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Kenny Young & The Eggplants
Claiming to be from Brooklyn (but possibly from some other galaxy altogether), Kenny Young and the Eggplants are a not-easily-described semi-acoustic trio who perform songs about giant squirrels, scary bits of cheese, inebriated crime-solving birds, and malevolent washing machines, among other important rock and roll topics. Various attempts to define their music have been made, but perhaps the most entertaining quote comes from the New York Times, which said that the band gives “eloquent voice to the multifaceted neuroses of prolonged adolescence.” In the U.K., the Sunday Herald said the Eggplants “mix the wit of Jonathan Richman with the sound of the Nico-era Velvets to create a surreal and satirical gumbo.” They have also been called a “deeply eccentric pop band” (The Guardian), and a “wonderful weird band” (The Scotsman). The Village Voice said, “The naivete Kenny wears on his sleeve is genuine - think of an East Village Brian Wilson, without the money but still tilted in his own wacked-out way.”
At the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland, the Eggplants won a coveted artistic award known as a Herald Angel. The Herald Angels, which span all the Edinburgh Festivals (International, Fringe, Film, Book, Jazz, etc.), are awarded to "celebrate excellence across the spectrum of artistic activity" and to recognize "outstanding contributions to the festival."
In addition to the award, the Eggplants received 4-star reviews from Scotland's most prestigious newspapers. The Scotsman called them an "endearingly oddball Brooklyn trio ... carving their singular niche somewhere between whimsy, psychedelia and classic lo-fi pop." The Herald said that the Eggplants' show was "like a kid's party that's continued for the grownups and possibly the most charmingly diverting hour on the Fringe."
Perhaps because no one can figure out exactly what the heck they are, the Eggplants get invited to play an intriguing variety of venues. In New York City, where they have performed at countless clubs (including the much-missed CBGB and its acoustic annex, The Record Canteen), they have recently become regulars at The Living Room on the Lower East Side. They played at BB King’s club on 42nd Street on an evening hosted by Dr. Demento, they performed during the New York City Marathon, and they were Tom Robinson’s back-up band at The Mercury Lounge. They have played at prestigious British venues like the Royal Festival Hall, the Barbican, Ronnie Scott's, The 100 Club and the Burton Taylor Theatre. They have performed for college audiences, for children, and at science-fiction conventions. They have also played at a number of festivals, included CMJ, Clearwater, and Planet Pop, in addition to the Edinburgh Fringe.
The Eggplants frequently stray from their Brooklyn vegetable patch to the UK, where there is an apparent need for more songs about 6-foot squirrels. They have performed live on numerous BBC radio shows, including The Tom Robinson Show, The Musical Mystery Tour, Kaleidescope, and The Phil Jupitus Show. Their UK tour stops have included such places as London, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Oxford, Chester, York, Falkirk, East Kilbride, Penicuik, Kings Lynn and Bristol. Unfortunately, no matter what the destination, they always seem to get stuck in traffic somewhere around Wolverhampton.
Across North America, songs from the Eggplants’ four CDs have been played on hundreds of radio stations. Close to home, the band has enjoyed substantial airplay on a wide range of shows on WFMU, including Greasy Kid Stuff, Teenage Wasteland with Bill Kelly, Three Chord Monte with Joe Belock, and the Irene Trudel show.
