Violent Crumble, Tiki Houseman, Mike Glendinning July 17, 2010

200pockets

Source: http://allnewsnoblues.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=234%3Arock-opera-on-saturday-&catid=37%3Aaround-town&Itemid=56

Rock Opera of Madness in Berkeley Saturday

Wednesday, 14 July 2010 14:55

Violent Crumble, a Bay Area music act featuring co-songwriters Mike Glendinning and Tiki Houseman, will debut songs from their nascent rock opera this Saturday night, July 17, at Chester's Bayview Cafe in Berkeley's gourmet ghetto.

“Violent Crumble is producing a rock opera based on a real-life story from the '30s about a mad x-ray tech who tries to cure a trusting young immigrant from Cuba of tuberculosis and falls in love with her,” said Glendinning. “He fails to cure her, steals the body, then tries to keep it from decaying so he can use it as a sex toy.”

Houseman and Glendinning reconstructed the true story and moved it to the 1940s, when the victim’s niece, Isabel, discovers letters from her recently departed parents, and learns that she had an aunt.

Without knowing if her relative is dead or alive, Isabel hires dubious detective Jack Hammer, who takes her money, absconds to Florida and spends the cash on a good time. There, Hammer encounters the aunt’s ghost, named Nena, and learns her sad past.

“It all started with an article I found in a newspaper,” said Glendinning, who teaches guitar at the Albany Adult School when he isn't composing in his home studio or helping take care of infant daughter Zoe. “I kept looking up the situation on the Internet,” he said. “The story just fascinated me. I wrote seven songs about it.”

Two of those songs found their way to Glendinning's most recent “grunge jazz” CD, “Psychotic America, Lullabies & Necrophilia,” released last year on Skeptical Records. (visit: www.mikegrungejazz.com.)

“Next, I asked a few people if they'd work on it with me. Only Tiki thought it was a good idea,” he added with a chuckle.

“(Glendinning) had already written two songs about the lead character when I finally started working with him,” said Houseman, who works at a PR agency in San Francisco. “I thought maybe she was an ex-lover or something, and (Glendinning) said, 'You haven't heard the story?.'"

When he told me, I said, 'Hey! Let's write a whole thing about it -- it's got zombie appeal, which is very hip and cool!' I lost on the zombie idea, though, because (Glendinning) wanted Nena to be a ghost.” (Listen to Houseman's music at www.epiphanette.com).

Houseman calls Saturday's show a "pared-down version" of the complete opera. "The full production will include staging and film, and the percussion of Michael Broadus, along with Glendinning on guitar and vocals, and me on bass and vocals," she said.

Music starts at 7:30 pm with a set by singer-songwriter Paul Pot. No cover charge. Arrive early for the best seating.

Chester's Cafe is located at 1508 B Walnut Street, Berkeley (in Walnut Square). http://www.chestercafe.com. 510.849.9995.
--STR

Last Updated (Tuesday, 13 July 2010 17:45)