Band: The End Times Orchestra
Album: The End Times Orchestra
Genre: Pop Operetta
RIYL: Tom Waits, Sparks, Roxy Music, David Bowie
Feb. 11, 9:30 p.m.
Founders, Grand Rapids
Free
Provocateur, artist, writer, teacher, actor, producer, singer/songwriter, musician and ringmaster Corey Ruffin is a busy man. Host of the popular Super Happy Funtime Burlesque show and leader of the End Times Orchestra, Ruffin is always up to something. In February, ETO releases its first, full-length studio album featuring unconventional but really good songs about either the end of the world or having really good sex, occasionally simultaneously.
The self-titled debut, recorded by Alex Hammel, has been a longtime coming. It contains songs Ruffin penned years ago and has continued to workshop and re-arrange as he focuses on other projects. Recorded by a handpicked dream team of musicians, including Randy Marsh (Organissimo), Mike Dodge and Chris Lawerence, the album is pop, Ruffin says, but it's not.
"Because this music has been work shopped for six years before it's finally gone on tape, these songs have really been purified," Ruffin said. "It's pop music, but if you went to define it, there's no elements of pop music in it."
Ruffin's musical path has been long and meandering, beginning with playing saxophone, bassoon and clarinet in high school before moving onto local bands Mommy Won't Wake Up and Phantom Wedding Band. Ruffin then ended up in Minnesota as the caretaker of a cattle ranch for musical reasons.
"There was a community of free improvisers doing avante garde jazz... dudes that played with George Cartwright, Milo Fine, Anthony Cox, Jack Wright. This farm was like a satellite where all the free jazzers would go on the weekends to have sessions and come up with ideas."
In 2004 Ruffin moved back to Grand Rapids to work as a caricaturist, playing music at the Morningstar 75 open mic. Here he met his partner and collaborator, Rachel Finan. The two worked together on the Dr. Toledo burlesque show. Ruffin became the host when the former host dropped out and eventually Ruffin turned the show into the fantastic monstrosity that is currently Super Happy Funtime Burlesque. In doing so, Ruffin insisted on the addition of a live band, and that's how The End Times Orchestra came to fruition. ETO has had a busy run, between Ruffin's original songs and musicals, as well as burlesque covers, and has seen a host of members. In taking time for itself, ETO's first professional album should not be missed.
