The Blamers

The Blamers’ fabled beginnings start not with six best friends living in 21st century Chicago but rather deep in the chronicles of American history. “I am a direct descendant of anti-colonial Spanish pirates,” says Future Pat, who along with his brother Jeff Campbell, writes the bulk of Blamers songs. “We had a great-great-great grandfather who pioneered the lawless seas of the Caribbean, pillaging the imperial ships of Europe, extirpating whole crews. And in celebration of conquering a particularly rife vessel, they’d sing sea chanteys and guzzle rum, which is a practice The Blamers have adopted.” America’s pirate war, however, eventually ended in landlubber victory. (Note: Jeff points out that today’s pirates should not be romanticized, as he narrowly escaped a hellish lot off the coast of Somalia in 2006. “They’re pretty gnarly dudes.” He says, “They have machine guns now.”) ............................................................ ............................................................ ........ With the high seas being vigorously patrolled by Uncle Sam, the Campbells moved on to the lawless frontier of America’s western states. “I am a direct descendant of the anti-establishment bandits of the Old West,” Future Pat says. “After a long day of robbing banks and distributing the money to poorer cowfolk, they’d sit around a fire singing cowboy songs and guzzling whiskey, which is a practice The Blamers have adopted.” ............................................................ ............................................................ ......... In the spring of 2008 The Blamers were formed by infusing Paint (Jeff’s songs) and History of the Western Death Thing (Future Pat’s songs). But the brothers Campbell had some more tricks up their proverbial sleeves. They added Molly Shanahan, the daughter of the last good Chicago cop, a singer gifted with being able to hit the minor seventh below any tonic thrown her way. Aside from being able to sing, Molly also has a lexicon of 47,000 words, well above the human average. ............................................................ ............................................................ ........ Luke Wilson, a one man brass section, is perhaps the most talented member of the Blamers. “I don’t think there’s a musical instrument on this planet that he can’t play,” Jeff says about the multi-instrumentalist who grew up in the Far East. “I’ve seen him pick up things that aren’t even meant to be musical and he can get at least a major third out of it.” Luke was discovered by The Blamers in a cramped and smokey jazz club performing his patented “blazing saddles double Punjab” in which he circulates the air in his head in order to play two trumpet solos at once, one out of each ear. “The spectacle,” Luke notes, “sent Jay (crested-skulled mountain shaman and former harmonica player for the blamers) running down the street screaming for his life.” ............................................................ ............................................................ ........ The Blamers added Brooklyn drummer Eli Wing, who has contributed songs such as 'King Cake' and 'Song with Strange Bass Line and Weird Rythm'. “Eli’s great,” notes Future Pat. “I come from a long line of Scottish kings, so I should know. They used to drink Meade and write songs about maidens and dragons, things like that. It’s a practice The Blamers have adopted.” ............................................................ ............................................................ ......... The sixth member of The Blamers is Kyle Fitzgerald, who plays the bass. “We’ve come close to firing Kyle eight or nine times now,” says Jeff. “But he brings intangibles. For instance, he wrote this entire biography. And he frequently reminds Pat that he’s a hillbilly.” Kyle’s spirit animal is the wolf and he refers to his bass as his “Einsteinian pantheist love engine.” When asked what it is that makes The Blamers who they are, the enfanterrible bassist replied, “There are many factors; as an historical particularist, I’d have to point out that we come from unique parts of Americana. What makes The Blamers? To quote one of my heroes, the late Kurt Vonnegut Jr, ‘it must have something to do with the vanished frontier.’ But you know it’s more than that. The great androgynous saxophonist David Bowie once said, ‘I never thought I’d need so many people.’ It’s our chemistry, our atomic make-up. Take away one of us, and it’s not the Blamers anymore.” ............................................................ ............................................................ .........The Blamers are currently touring throughout Chicago and the Midwest and are recording at HiZ studios. Molly, Luke, Eli, Kyle, Jeff and Future Pat hope to see you at the next show. ............................................................ ............................................................ ..........