Show Review: The New Funhouse’s First Show (Wølfhämmer 3, The Dumps, The Witches Titties)
At long last, hearts are ringing and ears are grinning throughout the Emerald City again. On April 1st, The Funhouse reopened, this time in a space shared with another Seattle music staple, El Corazon. Beloved booker, KEXP DJ, and Funhouse co-owner Brian Foss built the bill for its first concert on Thursday, April 9th.
In true Funhouse style, the event was a veritable freak show. Wølfhämmer 3 began the night with beer cans flying, and wrapped up their set with an “American Girl” singalong. On that jovial note, it was time for Foss to fulfill a promise he made a year and a half ago: to grow out his beard until the venue came back from the dead, and then have it shaved off onstage. Trever Dumpison (aka Trevor Robinson) of The Dumps did the honors, and it was a fur-flying sight to behold, with nary a nick. “Don’t eat that!” Foss bellowed as his former chin hair was swept up. “It’ll make you sick!”
The pooper group (The Dumps) performed next, with Lyle Dump (Kyle Madsen) announcing at the start, “We’re sad to see Santa Foss go, but the new Funhouse is here to stay!” They then tore through their guano-inspired songs with all the fury and fumes of an outhouse in July.
Taking the torch from there were The Fabulous Downey Brothers, one of the oddest acts I’ve seen. Their bubbling stew of cartoony goggles, symbolic props, and yelly-dance-mood-pop made me feel as if I was in an episode of Weird Science. On acid.
The final talent-tornado of the evening was none other than the Witches Titties, whose sound is as scratchily seductive as their name. I’m not sure if my feet were actually on the ground as they played because my head was spinning around Exorcist-style trying to catch all the action.
Not to be overly sentimental about this whole circus of a night, but it really was somethin’ else. Yes, bands went up, music was played, and the crowd bopped about like they do at so many other shows. But it was still more than that. It was a benefit party for the Unemployment Law Project, and a solid sign of all the outlandish acts that will continue to slop up The Funhouse’s stage.
Weirdos, rejoice.