Jello Biafra and the Guantanamo School of Medicine returned to Detroit
proper last Sunday to the Magic Stick and Motorcityblog was there to witness
it.
The place was well attended especially for a Sunday night. The need for
punk is indeed not dead. I consumed a few beers before Jello's set to loosen up
for what was surely going to be a high energy show. A big shout out to "Roadie
Pete" for purchasing me a celebratory drink for my birthday. Jello Biafra ended
up being the icing on the cake for the rest of the evening.
If your a fan of Jello Biafra and his previous work including his stint in
the Dead Kennedy's, his spoken word shows, and numerous other band
collaborations, and are on the fence about seeing Jello at 56 years old with a
new band, then you better get yourself straight because a live Jello show has
not changed much from the 70's. This is Jello's first proper band since the Dead
Kennedys and Jello Biafra and the Guantanamo School of Medicine will not let you
down.
The band formed in 2008 and has since released two full length albums as
well as two EP's. The 90 minute set for the night included a healthy dose of new
material from these albums including "Three Strikes", "Shock-U-Py!", and "The
Brown Lipstick Parade". Similar to the Dead Kennedys, the Guantanamo School of
Medicine material is often political in lyrics and loud, fast, and rhythmically
consistent musically. You can easily sing along to the new material and much of
the crowd did just that.
Between songs,and during extended intros to them, Jello gave us
some rebellious political angst fueled spoken word that he found a career in
after the breakup of his first band. Targets included Michigan governor Rick
Snyder, the city government of Benton Harbor, wealthy corporations, and local
school boards. Jello called to crowd to take action and his words were
completely genuine and passionate. Jello also strayed away from the political
spoken word to talk about his passion for Detroit local music including bands
that shaped his own musical path including the MC5 and The Stooges. Jello spoke
about the recent passings of Stooges Ron (in 2009) and Scott Asheton (in 2014).
He wondered out loud how his life would have been like if he had never heard the
Stooges. He couldn't imagine it.
Jello Biafra did not forgot his musically roots and played Dead Kennedys
material as well. Song's included "California Uber Alles", "Nazi Punks Fuck
Off", "Kill The Poor", and "Holiday In Cambodia".
Long time friend of Jello,
Karen "Queen Bee" Neal came out for a duet with him on the classic Dead
Kennedy's "Too Drunk On Fuck". The Dead Kennedy's material had the crowd in a
frenzy and stage diving ensued. Jello himself stage dived multiple times during
the set.
And I can't write a review of the show without mentioning Jello Biafra and
the Guantanamo School of Medicine's take on the Wesley Willis classic "Rock N' Roll McDonald's". Jello has released several Wesley Willis
albums on his label Alternative Tentacles and the performance was a Ode to an
artist he has great love for, and by the reaction of the crowd, many others do as
well.
Live footage from the show courtesy of Ambervillian Films.
Photos by Adrianne Johnston.