of the group’s many minions, who come dressed either as clowns or “stupid heroes” (think regular-guy superheroes a la the best episode ever of The Tick) and wreak general havoc throughout the venue all night.
As the actual performing musicians in the Super Geek League put the finishing touches on their first full-length album and prepare to headline NadaMucho.com’s December 1 Holiday Bash at Capital Hill’s War Room, I sat down and chatted with Floyd McFeely, Master Geek.
NadaMucho.com: What is the Super Geek League and how can it save our world?
Floyd McFeely: The Super Geek League is a hallucination generated by the Contemplative Dwarf, who is responsible for the world as we know it, as a means of combating and controlling the human disease proliferated by Dr. Cumsalot and the legion of the underworld, who are conspiring to control the world.
For the complete story, read The History of the World According to SGL.
NM: How many members strong is the Super Geek League?
FM: About 75 people and growing. At any given show
NM: Most bandleaders can’t even keep a three piece organized and together. How do you manage to keep the Geeks on track?
FM: It’s organized chaos. I just create a venue for people to come out do something fun that doesn’t require much talent or practice. We create a spectacle to entertain people and our members are compelled to self-motivate and do incredibly strange and off-the-wall shit.
We have a stable of acts that know their part so all they need to do is show up for a gig without rehearsal or much creative direction and for any new act that we introduce I usually have a brief rehearsal to get performers up to speed.
We are always recruiting folks so if any of your readers are interested in joining the throngs feel free to contact us at floyd (at) supergeekleague (dot) com.
NM: So you’re kind of a like a cult for people who aren’t talented enough to be in a real band but are willing to embarrass themselves in order to get on stage?
FM: Real Band? A REAL BAND!!! WOW you mean we could ACTUALLY BE A REAL BAND!! OH MY GOD! I can’t believe this it’s like, like, like, almost a dream come true. I can see us now prancing around in MTV land sporting our chitty chitty bling bling and our hordes of hermaphrodite sex robots!
If a real band means going on stage and boring people to death then no thanks. I have faith in my fellow human disease vectors that they WANT and NEED something more out of a show then just some band playing music. We need to be ENTERTAINED!
When you got to one of our shows, what we give people is a big FAT check of social currency to cash in as part of their collective experience. They don’t talk about the collection of people on stage playing a series of musical chords. NO. They talk about getting hit in the head with a dead fish and being wrapped in plastic while salivating over some hot sexy nuns! That’s the CURRENCY baby. People are ONLY interested in the stories they tell. And SGL delivers.
NM: You’re recording your first album at Electr0 Kitty. How’s that coming?
FM: We finished recording and are just trying to finish the artwork. We are pushing for an early 2006 release date. This is going to be the great album of the 21st Century.
NM: How did you capture the Geek’s live show, which you’ve described as “Teatro Zinzanni on Acid”, on CD?
FM: We initially thought that we should release a DVD, but after serious consideration, I decided to go straight up with a CD and sell the music first and foremost. I think our shows sell themselves and the music will only reinforce the total package that is SGL.
We plan on releasing a DVD shortly after the CD, which will be a series of weird shit, some of which is on our site.
NM: Yeah, but what’s the end product going to sound like?
FM: It sounds amazing! The guys at Electrokitty said it’s one of the best products they have ever produced and they have had a TON of talent go through that studio, so I guess that’s a healthy endorsement. Musically, I believe it to be a crowning achievement.
NM: Which geeks actually performed on the album?
FM: Captain Tomorrow, Gil, Knuckles and Chuckles, Queen Bee, the dancing midget gorilla known simply as Skeeter, the Professor, and of course our spiritual guide the Jesus Monkey Bling Bling.
NM: What new surprises can folks expect when you headline Nada’s Holiday Bash at the War Room on Thursday?
FM: Stuffed Animal Pillow Fights and the introduction of the Professor, our official SGL narrator. And tons of sadistic clowns and a giant balloon-twisting bunny/duckling!
NM: And finally, what is the Super Geek League message?
FM: Our mission is clear: help people get in touch with their “inner idiot.”