Jello Biafra's birthday concert -- the Franz Liszt mix

I shot this video at Jello Biafra's 50th birthday bash at the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco, June 17, 2008.

As some of you might know, Jello Biafra's (Dead Kennedys) punk rock has always been quite loud (to say the least) -- and since I forgot to bring "ear-plugs" for the camera, the original sound on the video got COMPLETELY distorted. Hence, I decided to edit a new sound track for it with music by Franz Liszt (his virtuosic piano piece "La Campanella").

My initial plan was to bring in my big super-duper camera to shoot this event, but as you can see the mosh-pit was a bit too "lively" to support anything fragile and of monetary value. Instead I opted to shoot some snippets with my dinky el crappo camera. So now, after a few edits & sync-ups to the new sound track, the entire thing ended up almost as an absurd Chaplin/Keaton parody...

FYI -- Newt Gingrich and Jello Biafra share birthdays (mentioned in his little political speech in the middle of the video), and still to this day also Biafra is very much into politics (Green Party) and spoken-word performances.

You can also see how articulate he was already at 22 in this rare British interview: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVrTW7AUkoM

-- peer

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Category:

Music

Tags:

• Jello
• Biafra
• Franz
• Liszt
• La
• Campanella
• punk
• rock
• classical
• piano
• music
• moshing
• mosh
• pit
• Newt
• Gingrich
• Green
• Party

[willabema]

It's as if the person who created this video doesn't like Jello's music & covered it up with intricate, melodic piano pieces by Jorge Bolet.

Weird :D

[PeerLanda]

@willabema

No, I'm in fact a big fan of Jello's music -- so I think it's rather you who are not able (or too lazy) to read the notes about this video -- I repeat; "since I forgot to bring 'ear-plugs' for the camera, the original sound for the video got COMPLETELY distorted. Hence, I decided to edit a new sound track for it with music by Franz Liszt."

[able421]

Who let Shatner on the stage?

[KurtMcGowan]

50 and still rocking out. Groovy

[mhaen566]

@PeerLanda He looks like Glen Beck in a cape

[willabema]

@PeerLanda,

O  OOO O oh okay

[AllFirstHand]

strange...

[slatedumpmusic]

Brilliant !!!

[glitched731]

Jello Biafra... the only aging rocker I can think of that not only do I actually WANT to see perform, but also because he still has as much energy, brains and RELEVANCE as he ever did in his youth.

[tahoeshgrl]

Funny... After this show he and his folks were asked to share a table with mine at GrubSteak in SF. I didn't recognize him, but denoted that he was one grumpy mf. I also called him on it, in a humorous way. Later someone clued me. Hmmm... An honor. I suppose that we wouldn't want him any other way, would we.

[youandyamum]

I will only listen to Franz Liszt from now on if his piano sonatas are punctuated by Biafra's rants. Pity what he says is not read in newspapers. I am also comforted to see Jello wear powder blue. He looks like he is playing the pokies @ Burwood RSL. Punk is really not what you wear, but what you think