Watch Bright Light Social Hour Transform Into Weed Martyr and... Horses, I Think
Austin’s cosmic conjurers rein in their sound
By Kevin Curtin, 11:55AM, Mon. May 17, 2021
Ever seen a horse so deeply and spiritually moved by a piece of art that a single tear wells up in its big sideways eye and streams down its furry face? Quite a compelling visual, that.
Wait, why’s a horse at an art show? And is it even really a horse or are these equines the terrestrial afterlife manifestation of those guys in the hooded black cloaks? Neigh, that can’t be it, they’re animals too, except with rubber faces and concerning party habits. I guess that’s where the term “high horse” comes from.
After a dozen screenings of the Bright Light Social Hour’s surrealist combo video for “Guillotine Billionaires” and “Responsibility,” I’m left with more questions than conclusions. Perplexing plot aside, I can confirm that the galloping sounds of TBLSH’s gnarlier alter ego Weed Martyr makes a stellar soundtrack for this peculiar pony show. Bassist/vocalist Jackie O’Brien, who directed the short, which he wrote with Sara Barr and drummer Zac Catanzaro, sheds light on the hard-charging lead single, which rides the ominous line, “They’re lookin’ out for blood.”
“Inspired by the events of Jan. 6 and the French revolution, ‘Guillotine Billionaires’ is a tongue-in-cheek commentary on the inevitability of populist violence snowballing into reckless bloodlust, no matter the original cause,” emails O’Brien. “We wanted the film to portray similar frustrations, fears and absurdity, and the horse – named Comanche – could not have delivered more perfectly.”
Pony up for TBLSH’s Enter Weed Martyr release here.
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The Bright Light Social Hour, Weed Martyr, Jackie O'Brien, Curtis Roush, Zac Catanzaro, Comanche