"We met rolling on the floor of the music department at URI where we both majored in Music. We studied under the same brutal voice instructor which accounts for both our vocal blend and our self-loathing. Niki was performing stand-up comedy in college, and after graduation moved to Boston to continue this stupid dream. Lainey never wanted to be a comedian, in fact being laughed at really makes her mad. After a year or so of obligatory post-collegiate foundering, we figured it was time to make the most of our extensive musical training by writing some ridiculous songs together and performing them under the guise of comedy, and the Steamy Bohemians were born. We are something like the Smothers Brothers meets Cheech and Chong meets a made up band involving Bette Midler and Madeline Kahn.
The highlights of our career so far would be working with Barry Crimmins (the godfather of the Boston Comedy scene, founder of the Ding Ho), and having our music video directed by Michael Pope (Ben Folds Five, Dresden Dolls), and the success of our long-running variety/burlesque/vaudeville show Jerkus Circus. Also doing the Las Vegas Comedy Festival, because we're really into bright lights and lies."[Check out the aforementioned video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QAgus7p3zQ]
And now for the same five questions Stranded In Stereo always asks:
Hailing from Boston makes us better than all those non-Boston bands because
We don't have to wait for stardom to become bitter.
Name at least three bands that are still around and touring that you'd love to be on a bill with, and think it fits well
Spinal Tap, Tenacious D, the re-formed New Kids on the Block (it's going to happen!)
Your favorite Boston venue to perform in is
The former Pan 9 and the Lizard Lounge.
Are there any genres that influence your music conceptually, rather than sonically? (In that you can't hear from simply listening to the music, but from getting into the structure or mathematics of the song-writing, etc.) Conceptually we're mainly concerned with hilarity - with flavors of feminism and and the life of the free-thinking libertine. Musically we've been influenced by all genres, from our classical training (WWBD. What Would Bach Do?) to the free-loving rock and roll of Led Zeppelin, The Who) to 80s hip hop (Heavy D?). Sometimes our conceptual development is influenced by existing songs that piss us off. The song "is that ok?" was written partly after we heard this hideous Celine Dion song called "I drove all night," a reality in which stalking = love. Our newest song "Sweet Sixteen" was inspired by the Benny Mardones song "Into the Night" and other songs of the genre dealing with creepy old rockers crooning to 16 year old girls. We sought to explore the gender inverse of that - a song about a 16-year-old boy. And also to offend people. Because that's fun.
Your favorite local bar to hit up when not doing the whole band deal is
We don't hang out anywhere we can't "hang out." You'll find us in the parking lot. If we were forced to go to a bar, though, it would probably be the Model in Allston or the Cellar in Cambridge.
[Myspace] http://www.myspace.com/thesteamybohemians
Download: Ballad of the Bastard [mp3]
Catch them live: at Jerkus Circus this Friday at Ralph's in Worcester ($8 / 9:30pm).
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