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Breakfast burritos. Should the Phenomenauts ascend to pop stardom and intergalactic glory, they'll have the breakfast burritos to thank. Pancakes, too, and sausage links and French toast. The way to the heart of commercial punk, apparently, is through its stomach.

Major Jimmy Boom, drummer, is explaining how his Oakland space-rockabilly band has scammed its way onto the Warped Tour, the magnificently overblown corporate-punk summer camp. Dateline: Seattle, 2003, early July. "They didn't know who we were," he says. "We showed up at six o'clock in the morning, and we pretty much just followed the line of buses in. Then we played, and the main guys that set up the tour came over and said, 'Who the fuck are these guys?'

"The next morning, we got up and cooked everybody breakfast in Portland. The first people we hit were the people that actually make the passes. We actually brought them a breakfast burrito, right to their door, right where they make the passes at, and said, 'Hey, here's a breakfast burrito. And we're on the tour. We'd like to get our passes.' And they took our picture, they did all the stuff, and we got the passes."

Officially, the Phenomenauts aren't playing the Warped Tour. They had no invitation, no press, no money, no cushy stage slot, and no encouragement. But they've set out to follow the tour anyway, for a solid month and a half, armed with guile, tenacity, and a spatula.

Jimmy is proud of this. "Today the main guy, Kevin Lyman, came up and said 'Yeah, you guys, you know, I could've kicked you off a long time ago. But I like the breakfasts. You're alright guys. You're contributing enough to the tour. So you can keep on going.' So that's pretty much what it is. Cookin' breakfast. Food."

Meet the East Bay's craftiest, ballsiest band.

The Phenomenauts fancy themselves as space-being guerrillas, invading the indie world in their '83 Dodge van.

BY Enrique Lopetegui

The list of hallowed San Francisco events that The Phenomenauts have graced with their zany, high-energy presence goes on for pages. From after-show parties at the venerable fillmore to VIP rooms at the California Music Awards, the intergalactic space-travelers have brought their magic to some of the Bay Area's most prestigious halls and clubs. Never mind that the band's post-show performance at the fillmore took place busker-style on the sidewalk in front of the venue, or that its impromptu set at the awards show was cut short by security guards asking The Phenomenauts to leave. These are small details in the life of a group that lives, love, and rocks on the grand scale of the cosmos. Founded officially in 2000, the act has its roots in Space Patrol, a polka-themed '80s cover band that played all its songs on homemade instruments. These days Commander Angel Nova, Corporal Joebot, Major Jimmy Boom, and Captain Chreehos use more traditional intruments, but their mix of pop, psychobilly, and rock'n'roll is anything but normal. Decked out in bizarre astronautical outfits, the band members enliven their shows with such "Phenoma-gadgets" as the Theramatic-Helmerator (protective headwear outfitted with a theremin) and The Streamerator (a leafblower modified to launch streams of toilet paper into the crowd). The group's first full-length, Rockets and Robots, has been received phenomenaut-ly by radio stations and audiences all around the Bay Area, perfectly capturing the chaotic fun of the act's live show.

An introduction into the world of what The Phenomenauts dub "Space Rock" is not possible without hearing the rockabill-gone-wild sounds of "Rockets and Robots". What separates this East Bay foursome from all the other bands of this type is their sense of humor and songwriting craft. All the songs are about the future, robots, or space. The theme sounds limited in scope, but it's a gimmick that actually works because while these guys don't take themselves too seriously, the music is another story.

At first, "Rockets and Robots" will seem like a sill throwback to the 50's, but that's kind of the point. After a few listens the infectious twang of "tiny robots" and "earth is the best," will have you singing along in no time. The production is clean, yet it retains an old-fashioned sound perfectly suited for rockin'. The vocals of Commander Angel Nova boom with Elvis-type flair, and Corporal Joebot can wail with the best of them. These songs got swing, daddy-o. Definitely catch The Phenomenauts live as well. Spacesuits, toilet paper, and fog will get you in the mood to dance in one big "space jamboree." - Colin Kutch

If you've seen this "space-rockabilly" band, you probably noticed the Battlestar Galactica-inspired costumes, the wacky light show, and- best of all- the Toilet Paperarator, a tricked out leaf blower that sends soft toilet-paper clouds wafting over the audience. Group members hang out at a plae in Oakland the call the Command Center, and they call their fans "cadets." Talk about a shtick. But the four-piece backs it up with solid rockabilly rhythms and amusing lyrics about space invaders and cruising the galaxy. Singer/guitarist Corporal Joebot wears a musical helmet made from a wireless guitar kit and a theremin, which he "plays" during the crowd favorite "Robot Love (Why Was I Programmed to Feel Pain?)." Commander Angel Nova is on guitar and vocals, Captain Chreehos the stand-up bass, and Major Jimmy Boom is on the drums. Check them out May 30th at the Starry Plough. They are, ahem, out of this world. -Katy St. Clair

Their mode of transportation was reason enough to catch The Phenomenauts' performance last Friday (April 5) ath the Cactus Club. Parked in front of South First Billards was a silver curiosity that looked like the Mystery Machine had crashed into the Death Star en route to Planet Mongo and splattered some poor little green man on the window along the way. More than a van, this was a work of art.

The Bay Area-based band opened Monkey's CD Release show, and The Cactus was jam packed early with already-anxious Phenomenaut fans crowding the front of the stage from the moment the band took off. Clearly, they'd seen them before and knew what was in store.

Not only does this campy retro band offer toe-tapping rockabilly pop songs, but its off-the-wall live show leaves a smile on your face. The Phenomenauts crew--COMMANDER ANGEL NOVA, MAJOR JIMMY BOOM, CORPORAL JOEBOT, and CAPTAIN CHREEHOS-- uses everything from flaming cymbals to a toilet-paper launcher to a bubble machine to show its fans a nonstop good time. The band performed songs from its debut album ROCKETS and ROBOTS, and got everyone in full audience-participation mode during the hot-rodding outer-space tune "Phenomenator." "Tiny Robots" was another particularly fun one: "if you want to rock & roll with me/ You got to build yourself a ship and cruise the galaxy/ Tiny robots, laser beams, space invaders are living my dreams." Visit www.phenomenauts.com to keep tabs on these guys. - Sarah Quelland

Last modified: 2003-08-22
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