ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Friday, November 2, 2012 • tacomaweekly.com • Section B • Page 5
CHELSEA PERETTI Ben Union goes hip-rock Quickly becoming one of America’s busiest comics
PHOTO BY EVAN SUNG
PERETTI
By Ernest A. Jasmin ejasmin@tacomaweekly.com
Ben Mira – a.k.a. singer-songwriter Ben Union – is fond of coming up with hyphenated descriptors for his catchy, genre-mashing sound. It’s progressivefunk-rock for the songs collected on his last album, “The Blessed Union, vol. 1.� “Now we’re messin’ with a little hiprock,� he said of the new sound he and his band – guitarist Talon Carpenter, bassist Derek Brown and his brother, drummer Jared Mira – will unveil Saturday, Nov. 3, at Jazzbones. “I love groove-driven music,� he said. “But my writing has been more rock and pop, and it’s groovy. But I want to write music that I myself want to dance to.� Based on his description, “hip-rock� is a sound that floats somewhere between set staples, like “The Light� and “Paul Sartre,� and the sample-powered hits you hear on KISS-FM and KUBE 93. “We are adding samples,� he said. “I don’t know that I’ll play with my MIDI board live. I’m gonna try to mimic a lot of those sounds through my guitar. Some things we do are gonna just be off tracks. It is heavy tracks. But we’re trying to get to the point where we can perform it live.� Union said he plans to release a new CD in January, but he broke down a few fresh cuts fans may hear between now and then. “Trouble� – “‘Trouble’ is the song I’m most excited about. That’s kind of what
led the way with the hip-rock thing. It’s about people that ... kind of motivate me to be successful because of their naysaying and things like that. But it’s also really fun sounding. It’s really dancey.� “Shake That Ass� – “It is, as the title says, a song to shake your ass to. We’re not playing hip-hop music. But the beat would be like a Dr. Dre beat or (Outkast’s) ‘Ms. Jackson,’ something like that. I’m trying to get in the studio with (local guitarist) Rafael Tranquilino. I think he’s going to do a solo on ‘Shake that Ass.’� “Angelize� – “I’ve played that acoustic. Maybe once before we played it as a band before it was completely written. But we’ve never played this version before that we’ll be playin’.� “Output� – “It’s completely instrumental, and it was a random name. That’s about as deep as it goes on that one. It’s not like any other jam we’ve ever done, though.� A remake of Jay-Z and Rihanna’s “Run this Town� – “I collaborated with (Seattle R&B artists) Tess Henley on that one. She is, in my opinion, the tops in Seattle as far as talent goes. She’s got a powerful voice, and she does all of what Rihanna would sing. I completely rewrote the verses so it’s not rapping, but we’re using the chorus.� Whiskey Union and Des Reus fill out this weekend’s bill. Music starts at 8 p.m., and tickets are $7 in advance, $10 at the door; 253-396-9169 or www.jazzbones. com for further details.
By Ernest A. Jasmin
CP: [laughs] Well, I don’t walk around with a helicopter. I think I’ve always been told all my life that people were too You may not be familiar with Chelsea intimidated to date me. But I think that’s Peretti’s standup, but chances are she has just code for “you’re pretty annoying.â€? done something that has made you laugh. TW: I guess you show your range (as From writing for NBC-TV’s “Parks & a writer) in that you have written for Amy Recreationâ€? and Comedy Central’s “The Poehler, who is kind of wholesome, and Sarah Silverman ProSarah Silverman, who gram,â€? to helocopteris not so much. Who is Chelsea Peretti ing her way out of a easier to write for? lousy date with Louis CP: [Sigh] I like 7 p.m. Nov. 1 C.K., she has made writing for them both. 8 and 10:30 p.m. her mark on television. ‌ They both have a And with appearances silliness to them, and Nov. 2 and 3 on various websites, I think I connect with Tacoma Comedy online videos and on that. her new podcast, “Call Club, 933 Market St. TW: You are friends Chelsea Peretti,â€? she is with Sarah Silverman, $10 Nov. 1, quickly becoming one right? I imagine the of America’s busiest two of you teaming up $15 Nov. 2 and 3 comics. and harassing people (253) 282-7203 or This week, she will with your sarcasm. emerge from behind www.tacomacomedyclub.com CP: [Laughs] Yeah, the scenes for five we do a little of that. big shows at Tacoma (But) Sarah’s actually Comedy Club, where she will headline one of the sweeter people I know. It’s not at 7 p.m. on Nov. 1 and 8 and 10:30 p.m. like she’s sitting there in her standup Nov. 2 and 3. personae, like, 24-7. She’s pretty generIn anticipation, we caught up to recap ous with her friends and stuff like that. some of her adventures in comedy. TW: So what is a funny story about TW: You made that hilarious appearyou and Sarah? ance on the pilot episode for “Louie.â€? CP: She puts a couple stories in her CP: Yes. book that are pretty central to our vibe TW: Are people intimidated to date when I wrote there. One was I took a you now because they are afraid of your pregnancy test on my first day of work. reaction? u See PERETTI/ page B6 ejasmin@tacomaweekly.com
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