So apparently there’s some new Mad Max movie that opened yesterday. It’s supposed to be OK, but (SPOILER ALERT) The Lord Humungus and the precious juice aren’t supposed to be in it, so how good could it really be?
No, not that one. Or that one. This one is a chameleon-like sketch comic most notably featured in the phenomenal Kroll Show (sky point) as any number of dimly lit, arrogant, terrible people with varying facial hair configurations. But the one that is of concern today is his beard, worn most frequently away from the screen. Though the chinstrap below is quite impressive as well.
The Ed Hardy Boyz 2: The Case of When That Hot Filipina Girl Lost Her Tramp Stamp At Mini-Golf from Jon Daly
Though born in England to Irish parents, actor John Mahoney has made Illinois (specifically Chicago) his home for over 50 years since he first came stateside to live with his sister in the late 1950s. Mahoney has been a fixture in the Chicago theater scene through the world famous Steppenwolf, which he parlayed into his most famous gig, as the gruff father of Kelsey Grammer and David Hyde Pierce in the critically acclaimed (and often annoying) Frasier. Ironically, while playing the supposedly uncultured Martin Crane, it was Mahoney who first introduced Pierce to high art like the opera.
But with his gravelly voice, paternal demeanor, and occasional beard, it led Mahoney to being repeatedly cast as authority figures such as Lieutenant Vince Hardy in the Bruce Willis garbage fest Striking Distance, or as state’s attorney Shaughnessy in the Chicago-set and massively underrated Primal Fear. But bearded or not, Mahoney always brings his A-game to any production he’s in either on stage or screen, and can often be seen around town.
As the lead singer of the folk group Andrew Jackson Jihad, the bearded Sean Bonnette minces absolutely no words. His biting, caustic lyrics juxtaposed against the traditional sounds of an acoustic (and sometimes electric) guitar are laced with dark, uncomfortable humor while making very specific social commentary. By touring relentlessly over the last decade, he and the rest of the band have slowly built a following that’s brought them out of basement shows and into larger rock clubs, all while never once compromising the message he wants to convey.
Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there from everyone at The Committed Indian and from Merle.
Fare thee well, State of Hockey.
Few drummers in rock and roll stay as busy as Jon Wurster. The mop-topped and bearded percussionist has not only been a member of indie rock standard bearers Superchunk since 1994, but also has also been a permanent member of The Mountain Goats since 2007, and has played drums on both of the legendary Bob Mould’s last two solo releases. Both of those artists are also currently releasing records on the label Superchunk’s Mac McCaughan and Laura Ballard founded, Merge, which is not a coincidental given the common thread of the bearded Wurster behind the kit.
Being the true renaissance man he is, Wurster is also prolific in the comedy world as well, having written episodes for such Adult Swim oddities as Tom Goes To Mayor and Tim and Eric Awesome Show. He is good friends with comedian Tom Scharpling, and the two have the very widely listened-to podcast The Best Show, which had previously aired on WFMU out of New Jersey prior to this December. And one thing the bearded Wurster’s prolific body of work makes abundantly clear is that there are never a lack of diverse projects to take on.
There are few musicians as important or as prolific in throughout the course of independent and alternative rock as Lou Barlow. As the original bassist for Dinosaur Jr., Barlow and guitarist (and former BotD) J. Mascis created a wall of distorted sound that deafened and delighted modern rock audiences. But the two butted heads frequently and Barlow was kicked out of the band in 1988. They reunite with Mascis 17 years later, and they have since produced arguably the finest work (Farm, I Bet On Sky) in their entire catalog, a true rarity among nostalgia driven cash-grab reunions.
In the years in between, Barlow helmed two acclaimed projects of his own: the low-fidelity outfit Sebadoh, and the cleaner, pop flavored sounds of The Folk Implosion. The latter of the two groups spawned one of the most unlikely modern rock radio hits of the 90s in the eery “Natural One” from the soundtrack to the equally disturbing film Kids. During that time Barlow has intermittently donned a full, admirable beard to compliment his consistently shaggy hair and glasses. And it is for all of those reasons he is honored here today.
With today obviously being Cinco De Mayo, this space will be used to pay tribute once again to a fine Mexican export to the world of film, director/writer/auteur Guillermo Del Toro.
With a scraggly beard fitting enough for one of his fantastical characters, Del Toro was first introduced to American audiences with 1997’s Mimic, an ambitious if flawed horror/science fiction film that though it bombed at the box office, has since gained a cult following and was recut by Del Toro in 2011. His breakthrough came with his 2006 film Pan’s Labrynth, which won several Academy Awards for its elaborate set designs, production, and costumes, and was nominated for Best Foreign Language film.
Del Toro was even slated to take over the Hobbit/Tolkien franchise from Peter Jackson, but ultimately bowed out of the director’s chair due to the tremendous commitment those films would have required, but remained on as a producer. His most commercially successful film to date remains Pacific Rim, which Del Toro himself admitted is a big ridiculous spectacle, but undoubtedly fun as hell. There have been talks of a sequel that have yet to materialize, and his next project, Crimson Peak, is set to be released this coming October.
The joke is too easy that it doesn’t even need to be written.
