Members of the Show
- Loto Ball - Vox, Keys, Trumpet
- David E Smith - Saxophone
- Matt Schwarz - Guitar
- Clyde Rourke- Drums
- BJ Doring - Bass
- Maria Jenkins - keys
- Grace Kulp - vocals
- Arvo Fingers - electronics
BIO
Loto Ball is best known for his work singing and performing for San Francisco Bay Area death-punk band The Phantom Limbs. During his time with The Phantom Limbs (in which he was sometimes known as Hopeless), Loto Ball's visceral expression of existential distress laced with black comedy, along with the hyper-charged and unusual compositions of keyboardist Stevenson Sedgwick helped earn his band the honor of No. 1 Indie Rock Band in San Francisco (S.F. Bay Guardian Best of the Bay awards 2003) and the chance to record two albums with Jello Biafra's Alternative Tentacles record label. After 5 years and 220 performances with The Phantom Limbs, including 3 U.S. tours and 2 European tours, Loto Ball left the band in 2005 to move to Chicago and pursue other ventures. Loto Ball has spent his time in Chicago working with local artists on various projects, including founding an art gallery/music venue (Reversible Eye), collaborating on a 800 foot public mural (Bloomingdale Trail), working as personal masseuse for Mayor Daley, performing with puppets (Scary Toesies), working for as an activist for disability rights and quality of life issues, as well playing trumpet for a 30-person marching band (Mucca Pazza). Loto Ball created the Loto Ball Show in 2005. It has taken on many forms, such as incorporating absurdist puppet shows, hosting variety shows, and recording the soundtrack for a horror-comedy underground TV series. The Loto Ball Show has now evolved into an energetic rock band that screams out much of the same ferocity as The Phantom Limbs but brings in more variety in mood, more shifts in volume and pace, and more eclectic sounds. It is a driving key-board driven form of No-Wave post-punk with hints of jazz syncopation and Middle-Eastern scales.
Loto Ball - HISTORY AND DISCOGRAPHY
1991 - BoyScouts of Annihilation – Singer, Guitarist – Los Angeles shows.
Package – Trumpet - Southwest U.S. Tour.
1995 – Circus Redickuless. – Variety Show Organist, Composer – Los Angeles shows, U.S. Tour
1996 - BoyScouts of Annihilation – Composition, Vocals, Keyboards – L.A. Shows, West Coast
U.S. Tour
The Parkas – Keyboardist – Los Angeles shows.
Circus Redickuless – Musical Director, Composer, Organist, Comedian – U.S. Tour
1997 - BoyScouts of Annihilation – Vocals, Keyboards - Los Angeles shows, West Coast U.S. Tour
1998 - Valley Fever – Composition, Keyboards, Trumpet – S.F. Bay Area shows, West Coast U.S.
Tour
Extra Action Marching Band – Trumpet – S.F. Bay Area shows.
1999 - The Phantom Limbs – Vocals – S.F Bay Area shows.
2001 – The Phantom Limbs – Vocals - S.F Bay Area shows, U.S. Tour
2002 – The Phantom Limbs – Vocals - S.F Bay Area shows, U.S. Tour, European Tour
2003 – The Phantom Limbs – Vocals - S.F Bay Area shows, U.S. Tour
2004 – The Phantom Limbs – Vocals - S.F Bay Area shows, European Tour
2005 - Mucca Pazza – Trumpet - Chicago shows
Loto Ball Show – Composition, Vocals, Keyboards, Trumpet – Chicago shows
2006 - Mucca Pazza – Trumpet - Chicago shows, Late Night with Conan O’Brien, Midwest Tour
Loto Ball Show – Composition, Vocals, Keyboards, Trumpet – Chicago shows
2007 - Mucca Pazza – Trumpet – Chicago shows
Loto Ball Show – Composition, Vocals, Keyboards, Trumpet – Chicago shows
Loto Ball - DISCOGRAPHY
Jack Acid - Destroy The Boat EP - Lookout Records 1993 - Trumpet
BoyScouts of Annihilation – Mucous EP - self-released 1996 – Composition, Keys, Vocal
Circus Redickuless - Bomp Bomp EP – Black’n’Blue Records 1996 – Composition, Keyboard
The Phantom Limbs - Murder Us Windpipes EP – Atakra Records 2000- Vocal
The Phantom Limbs – split with Fleshies EP – Atakra Records 2000- Vocal
The Phantom Limbs - Applied Ignorance LP – Alternative Tentacles Records 2001 -Vocal
The Phantom Limbs - Displacement LP – Alternative Tentacles Records 2003 –Vocals, Trumpet
The Phantom Limbs - Patience EP – split on Hungry Eye Records with The Vanishing 2004 – Vocal
Jello Biafra/ The Melvins – Never Breathe What You Can’t See – Alternative Tentacles Records 2004 – Background Vocal
The Phantom Limbs - Random Hymns EP – GSL Records, also Hungry Eye Records 2005 – Vocal, Trumpet
Mucca Pazza – A Little Marching Band – self-released 2006 - Trumpet
