When we last checked in with Fudgy, a Milwaukee supergroup (of sorts) featuring members of Crappy Dracula 2 and Scrimshaw, the band that’s “barely a band” was releasing a song called “Dispensational Truth” and playing its first show. That was almost a year ago. So what has the group that sounds like, well, a combination of Crappy Dracula 2 and Scrimshaw been up to in the intervening months? Pretty much exactly what you would expect.
On Friday, April 1, Fudgy will celebrate the release of not one, but two new albums, Naming Convention and Reference Library, at Bay View’s beloved Newport bar. But it won’t be your ordinary release show: From 8-10 p.m., the band will be handing out free copies of the albums and screening three accompanying videos via an “actual reality” helmet made out of cardboard. Oh, and there will be no live music.
As with all things Fudgy, it’s best to let the group’s frontman (and Milwaukee Record animatronic bear correspondent) Justin Kern explain:
Essentially, on April 1, we’ll give away free editions of two brand new Fudgy albums to interested/interesting people at The Newport from 8 p.m. until 10 p.m. In addition, we will be presenting The Video Dome, an actual reality helmet built specifically to view the three Fudgy videos tied to these releases.
All you have to do is buy a drink at the bar or give one of the band members a firm handshake or contribute with some meaningful conversation on the designated day and time at this designated place. Yep, free albums with many wonderful songs about things like love, reality, bogs, and, in one case, describing the entire plotline to the film Battlefield Earth.
Best of all: absolutely NO live music. Basically you’re showing up to a bar and getting an album (see above conditions) that you might like or despise.
So, as Kern and company prepare for this joyous event, do a little preparation yourself by watching an exclusive Fudgy video, “Reality.” Directed by Kern, it features grainy VHS footage, imploding buildings, and someone flipping through a photo album of fishing pictures.