Felix Sarco: Odd by choice
By Donna Talarico

Those who have seen a Felix Sarco show may have had to whip out their pocket GPS to make sure they were still in Northeast PA. Because for a moment, it may appear you were beamed to another dimension of live entertainment. The experimental Felix Sarco has a way of taking the audience somewhere else, with their music, their presence and their style.

Who needs to chug down a Red Bull when you can get the same energizing effects for a CD of the same price? And not the artificial kind of energy you get from that slim tin can, either.

Felix Sarco has just released their self-mastered, self-titled CD, which is available at their shows for $2 - a clear sign they aren’t interested in kissing the asses of greedy record label types.

They just want to share the music.

The Weekender recently sat down with Felix Sarco front man Cromely Legussa to chat about the band.

W: I’ve been to a Felix Sarco Show. You aren’t a band. You are an experience. Tell me about your philosophy of entertaining, and why you are different.

CL: Entertainment comes first above all and is guaranteed. All other bets are consequently off. We have adapted to the laws of chaos in an attempt to free the world’s show-going folk from the depths of restraint and order. This mission demands that each individual contribute his or her abilities on a personally unique level. For instance, C.C. punts newborn babies into the audience and shows subversive films. El Placko attempts to destroy his instruments while Fandango plays his like something it isn’t. Jeff brings down the low end - Badoom Boom Boom. And I dress like a tawdry jerk-off.

W: This CD … tell me about the making of it. It was in a member’s home studio, right? What is it like recording on your own turf, on your own time?

CL: As a band, having collective control over every aspect of the work is orgasmic. We knew what we wanted and Chris (the album’s mixing engineer) was capable of delivering it, despite his being mortal.

W: The music. Who writes it? Is it a shared effort?

CL: Most of the material on our newest album is written collectively. Besides that, two songs are Felix renditions of C.C.’s songs and one track is a revamped product of the Future Foundation.

W: Where is the CD available? I know at your shows, you are selling it for $2. To me, this means you want people to just be able to take Felix Sarco home and cover the costs. Why this mentality? Why not charge $20 bucks, like some record companies?

CL: The CD is available for $2 at Unknown Comics on 352 Adams Ave. in Scranton, and at our shows. On-line, the album is available at www.cdbaby.com for $6 due to the costs associated with distribution. As for the low price, we feel that the exposure of this music is its sole necessity. Actually, a nine-track $2 album is the result of brain damage. It’s a bad idea, and I think you’ve talked me out of it. It is now officially $20 dollars a copy.

W: Can you highlight a few tracks off your new CD? What are they about? Who is behind them? Which do you like to play live best?

CL: “The Professional” is crazy little number about traffic collisions and quantum theory. That’s a personal favorite. I also like “Self Image,” where I get to talk about peeing on people. And “Chester” is about an old man who realizes he’s been playing chess with his imaginary friend for the last 15 years and then lights himself on fire. I like having people cheer when I talk about flaming geriatrics and cosmic car crashes while telling them I want to pee on them, so I’d have to say the live compendium is far better than any particular track.

W: Back to those live shows … the costumes, the antics? What inspires that?

CL: I’m inspired by brilliantly fashionable fits of confusion. I wear them wonderfully. Either that or bluegrass and blow pops. Both are loads of fun. Fun is very inspirational.

W: What are Felix Sarco fans like?

CL: They are like the band. Out of their tree and questionably coherent with some of them bordering on genius.

(Felix Sarco is Cromley Legussa on vocals, C.C. Psychotica on synthesizers, Fandango the Bandana on guitar, Jeff Franklin on bass and R.J. Placko on drums.)