the Loto Ball Show - I Can Be Your Eyes EP - vocals, trumpet, keys, composition
Reviews
Fensepost Blog Review of LEVY ON THE EYEWAY First off, the opening track "MC Kenney" is one of those annoying vocal-only introductions. At 35 seconds, it's a throwaway; likely an inside joke. But once you get past that, Levy On The Eyeway is a surprising ride. The true opener is "Dead Kiss", a song that begins with a pointed key riff but quickly dives into a loud, blaring punk-ish track & and it's pretty freakin' good. Loto Ball Show, then, fits the category of bands like Kickball and Wet Confetti. The trumpets draw comparison to the unfortunately defunct Seattle experimental post punkers Automaton Adventure Series (later, they droped a few words to simply be Automaton). "I Can See Your Blue Eyes" doesn't necessarily take the album up a notch, but it's noteworthy nonetheless. One also gets the distinct impression that Loto Ball Show has a special affinity for Old Time Relijun. (What other band blends classic wild punk songs with orchestration?) This namely comes via some crazy saxophone playing, though also heard are trumpets, keyboards and maybe a few other instruments. "Poseidon Waltz" and "Oriental Danzig" are instrumental tunes, showing the band's diversity in songwriting...not many bands can pull off a post-punk instrumental. The rest of Levy On The Eyeway continues what "Dead Kiss" and "I Can Be Your Eyes" started: the tunes are packed with wild percussion, blaring trumpets and screeching saxophones. The guitar riffs are loud and distorted, and the vocals are indistinctly indecipherable. This album is proof that one should not discount albums that come in those narrow CD sleeves.
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Sputnik Musick "excellent" poppybob | April 18th 08 Loto Ball Show's (starring Loto Ball from weirdo death punk band The Phantomb Limbs) debut album Levy on the Eyeway reeks of paranoid desperation - Bizarre to say the least... Like being sold tickets at a carnival to some hellride that won't let you off. Slightly reminiscent of Minimal Man's classic The Shroud Of, songs like "Dead Kiss" and "I Can Be Your Eyes" have that same synth art-damage quality but with more of a punk edge. "Poseidon Waltz", "Oriental Danzig", and "Loto Ball Show" sound like a death march performed at a late night cabaret held in an insane asylum. "Hoodlim" leans more towards No Wave influence. Like Arto Linsday singing for The Contortions, or Gilbert Godfrey fronting the Birthday Party with Lora Logic. Other songs on Levy on the Eyeway are variations of these ingredients, blending a cacophonous stew of very unique sounds. For those who like their synth/art-damage/no wave with more of a punk backbone, the Loto Ball Show is definitely for you.
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brooklyn vegan - re: Knitting Factory performance Loto Ball Show reminded me of Fugazi if you fed them a boat loat of crack cocaine. I was very surprised that they were the band preceding Silver Apples set - it was a bit of an odd pairing but somehow worked well together. -Zach
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L.A. Record online Loto Ball Show was setting up when I arrived. Loto Ball (Phantom Limbs) shuts up his bearded hype man mid-rant by swatting the microphone away from his face. His hype man exaggerates the real hurt he feels inside and turns his back to the audience. Loto is compelled to apologize. They hug and all is forgiven. Their sound has those same mixed signals, alternating from friendly pop to apoplectic madness. Loto Ball's manic trumpet and hype man's percussive beetle wing earring added a tense post-punk dub vibe to the otherwise familiar sound of Phantom Limbs/Le Shok-era punk rock. Rounding out the rogue's gallery were a Farrah Fawcett-Minor type keyboard player, a slick bassist, a nerdy guitarist and a mercenary drummer. Jon Hustad - L.A. Record online
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Hex Education Review I believe this is what St. Lester Bangs referred to when he was talking about "skronk." No Wave funk getting Skin Graft (the procedure and record label) onto the zombie of Albert Ayler. This will fuck with your head so good. In fact, this record sent me into 3 different emotional states upon the first listen, as ex-Phantom Limbs guy Loto Ball and his big band re-taught me how to dance. For this, I thank thee.
