Portland brainchild Joshua Hodges is back with a vengeance when STRFKR lands at the National this Sunday, February 18th. Originally a solo creation, Hodges is joined on this North American tour by bassist and keyboardist Shawn Glassford, drummer Keil Corcoran, and guitarist and keyboardist Patrick Morris. The arthouse escapades of this group will bring a wave of sweat-drenched dance pop to Richmond, giving the River City a dose of the renowned “ortochasmic” (pseudo-Latin word for ear orgasm) performance that has set the group apart since its inception in 2007.
Originally known by the full version of their name, Starfucker, the band’s breakout hit single “Rawnald Gregory Erickson the Second” became a viral hit due to appearances in Target ads and TV shows. Now a veteran ensemble with four studio albums under their belt, along with one Cyndi Lauper cover (“Girls Just Want To Have Fun”) that could even get the Jesus drenched town from Footloose jamming through the night – the group has grown to become an unstoppable force.
STRFKR spent last year following up their fourth official album with The Vault Vol. 1-3; a three-volume “behind the curtain” compilation that propels the audience along a psychedelic storyboard into the cavernous depths of STRFKR’s creative domain. After years of honing their craft and a rather long seclusion in the drifting sun-soaked plains of the Mojave Desert – for their last album – Being No one, Going Nowhere – the band looks to once again destroy the sanity of its audience – only recently regained from the last time they doused Richmond in existential bliss. With a sound like theirs, success was never the status they intended to reach, yet Hodges puts it best using the immortal words of Cyndi Lauper, “when the working day is done, they just wanna have fun.”
To follow the band on their tour, or if you just to check out their sweet merch, visit their website at http://strfkr.com/.
All Photos by STRFKR