Dan Fishback (alternatively, Dan Fishback's American Doll Posse: Nelson, Roger, Charlemagne, Papaya & Dan)
Influences
Tony Kushner, Roland Barthes, Deb Margolin, Edward Albee, Laurie Anderson, Helen Stratford, Lynda Hart, Judith Butler, Toby Goodshank, Kimya Dawson, Kathleen Hanna, Karen Finley, PJ Harvey, Anne Carson, Dibs, Yoko Kikuchi, Virginia Woolf, Chris Yang, Diane Cluck, Ani Difranco, Joyce Conner, Dave End, Andrew Hoepfner, Jeffrey Lewis, Rachel Shukert, Justin Bond, Casey Holford, The Leader, but, really, mostly, for better or for worse, Tori Amos (1991-1998, 2007).
Dan Fishback is a performing artist and writer based in Brooklyn, NY. He is a 2007-2009 recipient of the Six Points Fellowship for Emerging Jewish Artists. Through the fellowship, he is developing his new play, "YOU WILL EXPERIENCE SILENCE," a neurotic exploration of history and sexuality. The show will run in April, 2009 at Dixon Place in New York City. The Six Points Fellowship is a partnership of Avoda Arts, JDub Records, and the Foundation for Jewish Culture, and is made possible with major funding from UJA-Federation of New York.
As a performance artist, Fishback has been making surreal, queer political comedies since 2003. In 2006, legendary venue P.S. 122 mounted a mini-festival of his work with "No Direction Homo: The Many Identical Personae of Dan Fishback." Previous performances, including "Please Let Me Love You" and "Waiting For Barbara," have been performed at venues like Galapagos Art Space, Dixon Place, Collective:Unconscious and Brooklyn Arts Exchange.
Also fixture in the East Village's notorious anti-folk scene, Fishback has performed all over the world as a singer, songwriter and musician. Most notably, he has toured North America and Europe with his band, Cheese On Bread. He is also the primary songwriter on their two full-length albums, "Maybe Maybe Maybe Baby" (2004, Luv-a-Lot Records) and "The Search for Colonel Mustard" (2007).
In 2005, Fishback released his solo debut, "Sweet Chastity" (Luv-a-Lot Records), a multi-genre meditation on virginity and fear. His sophomore album, "Mammal," an equally ambitious mix of slick radio pop and lo-fi anti-folk, is slated for release in 2010. In the meantime, Fishback has released the covers EP "Strange Little Faggots" (2006) and the b-sides collection "Calendar Boys" (2008). He still performs regularly, both as an acoustic folk-singer and as the frontman of his grunge/punk band The Faggots.
In 2008, Fishback began traveling to colleges and universities with his lecture, "You Never Get To Make Out: Why I Can't Tell The Difference Between Being Jewish and Being Queer," a wide-ranging talk about sexuality, ethnicity, text and identity formation.
Fishback is tangentially involved in a number of exciting side-projects. Since 2006, he has been the drummer for anti-folk junkyard band Old Hat. In 2007, he became a charter member Nan Turner's punk dance troupe Underthrust, which has shared stages with Kimya Dawson and Ani Difranco. Underthrust is featured in the official video for Dawson's "Juno" soundtrack hit, "I Like Giants."
Fishback also works as a freelance life coach. Email him here to get organized.
P.S: Fishback continues to play solo shows all over the place, and particularly enjoys COLLEGE GIGS. Bring him to where you're at: booking@danfishback.com
OK, i put it here too... I hope to see you next week. If anyone here is curious of the French pop-folk scene, I wanted to tell you that I would play at Sidewalk Café (94 av. A, Manhattan) next tuesday at 11 pm. xxx isabelle
today was my last class with karen finley. she made us have a "graduation ceremony" and presented us each with signed drawings with personalized messages. Mine was a gold and purple heart with 1968 scribbled inside a bunch of times, and on the outside it said "Song. Challenge. At Your Best"
do you want to stick it in a blender and snort it with me?
Oh Mr. Fishback:) What wonderful new pictures you have! I don't think I even knew you had a head with out a hat:) Ya look great! Anywhoo... You are cordially invited to come, party and celebrate with me:)! Cheers E Elizabeth Devlin"All Are Relative"Album Release Video-12/6/2008
I love calender boys. It is smart and sexy. Listened to it multiple times yesterday as I was going through piles and piles of stuff being busy in artland. Hey, I want to be your roommate! Yes. Love, Josepha