Bash Compactor: Rock 'N' Roll Junior High School
As every parent, sibling and overly proud elder knows, there is nothing worse than the day you learn you must attend a teenagers musical performance. And so it was with much trepidation I found myself trekking to Bowery Electrica favorite haunt never before seen in daylightfor an early evening performance by 14-year-old singer/songwriter/guitarist Jack Skuller. I figured it was only appropriate to assume the worst.
The Bowery Electric basement, previously host to Patti Smith, Thurston Moore and The Virgins, was this evening segregated in to two very distinct groups: teenagers and their (still holding on to that hipster dream) parents. As the youngins pranced around in outfits I would have been locked in the house for wearing, the adults exchanged pleasantries over glasses of red wine I had no idea the Electric even carried. Distinctive among this group was young Skuller, sharply dressed in a black suit and very serious about premiering his first ever music video Love is A Drum. The kid clearly meant business.
Directed by photographer Poppy de Villeneuve, Skullers video is, as his director described, an homage to the television appearances of The Beatles and, of course, the Everly Brothers. The very simple and very clean end result is a showcase for the skills of the attractive and very British de Villeneuve, who was presented with a bouquet of pink roses by Skuller on stage before the video premiered. Shot entirely in black and white and focusing largely on Skuller and his drummer, the lone two members of the band, the video showcased just how talented this upstart is.
Following the videos premiere Skuller performed three songs and one encore before calling it quits. Throughout his performance the members of locally based and similarly young bands Super Cute and Care Bears on Fire stood in front of the stage cheering Skuller on. While seemingly confident onstage, Skuller was surprisingly soft spoken and humble off. I really like The Beatles, Buddy Holly and The Ramones, he timidly mustered before his producer cut him off eager to plug the release of his single and his April 25 appearance at Maxwells. Talk is seemingly innocuous with this kids talent however, even more so when he utters these five words: Im in the eighth grade. Heads up, Justin Bieber.