Hamster Theatre
| Hamster Theatre | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Boulder, Colorado, US |
| Genres | Avant-rock, experimental, folk jazz |
| Years active | 1993–present |
| Labels | Cuneiform Records |
| Associated acts | Thinking Plague |
| Website | www |
| Members |
Dave Willey Jon Stubbs Raoul Rossiter Mike Johnson Mark Harris John Grigsby |
| Past members | Deborah Perry Steve Doyle Greg LaLiberte Josh Wright Jay Trolinger Mark McCoin Mike Fitzmaurice Brian McDougall Matt Spencer Eric Thorin |
Hamster Theatre is an American avant-rock, experimental and folk jazz music group based in Boulder, Colorado, and led by composer and multi-instrumentalist Dave Willey. They have released three albums, and have performed at several festivals, including Progman Cometh and ProgDay.
Hamster Theatre's music is based on European Rock in Opposition, and is influenced by many sources, including Lars Hollmer, Erik Satie, Captain Beefheart, Frank Zappa and Henry Cow. In a biography at AllMusic, Dave Lynch wrote that the band "conjur[es] up beauty, magic, mystery, unpredictability, and manic energy and humor".
Hamster Theatre was formed by multi-instrumentalists Dave Willey and Jon Stubbs in 1993. They had both been members of Big Foot Torso, but Willey left to spend time in Europe where he experienced Rock in Opposition and related music. Willey was particularly drawn to the music of Swedish accordionist Lars Hollmer from Samla Mammas Manna. When he returned to the United States, Willey recorded a solo album entitled Songs from the Hamster Theatre, which he released on cassette tape (later reissued on CD in 1995). Stubbs then joined forces with Willey and they formed Hamster Theatre, with an initial lineup of Willey (keyboards, guitar, melodeon), Stubbs (bass guitar), Deborah Perry (keyboards, vocals), Steve Doyle (guitar), Greg LaLiberte (saxophones, flute), Josh Wright (drums) and Jay Trolinger (percussion). The group played Hollmer covers and songs from Willey's album at venues across Colorado. Their first performance was on August 20, 1993 at the Penny Lane coffeehouse in Boulder, Colorado.
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