Inside the
BLOBUS FESTIVUS!

 Veteran Chicago radio personality Buzz Kilman, who readers of It’s Only A Movie! may also know for his website Drive-In Reviews (“Home of the Quality Kill”) and for his bit parts in Silence of the Lambs and other films, presented a bizarre but entertaining assortment of musical acts under the banner of “Blobus Festivus” on July 22 at west suburban Brookfield’s BrookFest. The WCKG-FM midday man’s version of George Costanza’s “festivus for the rest of us” featured such performers as the punky Poppycocks (or “Poopycocks” as they were introduced by emcee Pedro), the raucous Evil Beaver (I sprang for a T-shirt, but should have gone back for the black panties festooned with the Beaver logo in metallic silver), lounge lizard par excellence Gigolo Johnny, The Buzzards with the inimitable Hank the Crank on drums, and Ralph Covert, who led a sweaty crowd of Buzz’s listeners and bemused suburbanites in an off-kilter children’s singalong. Strippers from the Crazy Horse carried placards to announce each act, and Elvis even turned up to rock the house and toss a few scarves. All in all, not your usual fest fare. 

The final acts scheduled to perform were rockabilly outfit The Riptones and Buzz’s own Blobs (named, like the event itself, in homage to the B-movie classic and its spinoffs; Buzz is particularly fond of Burt Bacharach’s mariachi-flavored theme to the original Blob). Alas, the Blobs had barely completed their opening number, a stirring rendition of the theme from Baretta featuring Kilman’s cohost Wendy Snyder on parrot squawks, when a loud rumble was heard. No, it wasn’t Evil Beaver coming back for an encore, but the onset of a spectacular thunderstorm. Festgoers scrambled for shelter, and fans eagerly awaiting Wendy and Piranha Man’s atonal duet on “I Got You Babe” (as previewed all week on the radio show) were left high and dry. . .well, moist, perhaps.

Yet Blobus blobs on, as implacable as the menacing goo from which it borrows its name. “The REST of the festivus for the rest of us” (say that three times fast after a few adult beverages) will take place August 18th at the Abbey Pub, 3420 W. Grace, with The Riptones, Buzz and the Blobs, and whoever else shows up. Fabulous. 

-- Kat, Mistress of Mayhem 

Listen to Buzz and Wendy on WCKG 105.9 FM, 11 am - 2 pm, Monday thru Friday.

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