Blowfly 
photo by John Twomey
With Jacuzzi Boys and Mr. Entertainment and the Pookiesmackers
Saturday, January 2, 2010
The Monterey Club, Fort Lauderdale
Better Than: Rotten fish cunnilingus.
The Review:
Happy New Year! Out with the old, in with the new. Right? Not at the Monterey Club Saturday night. The new was in, no doubt about it, but the old was right there, too. And they were both kicking still-hung-over ass on January 2nd. After veterans Mr. Entertainment and the Pookiesmackers started things off, the fresh kicks of The Jacuzzi Boys hit the stage. The boys dished out a howling set of their surfy garage-rock tunes that had the joint bubbling. Considering how packed the place was, and how irresistible to the hips that the music was, I'd be surprised if no one was impregnated that night. Especially since Blowfly was the closing act.
For those unfamiliar, old-timer Blowfly (the alternate personality of successful songwriter Clarence Reid) is the most legit, oddly lovable, and foul-mouthed MC you'll find. He is Boise Bob's "fucking idol" and many consider his 1965 hit "Dirty Rap" to be the first rap song. If that's not enough to drop your jaw, seeing him perform surely would be. Saturday night, the 65 year old legendary Miami artist strutted across the Monterey Club stage fully decked out in his sparkly, gold, super-villain costume. He spit an endless stream of vulgarities into the mic as his backing band laid down funky grooves. Those jaws that had dropped during jams like "Porno Freak" closed abruptly as he reached the chorus of his Michael Jackson parody "Eat It" ("even if it smells like rotten fish").
For those unfamiliar, old-timer Blowfly (the alternate personality of successful songwriter Clarence Reid) is the most legit, oddly lovable, and foul-mouthed MC you'll find. He is Boise Bob's "fucking idol" and many consider his 1965 hit "Dirty Rap" to be the first rap song. If that's not enough to drop your jaw, seeing him perform surely would be. Saturday night, the 65 year old legendary Miami artist strutted across the Monterey Club stage fully decked out in his sparkly, gold, super-villain costume. He spit an endless stream of vulgarities into the mic as his backing band laid down funky grooves. Those jaws that had dropped during jams like "Porno Freak" closed abruptly as he reached the chorus of his Michael Jackson parody "Eat It" ("even if it smells like rotten fish").
His set also included other parodies such as his take on The Clash's "Should I Stay or Should I Go?" ("Should I Fuck that Big Fat Hoe?"), and originals such as the epic "Pussy Hell". At one point, he serenaded a lucky lady named Michelle with a song that began with the line "I fucked somebody who looked just like you last night".
It's hard for me to imagine anyone but that crazy old man pulling any of this off. The question of whether his act is harmless or oppressive is an interesting one, but not one to be examined here. My feeling was that Blowfly is the cutest dude to ever say "bitch". I couldn't have mustered up any resentment even if he slapped me across the face with his ancient, salty, member.
The Monterey Club was an appropriate venue for this coming together of old and new. The building itself has been there forever, but has only been "The Monterey Club" for a couple of months (most recently, it was Zoo Bar). I'd never heard of it until I saw the flyer for the show, and neither had most people that I spoke with. The general feeling was that we'd found a treasure. The smoky little lounge is a cool hangout, especially for tattooed misfits. I later learned that it's linked with a classic car club; is run by the same team that operates the tattoo parlor next-door; and is a haven for rockabilly and other decent sounds. Not to mention that it's located next to the old roller rink (cool date potential).
Any spot that can house a hip new rock trio and a dirty old legend, and provide an opportunity to hang on a couch with Boise Bob all in one night gets a big stamp of approval from me.
Critic's Notebook
Personal Bias: Blowfly totally won my heart when he gently took my hand, raised it to his face, and flicked himself off with it. I knew right then that I love this man.
Random Detail: Blowfly would like to "butt-fuck Moby Dick".
By the Way: The Monterey Club is open seven days a week and has cool events like live music, burlesque, and karaoke most nights.
-- T. Newbill
