White Cowbell Oklahoma @ The El Mocambo
By: Adam Bunch
Posted: June 19, 2010 – Toronto, Canada
I braced myself as best I could. For years, I've been hearing stories about White Cowbell Oklahoma's live performances—about the insanity that ensues each time they take the stage. This very magazine has described their shows as "Caligula as designed by Hieronymus Bosch" and said things like "The phrase 'rip your tits off' could have been invented to describe the WCO show." But bracing myself was pointless. There's no way, no matter how many times you've heard it described, you could be entirely ready for something like this.
It was clear from the moment they stepped out on stage—all cowboy hats and cowboy shirts and star-spangled jumpsuits. And once they launched into their high octane, Southern-fried rock, it didn't take long for things to get crazy. There was the grinding of the cowbell and the high, arcing shower of sparks. There was Chainsaw Charlie pouring shots of Jägermeister into the gaping mouths of audience members. There was flame-throwing. And half-naked, leather-clad women dancing and thrusting and rubbing themselves up against things on stage. It was downright bacchanalian. A sweaty, musical orgy. The kind of thing that makes you wonder when the hell everyone forgot that rock 'n' roll is supposed to be about sex—and makes you damned glad there are bands like White Cowbell Oklahoma who still remember.
Video: "Monster Railroad" by White Cowbell Oklahoma
