See what happens to former San Diego State University students?
They flip out. They have delusions about funky blue polyester jackets being stylish, chant Barry Manilow medleys and offer up their tunes to mounted elk heads in bizarre, ritualistic ceremonies where sweaty, spiky-haired teens dance like Lord of the Flies brats.
Vocalist and sax-man Geoff Johnston, 26, left SDSU with a master’s degree, a faculty/staff parking pass and aspirations of a family band to rival the Partridge family Noisepie.
With brothers T.C., 32, and Wes, 21, cousin Chris Henry, 30, and pal Rob Welper, 31, the former Marketing 470 student-teacher stirred up the concoction two years ago. Noisepie is swing, punk, jazz and ska wrapped in a light, flaky crust.
Last Friday night the baby-blue polyester-clad boys and all their equipment drums, saxes, guitars, flutes and clay whistles cluttered the itty-bitty stage of the hottest venue in town: the killer Poway Elks Lodge.
What better way to debut the aptly titled CD, “Three Brothers, Their Cousin, and a Guy From Michigan,” than an all-ages gig for the kiddies to get down and boogie?
Had there been a rug, they would have cut it. Kids chronologically challenged and some not so chronologically challenged, rocked out to “Funky Wanda,” “Please Pass the Cadillac” and Manilow’s “Mandy.”
There was no presumptuous, uppity, “we’re cool rock stars” attitude about these guys. They took requests and ribbed the audience about Poway’s strict curfew laws. The band members had a good time, and patrons contracted their happy-vibe cooties.
The CD, under their self-created label, Soundcake, follows the comical suit. “Inchworm” creeps from a jazzy little bit worthy of coffee-shop-poetry finger-snapping to vocal-cord-scarring screams. “Run” merrily chirps: “One of these kids is not like the others, one of these kids is not so fun, one of these kids is not like the others, it’s the kid with the gun.”
“Three Brothers, Their Cousin, and a Guy from Michigan” became available this week at Music Trader, Tower Records and Sam Goody. On May 7 Noisepie will perform at Winston’s East, and on May 15 they play Winston’s West.
But, wait! That’s not all! Tell them what they’ve won, Bob …
Johnston has a special incentive to get folks to the shows: “lots of leg kicks and butt shakes.”
Forgive him, dear readers. He is an SDSU alumnus. He knows not what he says.