They came from the midsection of the country, Michigan specifically, but publicly surfaced from the inter-region where the parched desert gives way to massive concrete footings and other modern conveniences (a.k.a. Phoenix). Two brothers and a friend who alternately baffled, outraged, humored, and entertained audiences and record buyers, often in the context of a single song. Unfamiliar frameworks can be a tricky landscape for the uninitiated; on the surface, the concept of the square root of a negative number seems both impossible and utterly useless, but as all first-year EE majors know, it is essential for even basic electronic circuit analysis. Similar hidden qualities and postulates run rampant throughout the Sun City Girls oeuvre, both as a group and through solo ventures. Between scatological guerilla street theater, honest portrayals of North African, Middle Eastern, and pan-Asian ethnic musics, or simple acoustic instrumentals of heart-stopping beauty, the trio of Rick and Alan Bishop and Charles Gocher never stop in one place for too long, constantly reinventing their scope of musical creation. Considering that over fifteen years have been consumed by these endeavors with barely a nod from the masses, it’s apparent that these three are painfully deserving of the few plaudits thrown their way. Then again, the labels they’ve recorded on (Placebo, Majora, Abduction) aren’t exactly renowned for their relentless publicity machines, and coupled with the extremely infrequent live shows, you’ve got a situation where concrete information remains scarce. Recently, courtesy of Dean Blackwood and John Fahey’s stellar Revenant label, Rick put together a stunning solo debut comprised mostly of solo acoustic guitar explorations, neatly bisected by a stark, drama-laden piano piece. In many ways it’s a logical extension of his work with The Sun City Girls; in other ways it’s a new frontier waiting to be mapped. The Q & A session that follows is my attempt to shine a penlight at the inky darkness that surrounds Rick and the Sun City Girls’ mystique.
