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BEN FLASH AND HIS BOYISH GOOD LOOKS
began as a joke, or a wild coincidence, depending on whether you got the
joke. At the 1999 Camp Wyomoco talent show, a young but lonely hopeful
called Ben Flash performed an original number, “Boost.” The crowds went
moderately wild. A little later on in the show, three swaggering youths
with no knack for writing silly songs performed the Red Hot Chili Peppers’
tune, “Scar Tissue.” This performance won the Boyish Good Looks, as they
were called, a wooden first place trophy, but they felt something was terribly
lacking.
It was an act of fate and inspiration
that combined these two musical forces to create a hit-machine juggernaut,
one afternoon in a strange place known only as “Conestoga.” Twenty minutes,
and lots of capital letters later, BEN FLASH AND HIS BOYISH GOOD LOOKS
were ready to execute the daunting 5.5 minute epic, “Love Shack,” for an
ocean of screaming fans. And execute it they did. Instantly, a legend
was born, and by the time Ben Pattison, Aaron Steve, Mike Mahoney, and
Mark Karwan (Ben Flash and Good Looks #1, #2, And #3, respectively) left
the stage, they had imprinted their unique blend of integrity and talent
upon the hearts of 200+ of the luckiest concert-goers in history.
In the following year, some changes
were made to the group. Mark was temporarily replaced by a Casiotone keyboard,
Aaron expanded his horizons to include the guitar and a tiny turntable,
and Mike expanded his horizons to include a bucket, but most importantly,
some original opuses (opuses, not songs--songs are for joke bands) were
written. Bagel Opuses #1, #2 (the dopest opus) and #3 (the camper opus),
were carefully crafted between the months of April and July, 2000. Two
additional mini-opuses, “Ra,” and “The Social Experiment” were devised
by single members of the group. However, as a whole, the group took its
show on the road in the summer of 2000. This effort, some of which did
not include Mark, was a screaming success for all of those involved.
BEN FLASH AND HIS BOYISH GOOD LOOKS
plan to hit the studio this coming winter and emerge with a well crafted
finished product. “Hopefully, the record will reflect the gripping excitement
of our live show, with some special studio touches added in, and plenty
of surprises to keep all our fans on their toes for many repeated listens,”
says, Mike. “Because in the end, it doesn't matter which of us is putting
in more or less, or even who is playing which instrument. What matters
is that we give to the people, not what they want, but what they need:
GHETTO BOOTY.”
The debut album from BEN FLASH AND HIS BOYISH GOOD LOOKS is slated for release in the summer of 2001.