“[The band is] from the distant future, and also the 1980’s, and also from outer space, but also from Toronto, so we’re a long way from home.” – Tupper Ware Remix Party singer Dr. Sung



Tupper Ware Party Remix band played the Pyramid Cabaret last week. Crowd response was so favourable that Pyramid owner Dave McKeigan invited them back after they finished their tour. So on their way back to the distant future via Toronto they visited Winnipeg again on Tuesday.

TWRP are not your typical rockers. One blurb on the internet described them as an “Elite Squad of Rock Stars from the future.”

The show started off with a drone through the speakers as the lights went down and the eager fans crowded the front of the stage. The drone continued for about 10 minutes before the band hit the stage.

Dressed in futuristic space age outfits, the quartet delivered some fine grooves. Singer/ keyboard player, Dr. Sung proceeded to cross off the songs the band performed on the giant set list he held up every once in a while.

The costumes may be a gimmick, but these guys are talented. From the funky bass riffs of Commander Meowch to the sometimes jazzy guitar licks of Lord Phobos, these intergalactic heroes also tackled New Wave, rock and pop with ease. Stormtrooper drummer Havve Hogan kept it all together with his solid drum beats.

Playing their entire six song EP, Guardians of the Zone, which was released Apr. 28, they also played songs from their other EP’s.

For the title track of Guardians of the Zone, Dr. Sung got the audience to clap along very fast as the band blazed through the ambitious instrumental track.

The crowd was also asked to help out on Rock’n’Roll Best Friend when the singer asked them to “sing the chorus, two simple notes….weeoowwww weeeowwww.” Seemed like band and audience became best friends after that one.

Dr. Sung mentioned the band would really like to go to Japan so they wrote the song Japanquest. During the instrumental, the good doctor dazzled us with his mastery of the nun-chucks.

The singer added the song is about their search for a Japanese booking agent and, “while no we didn’t meet the Japanese booking agent of our dreams last Wednesday in Winnipeg, it’s not too late. I know you’re out there.”

Most of the songs were sung in a computer voice reminiscent of Neil Young’s Computer Age from 1982’s Trans album.

They threw in a cover of ’80’s Norwegian synth-pop rockers, A-Ha’s biggest hit, Take On Me. This seemed to blow away the very hyper audience as they started a chant of “Ho-lee shit, ho-lee shit, ho-lee shit” at the end of the song, to which the band started jamming to for about a minute.

And to make matters even rockier and rollier, they did a very cool cover of Van Halen’s Jump at the end of their 90 minute set. The spandex clad singer pulled off a high jump that rivaled David Lee Roth’s famous jump (well he didn’t jump quite as high but he certainly tried). The audience didn’t need much encouragement to jump along to this, well, jumpy tune.

According to the singer, they had played 69 songs, but according to the set list, the actual number was 16. He thanked the people for showing them how to party on a Tuesday as they left the stage.

Great stage show with some interesting choreographed moves by the band. Lots of smiles and dancing on the dance floor. Love the fact of the anonymity of the band, sort of adds a bit of mystery to them.

After the show, I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a quick migration of fans from the front of the stage to the merchandise table in my life. Three quarters of the band, minus the catty bass player signed CD’s and posters and posed for photos with their adoring fans.

One fan, Azure, who brought her father Bernie to both shows, presented four paintings of each member, to the band. When I asked the singer where Commander Meowch was he replied, “You know cat’s, just off doing his own thing.”

All photos by Doug Kretchmer

Videos by QUIDAM

Set List

Believe In Your Dreams

ICQ

Baby, NYC

Something About You

Time To Shine

Rock N Roll Best Friends

Makin’ A Move

No Pants Dance

Business Tips

Groove Crusaders

Crushin’ On U

Japanquest

Take On Me

(A-Ha cover)

Pale Blue Dot

The Hit

Jump

(Van Halen cover)









