"A band that lives, loves and rocks on the grand scale of the cosmos" - SF Weekly
Imagine if the Kinks, the Ventures, Stray Cats and Devo were galactic pioneers, and joined forces to defend earth's right to "rocket roll". Combine that with a fast driving blend of punk, pop, psychobilly, solid songwriting and a witty Sci-Fi theme and you've got one of the east bay's most celebrated bands, The Phenomenauts.
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The Phenomenauts are embarking on a US/Canadian Tour w/The Re-Volts. Tour Starts in Portland, OR Fri July 23 and goes across all of Canada to New York and Back to California...
The Phenomenauts
"A band that lives, loves and rocks on the grand scale of the cosmos" - SF Weekly
Imagine if the Kinks, the Ventures, Stray Cats and Devo were galactic pioneers, and joined forces to defend earth's right to "rocket roll". Combine that with a fast driving blend of punk, pop, psychobilly, solid songwriting and a witty Sci-Fi theme and you've got one of the east bay's most celebrated bands, The Phenomenauts.
Conceived in the amazing year 2000 and hailing from "Earth's capital," Oakland, California, The Phenomenauts are true galactic pioneers on a mission to entertain, with their unique brand of "Rocket-Roll.". The Phenomenauts gained early recognition as the east bay's "craftiest and bravest band" (East Bay Express) for their now infamous, commando-style performances in which they set up in front of large music venues such as the legendary Fillmore and perform rollicking sets powered by car batteries for unsuspecting crowds. These early "missions" landed them on the cover of multiple bay area publications, including The San Francisco Weekly, The East Bay Express and Independent Musician Magazine.
A critical part of the Phenomenaut experience has always been their live show, during which the band proudly displays its evolving arsenal of homemade "Phenoma-gadgets." The Theramatic Helmerator, or "top of JoeBot's head," contains a wireless theramin that creates Sci-Fi sounds reminiscent of old Star Trek episodes; the Streamerator 2000, manned by Professor Greg Arius, blasts rolls of toilet paper out into the crowd, bringing them in as part of the show; clouds of CO2 envelop the crowd while rockets launch from the Rocketerator, and inflatable models of Earth hover above the band as they play the crowd favorite "Earth is the Best." These cleverly crafted devices immensely add to the mystique and cult appeal of the band.
With a band name that means, "to pilot an unusual experience," It's no wonder that they travel in a mode of transportation true to that description. They have customized their own small fleet of Phenoma-vechicles, bringing their space age image to the streets. The Phenoma-Bomber Beta, more space ship than Dodge Van, is sometimes accompanied by the Phenomenator Alpha, a smaller scout ship that features rocket fins and dual-quad thrusters. Littered with electronic gadgets from the late 20th Century such as remote controls, stereo components, and motherboards of defunct computers, they are easily mistaken for pieces of electrical equipment turned inside out, and it is no wonder these vehicles never fail to turn heads on the highway. Catching a glimpse of one of these ships is truly an unforgettable experience.