Local band Bobby Joe Ebola & the Children MacNuggits not only has an entertaining and heartening 20-song album out now (Solar Cantata); “Bobby Joe” also has a show on Friday at Petaluma’s gem of a record store, Rain Dog Records.
While the Solar Cantata album features more than 50 musicians, the actual “band” Bobby Joe Ebola & the Children MacNuggits is two dudes, Dan Abbott (guitar/vocals) and Corbett Redford (vocals), who traditionally play as an acoustic duo.
“There is no Bobby Joe Ebola, like there is no Pink Floyd. We have sometimes envisioned Bobby Joe Ebola as a woman actually, or as a squirrel,” said Redford when asked about the name. “‘Which one is Bobby Joe?’ is still a mystery to me.”
Solar Cantata is truly a musical escapade. It starts off with the country-tinged tune, “The Returner,” an apt starter for a band that’s been a bit dormant for more than a decade. Obviously, a break that size predates the usual Covid-related break.
Said Abbott, “We spent several years going pretty hard with the band, touring, recording, making music videos, and by 2014 we were a little burnt out and just needed a breather. Around then, Corbett got hired to direct and produce a documentary (Turn It Around: The Story of East Bay Punk) that ended up taking three years, and he had a kid during that time. By the time that was done, I had left the Bay Area, ending up in Reno. We remained friends the whole time; life just got in the way.”
As the album weaves in and out of various genres, it’s fairly easy to note a sense of anger, frustration and fear regarding current affairs in many of the songs. For example, the Randy Newman-esque “Nothing’s Off the Table” begins: “There is nothing off the table any more/ and there doesn’t seem to be a bottom floor/ It can’t happen here is something that we’ll never say again/ Because you know it can/ it’s really happening.” This is about as current a take as any artist can have, hitting music streaming services faster than a South Park episode, but with an actual point of view.
When asked about using music to process today’s world, Abbott answered, “One of the ways that this modern world oppresses is by isolating us, turning us against each other. Though our biggest problems are systemic, the solutions offered are often individualized. Music, especially live music, helps us feel less alone. It’s hard to feel alone and unheard when you are singing along with the people next to you.”
Added Redford, “There are many dark and heavy themes in the songs, but also there is a lot of hope and joy.”
Bobby Joe Ebola performs at 7pm, Friday, Feb. 21, at Rain Dog Records, 1010 Petaluma Blvd. N, Petaluma. Also performing are Banzai 88 and MugSlug. ‘Solar Cantata’ vinyl, CDs and swag will be available as well. All ages. $12 cover. More at bobbyjoeebola.com.
