on the road now with spazz-punks Beep Beep
The Show Is The Rainbow is a one-man electrical storm of one Darren Keen from Lincoln, Nebraska. Incessantly touring, The Show Is Rainbow's notoriously confrontational live act is legendary and inspirational in the DIY-punk circuit (kids worship him in middle America, seriously). With an often seizure-inducing visual presentation, The Show Is The Rainbow's live act pushes the envelope of "performance art" encasing spastic punk, comedy, electro-skronk meltdowns, and motivational speaking. Whether it's in an arena, small bar, or a barn, you can count that all eyes and ears will be focused on Keen stealing the show from whatever poor sucker (that) has to play after him.
As if he were the DIY-scene's Andy Kaufman, early legends have him being at the business end of glass bottles or the clenched fists of crowds and bands he'd taken the piss out of, bumming out sound guys by playing on the floor, and being infamously outspoken about the indie fashion and scene icons. Since then, Keen has matured and moved away from that reputation as his music can easily stand on its own merit minus controversy. By no means does it imply the live show isn't as high-energy as it once was though; in fact it's only more refined and mind-melting quickly nearing 1000 shows. The Show Is The Rainbow has been on tours with The Faint, The Locust, Cursive, Mates of State, Tay Zonday, Neil Hamburger, and even Mindless Self Indulgence who asked Keen to join their tour after being "freaked out" when he opened for them.
Darren has been known to mix with the musical notables from his home state of Nebraska. In his spare time, Darren serves as the bassist for spazz-punks Beep Beep, and The Show Is The Rainbow frequently tours as support act with pals The Faint. The Show Is The Rainbow's sophomore release Wet Fist was even recorded in the storage room of the Faint's recording studio (later mixed by Joel Peterson in the band's "actual" studio).
Wet Fist incorporates glitchy 606 beats, twangy guitar, super funk-ass basslines, and one rather twisted perspective of the world. To wit: "Made of Cardboard" is a song about Keen's fictional homeless friend freezing to death while having sex with his girlfriend while "Roar Means Run" is about "Hitler and his addiction to methamphetamines and barbituates." Some other choice topics include an apocalyptic mass-whisper, a baby in the womb who keeps getting hit in the face by strange men's dicks, even working at Urban Outfitters and sadly watching his defeated co-workers spend their entire paychecks back to the store. Crafting his most accessible jams yet out of plenty of weirdness, Wet Fists' eclectic sound touches on the punk, new wave, hip-hop, electronica in Beefheartian/Zappa-esque way that Beck never could.
Wet Fist is The Show Is The Rainbow's first release on the Los Angeles-based Retard Disco label. His previous album Gymnasia was released on S.A.F. Records, who are also releasing the vinyl version of Wet Fist.
Tour Dates
march
14 - omaha, ne @ waiting room (Wet Fist Release Party)
15 - denton, tx @ nx35 conferette
17 - lubbock, tx @ whiskey dix *
20 - austin, tx @ terrorbird/true panther SXSW showcase
23 - tucson, @ az sports *
24 - phoenix, @ az rhythym room * w/ marnie stern
25 - san diego, ca @ bar pink
26 - los angeles, ca @ knitting factory * w/ Sebasitan Grainger
28 - houston, tx @ free press block party w/ HEALTH, St. Vincent, Valient Thorr and more
29 - portland, or @ someday lounge *
30 - seattle, wa @ sunset tavern *
31 - olympia, wa @ jakes *
april
1 - boise, id @ neurolux *
2 - salt lake city, ut @ kilby court *
3 - denver, co @ larimer lounge *
4 - omaha, ne @ waiting room *
6 - des moines, ia @ vaudeville mews
7 - chicago, il @ bottom lounge *
8 - dekalb, il @ the house cafe *
9 - minneapolis, mn @ uptown bar *
10 - houghton, mi @ keweenawesome fest *
11 - dayton, oh @ south park tavern *
12 - new york city, ny @ cake shop *
13 - philadelphia, pa @ johnny brendas *
14 - washington d.c. @ velvet lounge *
16 - charlotte, nc @ the milestone *
17 - athens, ga @ caledonia lounge *
18 - atlanta, ga @ drunken unicorn *
19 - orlando, fl @ backbooth *
20 - tampa, fl @ new world brewery *
21 - tallahassee, fl @ engine room *
22 - gainsville, fl club @ 1982 *
24 - springfield, mo @ outland ballroom *
25 - st. louis, mo @ the firebird *
*performing with Beep Beep
As if he were the DIY-scene's Andy Kaufman, early legends have him being at the business end of glass bottles or the clenched fists of crowds and bands he'd taken the piss out of, bumming out sound guys by playing on the floor, and being infamously outspoken about the indie fashion and scene icons. Since then, Keen has matured and moved away from that reputation as his music can easily stand on its own merit minus controversy. By no means does it imply the live show isn't as high-energy as it once was though; in fact it's only more refined and mind-melting quickly nearing 1000 shows. The Show Is The Rainbow has been on tours with The Faint, The Locust, Cursive, Mates of State, Tay Zonday, Neil Hamburger, and even Mindless Self Indulgence who asked Keen to join their tour after being "freaked out" when he opened for them.
