President Bill Clinton, who plays the saxophone, is not the only Arkansas musician shaking up the town. His competition, Punkinhead, is a group specializing in rock-soul and funk.

Groove-oriented Punkinhead is a combination of original songs and sounds-a tossed salad of sorts-mixing influences from the Dead Kennedys, James Brown, George Clinton, Stevie Wonder and one of keyboardist Eric Shecky Mills favorites, Steely Dan.

Steely Dan is a group of intelligent musicians both musically and lyrical while appealing to the masses, he said.

Advertisement

Mills said the energy in Punkinhead’s live show is as important as music when performing.

We try to be entertainers instead of shoe gazers, he said.

American Dreaming, Punkinhead’s second release recorded in 1994, discusses the life and themes in the 1990s.

The album is positive with a dose of reality, Mills said.

Mills said the sound differs from the groups first release, New South Soul, because of the extra guitar sound.

The first album is diverse, touch-and-go, New Orleans-type funk music, he said. The second is more rock than funk.

Mills said aspects that make Punkinhead unique are the lack of a front man. Also, each musician shares responsibility for their band including finance, publicity and lyrics written by Charlie Platt (drummer), Chad Tolten (guitar), and Mills.

Advertisement*

Sometimes our fans take our lyrics too seriously, Mills said. We do not pretend to have answers. We just write how we feel.

When Punkinhead opened for James Brown in 1994 at the Kansas City Spirit Fest, Mills said it was incredible to play in front of 30,000 people on a large stage instead of 30 in a small venue.

It was a magnificent learning experience, he said. We saw how things are run during large productions.

The bands name was the nickname of Platt’s grandfather when he was in World War II.

It is a unpretentious, unassuming name, he said. A name is a name as long as people can remember it.

In addition to playing at the Hanger 9 last November, Punkinhead has played in Atlanta, New Orleans and Memphis. The band performs tonight at the Cubby Bear in Chicago.

Pumkinhead plays two 70-minute sets tomorrow in Carbondale at Pinch Penny Pub, 700 E. Grand Ave. The show begins at 9 p.m. and cover is $3.