Following in the footsteps of Outsider Art musicians like Daniel Johnston, Wesley Willis, and the Langley Schools Music Project, The Kids of Widney High prove that "special" is the new black.The Kids of Widney High is a rock band formed from a songwriting class at Widney High, a Special Ed high school in L.A. The Kids have various disabilities including mental challenges, autism, blindness, and cerebral palsy.
In recent years, the Kids have earned themselves a steady cult following, and have been playing to packed houses at L.A.'s top venues, including Key Club, The Knitting Factory, The House of Blues and The Viper Room (in addition to regular late-night gigs at L.A.'s last great punk dive, Mr. T's Bowl).
"The Kids of Widney High: Live at the Key Club," available on MoonMan Records November 2007, is the band's first live album. Recorded at Hollywood's Key Club, Live will feature fifteen of the Kids' best-known songs, in live renditions that are often very different from the previously released studio cuts. This, their fourth album, will also be the first to capture the band's punk spirit, banter, joking, and wild abandon that has garnered a steady following for the Kids' rowdy live shows.
Besides having their songs covered by bands like the Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs and the Aquabats, the Kids have also shared a mini-tour with Mr. Bungle (Mike Patton), featured in the Farrelly Bros movie The Ringer, been given studio time by Jackson Browne, and asked by Jimmy Kimmel to contribute songs to two of KROQ's Kevin and Beans's Christmas albums. Kurt Cobain was a fan and Marilyn Manson still is.
The Kids of Widney High: Live at the Key Club (2007, MoonMan)
Act your Age (2003, MoonMan)
Lets Get Busy (1999, Ipecac)
Special Music from Special Kids (1989, Rounder)
The Kids are Matty Carvajal, Daniel Cubas, Elisa DeLaTorre, Luis "PeeWee" Fernandez, Cain Fonseca, Shelly Goodhope, and Tanesa Tarvin. They take turns singing lead and back-up vocals.
They perform with a band of teacher/musicians comprised of Vince Licassi (guitar), Judy Rudin (harmonica), Tony Bollas (drums), Spero Anthony (bass), and Michael Monagan (guitar).
Voted #1 Live Music Venue by AOL City Guide for a third year in a row, and Best Club on the Sunset Strip by The LA Times, Key Club celebrates 10 years of dedication to being the best venue for live music, special events and fine dining. For more information, go to www.keyclub.com .
In the winter of 2005, the Kids appeared in the Farrelly Brothers' film, The Ringer, starring Johnny Knoxville, singing their hit "Pretty Girls" in the party scene and their inimitable cover of Aretha Franklin's "Respect" in the movie's final sequence. The Kids also played the film's premiere in Hollywood.
Dinner Time, a short film featuring members of the Kids was screened at the 2006 TromaDance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. Other films made by and for the Kids can be found on YouTube at www.YouTube.com/ProfKlickberg
"Pretty Girls" was made into a music video by indie filmmaker Michael Medaglia. The film is available as an iTunes podcast - just search on "Widney."
The Kids rocked the 2004 Vans Warped Tour along with Bowling for Soup, Horrorpops, Less Than Jake, The Gimmie Gimmies, Pennywise, and Rancid. They were also featured in Punk Rock Holocaust, a film about the tour.
The Kids will gladly send a free CD to any soldier in Iraq who requests it. Their way of supporting the troops.
LOS ANGELES CALIFORNIA *
WWW.KIDSOFWIDNEYHIGH.COM
Go Kodiaks! Go Kodiaks! Go Kodiaks!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment