#410. Wake Up by The Barmitzvah Brothers

From the album The Century of Invention (Permafrost, 2006)

I was first exposed to the Barmitzvah Brothers at the venerable Hillside Festival in 2002, a musical tradition of the highest order that takes place each summer in Guelph, Ontario.  The first few minutes of their set I was simply confused.  Here were a group of geeky teenagers plinking and plunking away on toy store keyboards, tiny xylophones, and ramshackle drum kits.  The singing was mostly deadpan and often out of tune, and the rhythms were languid waltzes emanating from ‘80s analog patches.  What was going on here?  It was at once irreverent and joyful.  By the end of the set I was smitten.   Before the festival was fully complete, and I could no longer deal, I made my way home, crawled into bed, and put their first album The Night of the Party on repeat until sleep took me.  I was in a weird place for the next seven or so hours.

I had an interest at the time for what can be called “naïve rock” – that kind of outsider (and truly alternative) music that has very little connection to mainstream structures and sensibilities, and produced by self-taught individuals who sort of don’t know any better.  The Shaggs are the definitive example, and Daniel Johnston also fits the mold (incidently, everyone should know the story of the Shaggs and listen to a least a few minutes of their record – endlessly fascinating.  Check out "Philosophy of the World").  The Barmitzvah's appeared to fall into this same category.

Ah…but I was deceived by these young rocklings!  Not long after, I joined a revivalist country choir group as a singer (the Cryin’ Out Loud Choir), and the Barmitzvah Brothers served as the nucleus of the band:  Jenny Mitchell on bass, Geordie Gordon on violin, and John Merritt on drums.  Other BMB members were also present (Gillian Manford on accordian, Sylvie Smith as a singer, and TJ O’Malley – formerly of Black Cabbage/Neutron Stars and late add to the band – on guitar).  Naïve rock, indeed!  These kids knew what they were doing, and moved seamlessly from their whimsical weirdo pop to traditional country with nary a missed beat.  I discovered that they were great musicians.  I was floored by Jenny’s ability to belt out high vocal harmonies (she positively killed on Hank Williams’ “Rootie Tootie”) and by Geordie’s versatile violin soloing. 

This new intimate knowledge of raw musical talent led to a brand new appraisal of their first little record.  Despite an obvious ability to do otherwise, they quite purposively subverted standard pop structures.  Basically, this kind of blew me away.  And I also knew that subsequent records would go in fabulous new directions, because they could.

This brings us, finally, to the song “Wake Up” from the album The Century of Invention.  It is a jubilant tune and has an almost classic gospel rock feel.  The beginning is slightly dark, with desecending minor key keyboard line.  Jenny sings sombrely while Sylvie backs her up with sad vocal refrains.  It initially makes you a bit tired, which is the perfect set up to the rousing “get the fuck up” chorus.  The band moves into double time and song doesn’t just perk up, it suddenly blooms in to a joyous festival of positive energy.  And this demonstrates how much the quirky young band had grown into a full on force to be reckoned with.

But, alas, the Barmitzvah’s are no longer.  Jenny has gone solo with Jenny Omnichord, Geordie and Sylvie are leading The Magic, and John is providing the backbeat for Skeletones Four (note:  this little list does an injustice to the ridiculous number of projects all these folks have been involved in in the past 7 or so years).  All this is great stuff and should be ardently followed.  But I miss the Brothers.

Other great tracks:  “Flags and Stocks” and “Daytime Mom” are treasures from the first album The Night of the Party.  “We Didn’t Clap When This Man Played (and neither did that lady)” is a wonderfully frenetic weirdness (off of the album Mr. Bones’ Walk-In Closet).  And “Car #7” from The Century of Invention is a great bluegrassy romp.  As for post-mitzvah projects, the closest thing to the original incarnation is probably Jenny Omnichord.  I highly recommend Cities of Gifts and Ghosts.

Next up: #427. "Duel" by Swervedriver.