86 Noodles, Urban Glass, 4.15.06

by Charlotte Deaver

I discovered that Chris Gordon was a poet when I first saw him front his band, St. Christopher and the Sleeping Doormen, where he integrates different musical styles including punk, rock and some nice, long, funky rhymes. I also knew he performed in another hip hop group, 86 Noodles, with DJ Bobafet on beats, and T-Nasty and Skitzofrenik the Crazy working the rhymes.

Skitzo, of course, might prefer MF Doom and the Beastie Boys, while St. Christopher goes for Art Brut and The Ramones, and reconciling these somewhat opposite musical genres is, of course, simply out of the question. Why? Well, because Chris's world seems to be populated by many personas. He jumps around from "self" to "self," character to character, like a big, long theater piece. And why not? Why settle on some idea of a core identity? Why do we often think identity needs to be easily discernible, consistent, and safe?

I'm riffing here a little much, I know, on an idea that doesn't really have much to do with 86 Noodles, who just want to funk and rhyme, and get the audience to shake their butts. Which they did last Saturday night at Urban Glass. Although I think only two of us actually danced (what can I say for us white people?!), everyone was, yet again, having a great time.


Live Girls!!!, a crazy-ass punk band, played before 86 Noodles. The three guys in the band wore dresses and huge, messy wigs, while the two front women on guitars had, by the end of the set, ripped their clothes off, simulated sexual acts, and trashed their equipment. Nice. I wasn't expecting that, and I dug it. Thanks, Live Girls!!!