Death Punk Kareoke with Covered in Bees + Grendel's Army

Geno's, February 5
By DAN CLARK  |  February 11, 2009

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ALMOST FAMOUS: The author on stage
There are few words to describe the experience of sharing a stage with your favorite band. For most of us, even those without eight-figure incomes or friends with influence, it's the stuff of dreams. Even a local band isn't likely to call you, a humble fan, to the stage to belt out the tune of your choice. Portland heroes Covered In Bees are no ordinary band.

Last month, CIB announced a truly one-of-a-kind event: Death Punk Kareoke (which was intentionally misspelled to set it apart from what happens on Thursdays at your favorite bar). In their usual big-hearted fashion, the show was a charity event to benefit some friends who lost their home in a fire late last year. Everyone in attendance was given a slip of paper with slots for a name, a song, and whether they'd be performing solo or (for the shy) in a group or a duet with Boo, the Bees' dynamic frontman. To keep things both fair and random, names were chosen from a hat.

Many long-time CIB fans got to perform, including members of fellow local favorites Pigboat, Hatchetface and the Vipers, By Blood Alone, and the Horror. Among the non-musicians who performed was none other than yours truly, singing "New Age Swampman." Not much of a singer, I adopted my best Cannibal Corpse-style growl and somehow managed to remember 90 percent of the lyrics.

The close bond and massive affection CIB and their fans have always shared gave the event the feel of a gang of old friends getting together for a few laughs. There's some "buzz" going around that Death Punk Kareoke may not just be a one-time happening. If that's true, it's further proof dreams can come true after all.

Related: One day at a time, Covered in Bees, Review: Timecrimes, More more >
  Topics: Live Reviews , Dan Clark, covered in bees, Horror,  More more >
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