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berkeley place review LOTO BALL SHOW-"Levy on the Eye Way" As you can imagine from the name of the band ("Loto ball show," get it) and the names of some of their songs ("Hoodlims;" "Oriental Danzig"), the Loto Ball Show make hard-edged fratboy rock. I found the album a little uneven, but there was enough there to impress me. I bet they're a lot of fun live.
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readjunk review Loto Ball's new band/experience, post-Phantom Limbs. Similar to the Phantom Limbs, this new incarnation has a dark, sinister circus-punk sound with synths, horns, frenetic noise, and Loto's nasal, anguished vocals. It's not particularly listenable, but it might make for a soundtrack to your next Halloween party, if all your friends are meth heads and/or cannibals. Although I don't really dig the album, I heard the band puts on puppet shows when they play live. That's worth a star.
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20 Jazz Funk Greats For example Chicagoan outfit Loto Ball Show, about whom we wouldn’t have found out perhaps in a long time if it hadn’t be for a fortunate coincidence on the myspace place, another object of constant derision which has nevertheless been a steady source of goodness.
Loto Ball Show look and sound business, they are the sort of band you would expect to see playing in some dingey and damp basement cellar where people dress in black jack it old school style, you know, get sweaty and dance the mess away, that is the way to go. They make a dark, muscular and intense hick garage blues racket with the relentless gusto of The Bad Seeds fucking Deanna, sharpened by the non-cliched post punk apocalyptic edge one finds in Public Image Ltd. (also exemplified in early-day Liars), sexy horns add an extra bit of epic omph to their clanging and banging onslaught, the outcome sounds awesomely instantaneous in the same excellent way as, for example, the Black Lips or In The Red days Deadly Snakes, now kids, that is a rare thing.
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AUGENMUSIK Loto Ball Show demo CDR The second song on this 5 track demo CDR is called "Poseidon Waltz," and it's actually a good point of reference for ex-Phantom Limbs' vocalist Loto Ball's newest effort. Loto has some good experience in circus acts and marching bands, so perhaps it's no surprise to find his current outing putting him in the position of deranged Master of Ceremonies-- not uncharming, but quite comfortable to tell a little story about driving with your eyes closed. Loto alternates between vocals, trumpet and keys alongside a host of other instruments like guitar, bass, drums and saxophones (and the likes of Centimeters and Indian Jewelry members, I believe). But unlike circus and cabaret shows, the music doesn't play second fiddle to the spectacle, as the 4 songs on here (one track is an introduction by Chicago's MC Kenny), stand on their own quite well. The demo sounds as though it had been recorded live and but is still very effective. A studio recording might put a little more pop in the horns, but for a demo this works quite nicely. I guess I could have expected as much.
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KFJC Loto Ball Show - I Can Be Your Eyes EP
The newest project from Oaklander transplanted to Chicago, Loto Ball, former frontman of The Phantom Limbs. A five piece featuring Loto Ball on keys, trumpet & vox, Brandon Davis on guitar, Dan Browning on drums, David Smith on sax and Max Gomberg (Centimeters) on bass. Debut EP of 5 songs, beginning with a 6m 05s track about a fun game involving driving with eyes closed & creepy lyrics that aptly paint a gruesome picture. Nice saxaphone work. Track 2, Poseidon Waltz is a 5m 45s carnivalesque instrumental, envision drunken clowns stumbling through the bigtop, a trapeze artist dangling by a foot, in the corner a monkey eats cotton candy. Track 3 I Saw Your Lines runs 3m 38s has a groovey bass feel with saxophone work remniscent of James Chance. Track 4 is a 32s with MC Kenny giving words of intro- duction and advice (perhaps this track would be more appropriate as an opening track for this reason.) The EP ends with a 3m18s track Dead Kiss which could be about a dying relationship, once again props to the horns. Great stuff from the Loto Ball Show. No Language. Reviewed by ophelia necro on June 24, 2007 at 5:53 pm
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