The Gallows

The Gallows at Geeks Gone Wild

Andrew Olson

Reader Weekly

This Friday night at Pizza Luce The Gallows will be lending their musical rabbit’s tale to help some geeks who were arrested for showing their naked tails at the Geek Prom in Saint Paul.

The Gallows are the creation of Marc Gartman, Nathan Starke, Karl Anderson, and Joel Flynn. They recently released a bouncy CD titled, Cross The Bridge, about a rabbit who ventured over the lift bridge on an odyssey of discovery.

The concept of doing this type of CD came from Gartman and Starke on a whim.

“We started discussing the idea of working together while playing badminton at a party,” Gartman said. “A friend of Nate’s had sent him some lyrics and we decided to get together and write some music.”

That music became a tale of two Park Point rabbits that were bored with their lives on the island of Minnesota point and find their way to the other side of the bridge inDuluth. Once there, they go on many adventures over 14 original Americana/folk songs.

“In the busy streets of Duluth they avoid being captured by humans, fight for their lives against a hawk, and long for the simpler days on the beach,” Gartman said. “Some bunny friends attempt to rescue them, but only one makes it across the gap. Eventually they meet a dog that helps them build a boat to travel back to the Point. Once home they impart their adventures for all to hear and celebrate the importance of being together with their friends and family.”

On the band’s Myspace page (www.myspace.com/thegallowsinduluth) there are pictures drawn by children who interpreted the album artistically. When the band performed at Beaner’s Central a slideshow accompanied their songs titled, Brothers of the Hare.

“This visual counterpoint to the CD consists of images drawn by Duluth children,” Gartman said. “Their artwork depicts all the scenes that make up Cross The Bridge.”

With a theme that is meant for the child in all of us, the band has plans to re-release the album with a more kid friendly approach… maybe even a Birthday Party World Tour?

“The kids do like the CD,” Gartman said. “We have played a kid's party and

we'd like to do a lot more of that.”

Before you make plans to become a Gallowhead, the band is probably a bit too busy to meet a Birthday Party World Tour’s demands.

“Outlook 'hazy’,” The Gallows said. “Marc’s getting busy with his new band Two Many Banjos with Dave Carroll from TBT and recording all next month. Marc is also working with Nate on a Caribbean record. We have a gig at the Red Lion on August 17 that will most likely be the final rabbit themed gig, let alone Gallows shows all together.”

Being that The Gallows are going to the gallows very soon it is only fitting that they should help some geeks headed for the same place.

Without going into endless detail about the situation surrounding the Geeks Gone Wild fundraiser event, it is basically a few “geeks” trying to raise money to pay their legal fees for streaking at the Geek Prom this past spring. Event organizer Paul Lundgren is trying to raise $3,640 to pay the legal costs of clearing the criminal records of the six involved. Two of the streakers were from Duluth, two from Saint Paul, one from Cyrus, and one from Superior.

“It says a lot about the members of the Gallows as human beings that they are willing to play a show to help raise money to defray the legal expenses of six streakers who willfully broke the law,” Lundgren said. “It really shows what type of character and moral fiber they have.”

Lundgren contacted Gartman about playing the benefit show and band agreed that it sounded like a great idea.

“They were sprayed with pepper spray and given fines by the police for streaking,” Gartman said. “Getting sprayed with pepper spray seems pretty excessive. The worst case scenario is that the streakers become flashers, or that a streaker shows up at the benefit.”

The donation is $6 for the fundraiser with Trailer Park Queen, Haus Meeting, and the Lake Superior Cacophonic Choir also performing. For more information about what happened at the Science Museum when the streakers tried to keep the tradition going for the 5^th year. Go to www.geekprom.com for more information on the event.