一
Steve Whitmire puppeteer for Kermit the Frog
WHAT WAS YOUR NICKNAME
GROWING UP?
1
Tom Resovich
Overland Park freshman
I had several, but the most widespread was in high school when I was an obsessive Muppet fan. I was called "Kermit" because I built a crude copy of Kermit the Frog. Being "the puppet guy" turned out to be my niche during my teenage years.
My dad was a teacher at my elementary school, so people used to call me Little Rez.
I love outdoor work and spend a great deal of time on a tractor managing land, which probably sounds weird for a guy who plays with puppets for a living.
WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR HOBBIES?
Bowling, basketball, football, chess,
tabletop, ping-pong. I'm up for
anything when the mood strikes.
Muppeets in Space, it's the one I always seem to recall because it's so cheesy.
WHERE WOULD YOU LOVE TO VISIT THE MOST?
Since I travel so much for work, I like being at home, but I would like to visit Africa. I have been hearing for 20 years that I should make a point to go there because it is disappearing fast.
Rome. I'm a history geek and I'm fascinated with Roman culture.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE MOVIE
KERMIT HAS BEEN IN?
it's a cross between The Muppet Movie, which was the first Muppet film and the first I worked on, and The Muppet Christmas Carol, which was the first film we did Carol Jim Henson's death.
WHAT DO YOU DO TO STAY ECO-FRIENDLY?
Remind myself and others, often through Kermit, the first step in preserving our world is to care for ourselves, our fellow human beings, and ultimately the planet as a whole.
I walk, ride my bike, recycle any time I can and try to cut back on trash by making sure it gets eaten or disposed of properly.
Gina Souders
SAT 5 BLACK GASOLINE THE OLD BLACK
MON 7 SICK BIRD
DEADMAN FLATS • DEVICE • A BENEFIT FOR THE WETLANDS
THU 3 BENEATH HELL'S GRIP
AT GRAVE'S END • TRUCULENCE
WED 9 THE KINETIKS
THE ALICE ROSE • THE ABC'S
THU 10 WHY?
NOW NOW SLEEPYHEAD • DJ BLUNT OBJECT
FRI 11 VOLUNTEERS
THUNDER POWERII * CAPGUN COUP * F * K FEST
SAT12 BLITZEN TRAPPER FLEET FOXES·THE DACTYLS
SUN 13 MINUS STORY SUZANNAH JOHANNES
TUE 15    FADED EMBRACE EALLY AGES? 4P
LEFT ON NORTHWARD • OF VICE OR VIRTUE • MORA MARIE
THU 17 B & THE EXCITING CONCLUSION 19A
TUE1 BODIES OF WATER BEZOAR
FRI 4 GRAND OLE PARTY
THE ARMORY
SAT 5 BLACK CHRISTMAS SPIRIT OF THE STAIRS
WED 2 THE BESTIES TBA
SUN 6 THE CALAMITY CUBES SPIRIT OF THE STAIRS
Busdriver— RoadKillOvercoat (For fans of Mos Def, Aesop Rock)
These past few weeks, my column has focused pretty heavily on indie and alternative rock offerings, but I have to admit that a lot of you might have more eclectic tastes. Well folks, I have more eclectic tastes, as well. This week, I'd like to point your attention to the ever-burgeoning hip-hop scene. More specifically, please take note of one of the scene's rising stars, Busdriver. Though still a relatively unknown entity this far from his home state of California, Busdriver definitely has the talent and rhythm necessary to break out, and do so in a big way. Just you wait.
I guess I can understand why he
hasn't hit it big outside of the clubs in San Fransisco and L.A. yet—in one of his lyrics, he describes himself as a "wheatgrass fueled, rehashed, eco-friendly hippy freak," which seems like a perfect fit for the liberal bastion he currently calls home. His 2007 album RoadKillOvercoat, however, is so well-produced, written and rounded in terms of topics and material that the fact he hasn't hit it big yet surprises me. Given the recent successes of more introspective and intelligent hip-hop artists like Black Star (you might not know them by name, but you've heard their song "Definition" more than once at the bars) and Gym Class Heroes, I'd actually be willing to bet that Busdriver will soon join the ranks of hip-hop superstars.
RoadKillOvercoat features some of the catchiest verses of the myriad of albums I've listened to this semester, and on more than one occasion in the past few weeks, I've found its songs littered throughout the mental soundtrack that rears its head whenever I'm bored in class—so, um, a lot. In addition to that, the masterfully produced album uses instruments and loops not usually associated with this type of music, such as pianos, violins, synthesized flutes and what sounds to me like a Theremin (the quasi-instrument used to make that eerie sound in old horror movies) to create a sound that is both odd—in a good way—yet sufficiently comfortable in its flaunting of hip-hop rules.
What really separates Busdriver from the pack, however, is a lyrical style that reaches its peak in this album. Described by many fans as an "abstract rapper;" Busdriver's lyrics tend to convey a meaningful message over the course of unusually long, mostly fast-paced verses. A quick look at the lyrics of an average hip-hop or rap song tends to reveal a simple formula that looks something like the following: short verse, chorus, same short verse, chorus, same short verse, et cetera. Usually these songs have a word count of about 150 or 200. A quick look at Busdriver's lyrics, however, reveals something wholly different. The best way to explain each song is as a self-contained short story that may or may not have a discernable chorus, but will definitely measure in at more than 1,000 words. And given the word count, Busdriver's ability to compress the words into 3 minutes and 20 or so seconds without compromising understandability is even more amazing. Just like the rest of the album.
Contact the writer: gsouders@kansan.com, bgarmisa@kansan.com
Muppet photo from muppet.wikia.com
04.10.2008
VOL. 5 ISS. 27 13