Mon Cousin Belge

As some of you may know, I was a member of SF indie art-rock outfit Mon Cousin Belge a few years ago. I played bass and sang backing vocals in the band for about 2 years, during which time we played tons of amazing shows with some equally amazing bands, as well as recording what would become their debut CD "Quelle Horreur" (World Famous In San Francisco), which was just recently released.

I have to say that out of all the bands I've been involved with, and all the recordings I've ever been on, I am by far the most proud of this album, not to mention the fact that the band is comprised of some of the most talented musicians I've ever had the honor to work with.

The band has undergone several incarnations since I was a member, but they finally resurfaced a few months ago on the live music scene to promote the release of the album. This last Wednesday evening was the record release party at Cafe du Nord here in SF, and I was invited by band leader/impresario Randy Walker (aka "Emile") to join in the festivities.

If you know nothing of this band, I'll give you a quick recap: "Emile" is a Belgian ex-pat who speaks almost no English and is addicted to plastic surgery (39 surgeries to date, I believe). He cavorts around onstage in a series of freakish costumes that include wigs, garish make-up, sunglasses and surgical bandages.

"Emile" is, of course, a character portrayed by Randy Walker, who, in my humble opinion, is one of the most amazing vocalists ever. He is the only singer I know who can silence absolutely everyone in a club the second he opens his mouth. Jaded hipster audience members, bartenders, doormen, coat-check girls... it doesn't matter; he leaves everyone who witnesses his performance completely awestruck.

Being something of a singer myself, I found working with Randy to be one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences of my life. He was the first singer I've ever worked with who really pushed me to explore and experiment with my falsetto range, which was something that I had previously been somewhat embarrassed by, but he allowed me to embrace it wholeheartedly with absolutely no fear.

So at the record release party I joined the band onstage for the songs "Sodomy" and "Lola", which are 2 songs in particular where Randy and I performed duelling falsettos in such a way that I once commented "It sounds like Prince having sex with himself". If you've heard these songs I'm sure you'll agree.

In addition to that, I performed dressed as an "Emile" impersonator (and yes, that is me pictured above), which was my little surprise gift to Randy, almost as a kind of tribute in a way. I screamed, flailed my arms, and bashed my tambourine against my hip so hard that it actually fell to pieces. I had such a wonderful time, it was really great to be onstage with them again, even for the short period of time that it was.

It was one of those humbling moments that made me truly appreciate just how lucky I have been to have worked with so many amazing and talented people over the years. They all have my love and respect.