With Lost, 24 and The Office all on summer hiatus, my current favorite show is VH1's World Series of Pop Culture. I've spent the last couple of nights screaming at the television at moments like tonight, when not one, but two morons didn't recognize the lyrics to "Billie Jean." It's simply the best game show since Rock and Roll Jeopardy.
When they showed previews for tomorrow night's episode, I had to do a double-take, because I recognized one of the contestants; Eric Melin, who used to be the drummer for one of the best bands you've probably never heard of, Ultimate Fakebook. I saw them play at a record store called Balcony Lights when I lived in Las Vegas, and it was one of my top 20 best concerts ever. That may not seem that impressive, but I've seen a LOT of shows.
If I were a gambling man, I'd bet the house on Melin's team, Westerburg High, to win it all. Their cool quotient is off the charts, having named themselves after a pop culture reference of a pop culture reference (Westerburg High was the school in Heathers, and a homage to The Replacements frontman). They also patterned their t-shirts on the Cheap Trick logo. But while all that is cool on the surface, what really makes me believe in these guys is that they know their shit. Eric used to write movie reviews on the UFB website while the band was on tour, and the guy knows his pop culture. If his compadres are even half as well versed in worthless trivia as he is, they should be unstoppable.
Given the subject of this post, this is definitely the most appropriate UFB song for me to share with you. It's easily the greatest pop/punk song ever written about a blockbuster sci-fi prequel.
Ultimate Fakebook - "Far, Far Away" (mp3) from This Will Be Laughing Week
No comments:
Post a Comment