Darren has been known to mix with the musical notables from his home state of Nebraska. In his spare time, Darren serves as the bassist for spazz-punks Beep Beep, and The Show Is The Rainbow frequently tours as support act with pals The Faint. The Show Is The Rainbow's sophomore release Wet Fist was even recorded in the storage room of the Faint's recording studio (later mixed by Joel Peterson in the band's "actual" studio).
Wet Fist incorporates glitchy 606 beats, twangy guitar, super funk-ass basslines, and one rather twisted perspective of the world. To wit: "Made of Cardboard" is a song about Keen's fictional homeless friend freezing to death while having sex with his girlfriend while "Roar Means Run" is about "Hitler and his addiction to methamphetamines and barbituates." Some other choice topics include an apocalyptic mass-whisper, a baby in the womb who keeps getting hit in the face by strange men's dicks, even working at Urban Outfitters and sadly watching his defeated co-workers spend their entire paychecks back to the store. Crafting his most accessible jams yet out of plenty of weirdness, Wet Fists' eclectic sound touches on the punk, new wave, hip-hop, electronica in Beefheartian/Zappa-esque way that Beck never could.
Wet Fist is The Show Is The Rainbow's first release on the Los Angeles-based Retard Disco label. His previous album Gymnasia was released on S.A.F. Records, who are also releasing the vinyl version of Wet Fist.
Tour Dates
march
14 - omaha, ne @ waiting room (Wet Fist Release Party)
15 - denton, tx @ nx35 conferette
17 - lubbock, tx @ whiskey dix *
20 - austin, tx @ terrorbird/true panther SXSW showcase
23 - tucson, @ az sports *
24 - phoenix, @ az rhythym room * w/ marnie stern
25 - san diego, ca @ bar pink
26 - los angeles, ca @ knitting factory * w/ Sebasitan Grainger
28 - houston, tx @ free press block party w/ HEALTH, St. Vincent, Valient Thorr and more
29 - portland, or @ someday lounge *
30 - seattle, wa @ sunset tavern *
31 - olympia, wa @ jakes *
april
1 - boise, id @ neurolux *
2 - salt lake city, ut @ kilby court *
3 - denver, co @ larimer lounge *
4 - omaha, ne @ waiting room *
6 - des moines, ia @ vaudeville mews
7 - chicago, il @ bottom lounge *
8 - dekalb, il @ the house cafe *
9 - minneapolis, mn @ uptown bar *
10 - houghton, mi @ keweenawesome fest *
11 - dayton, oh @ south park tavern *
12 - new york city, ny @ cake shop *
13 - philadelphia, pa @ johnny brendas *
14 - washington d.c. @ velvet lounge *
16 - charlotte, nc @ the milestone *
17 - athens, ga @ caledonia lounge *
18 - atlanta, ga @ drunken unicorn *
19 - orlando, fl @ backbooth *
20 - tampa, fl @ new world brewery *
21 - tallahassee, fl @ engine room *
22 - gainsville, fl club @ 1982 *
24 - springfield, mo @ outland ballroom *
25 - st. louis, mo @ the firebird *
*performing with Beep Beep
"After an intro reminiscent of theme music from a quasi-futuristic cheesy '70s action flick, The Show Is the Rainbow (known to his mom as Darren Keen) combines witty commentary with a wide assortment of instrumentation and programming to generate a distinct sound that goes beyond our abilities to genre define. The track is a sneak preview from his upcoming LP, Wet Fist, from Omaha's own one-man band that creates a multi-faceted, eclectic fusion of rock, electronics, and hip-hop that pays homage to the the likes of Frank Zappa, Squarepusher, and early Beck. You can catch TSITR's energetic and notoriously audience interaction-heavy live show as he currently tours the U.S. with The Faint" XLR8R.com
