March 30, 2005

Clem Snide comes to MASS MoCA's Alternative Cabaret

(North Adams, Mass.)-- Alternately edgy and lusciously melancholy Clem Snide, the band behind the theme song to TV's hit show Ed, is a thoughtful, art-country band coming to MASS MoCA as part of the museum's Alternative Cabaret series on Saturday, April 30, at 8 P.M. Their songs include The Sound of German Hip-Hop, Joan Jett of Arc, Ancient Chinese Secret Blues, Tiny European Cars, Jews for Jesus Blues, and God Answers Back. Their signature sound merges the tunefulness of vintage pop, the late-night vibe of cool jazz, the lonesome spirit of classic country, and the delicate touch of folk, but all laced with biting wit and satire.

Clem Snide was first assembled in Boston in 1991 by singer, songwriter, and guitarist Eef Barzelay during his college days. With a sound dominated by noisy, punk jazz-inspired dissonance with abrasive guitar lines and bleating saxophone, the group was aptly named for a character in the William S. Burroughs novel Naked Lunch. By the end of 1996 they were playing small shows around New York and by 1998 they released their debut album, You Were a Diamond.

Over the course of the next few years the group's members have changed, continuing a tradition of bringing in new guest musicians for each album. They have released four more albums, including 2001's The Ghost of Fashion, from which "Moment in the Sun" was chosen as the theme for television's Ed, and their latest album End of Love, released in 2004 and including guest musicians Ben Perowsky of the Lounge Lizards, Lara Meyerratken of Crooked Fingers, Paul Burch of Paul Burch and the WPA Ballclub, and Tony Crow and Ben Martin of Lambchop.

Doors open at 7 PM. Food and drink from Lickety Split and the MASS MoCA bar will be available before and during the event.

Tickets for Clem Snide in concert are $13 in advance or $16 the day of the show. MASS MoCA members receive a 10% discount. Tickets are available through the MASS MoCA Box Office located off Marshall Street in North Adams from 11 A.M. until 5 P.M. (closed Tuesdays). Tickets can also be charged by phone by calling 413.662.2111 during Box Office hours or purchased on line at www.massmoca.org.

MASS MoCA, the largest center for contemporary visual and performing arts in the United States, is located off Marshall Street in North Adams on a 13-acre campus of renovated 19th-century factory buildings.

For Immediate Release
Contact: Katherine Myers
(413) 664-4481 x8113
katherine@massmoca.org