Quintron and Miss Pussycat appear at once to be very ordinary, down-to-earth people, while simultaneously being utterly surreal. They're a pretty cute married couple, partially because of (or perhaps despite) their coordinated outfits. They're the type of performers who set up their own instruments and humbly do their own soundchecks, right before formally taking the stage and blowing your mind.
And that they did.
The evening began with one of the couple's famous puppet shows, which combines the art of puppetry with its vocal/musical manipulation skills. The puppets explained how to use party magic to make illegal secret pizza, and how to escape jail if one's caught doing so. It was perhaps not the most practical lesson, but keeping a room packed full of sweaty adults entertained and interested in a puppet show is no small task, and in that endeavor the pair was undeniably successful. Though the act is definitely not gimmicky; the puppet introduction may have seemed as such -- and would have been cheapened -- if not supported by a solid show.
One-time St. Louis resident Quintron (Robert Rolston) plays an organ, a hi-hat, a drum buddy and sings, while Miss Pussycat (Panacea Theriac) sings/shouts/squeals (think Kathleen Hanna) and plays maracas that have been outfitted to match her dress. Together they harmonized, yelled, and punched all the right keys, creating a minimal but complete sound that was perfect dance fodder: garage-y and electronic, and ideal for a beer- and sweat-soaked summer night.
Highlights of the evening included Q & MP's "Fly Like a Rat" and "Waterfall," lots of full-frontal male nudity (thanks to Skarekrauradio, one of the opening bands) and the entire performance from Cave, whose cascading, psychedelic rock ambiance was what brought many people out for the show. [Editor's note: Cave's playing at Lemmons on July 10 as well.]
If you missed this show, don't beat yourself up too badly. Considering Mr. Quintron made a point of saying, with delight and a bit of surprise, that this is the first good show they've ever played in St. Louis, it's likely that we can expect the duo to stop by again soon.
