If you’re even fairly familiar with raunchy comedy, “The Aristocrats,” an ever-evolving running joke so dirty that comics used to only tell it to each other behind closed doors, probably rings a bell. The jape varies in length, vulgarity, structure, plot and tone, depending on whichever comedian is telling their version of it. But baked into the joke are, unwaveringly, graphic scenes of a family engaging in scatological, sordid and smutty behavior during an audition in a misguided effort to win over an agent to book their stage act. And the punch line always remains the same, with the family revealing at the end of the audition that their stage name is “The Aristocrats.”
Continue readingArchive for the Jesus Lizard
Did David Yow Tell His Version of ‘The Aristocrats’ on The Jesus Lizard’s ‘Lady Shoes’?
Posted in Comedy, Essays with tags David Yow, The Aristocrats, the Jesus Lizard on 09/05/2025 by Kurt OrzeckThe Jesus Lizard’s 103 Songs, Ranked From the G.O.A.T. to the … Just Don’t
Posted in Lists, Reviews with tags David Wm. Sims, David Yow, Duane Denison, Mac McNeilly, the Jesus Lizard on 07/27/2025 by Kurt OrzeckBecause I said so. Order never subject to change.
1. “Gladiator”
2. “Destroy Before Reading”
3. “Monkey Trick”
4. “Boilermaker”
5. “Dancing Naked Ladies”
Continue readingDavid Yow Gets a Droplet of Good News Amid L.A.’s Fire Hellscape
Posted in News with tags David Yow, the Jesus Lizard on 01/26/2025 by Kurt OrzeckAfter one of the worst weeks in American history, The Bad Penny just learned a smidgen of good news that may boost your spirits as much as it did ours: Jesus Lizard frontman David Yow, who resides in one the areas hardest-hit by the Southern California fires, did not lose his home.
Someone make this guy a boilermaker.
CONSPIRACY REVEALED: Tool’s Maynard James Keenan And David Yow Are Lizard People!
Posted in Comedy, Esoterica with tags conspiracy, David Yow, Maynard James Keenan, the Jesus Lizard, Tool on 11/27/2024 by Kurt Orzeck

Hate to say we told you so, but a few years after an anonymous leaker from the Biden Crime Family provided Extra-Super-Top-Secret Classified Files to The Bad Penny, we can now officially confirm that the Deep State Documents are completely True and prove that two famous rock musicians (Hollywood Elites, of course) are indeed among the 47 million Lizard People living among us in the United States (which is a “garbage bin,” by the way). We call it “The Maynard/Yow Connection.”
Continue readingThe Jesus Lizard: A Racket of a Resurrection (Extended Version)
Posted in Interviews with tags blues, David Yow, Duane Denison, music, News, rock, the Jesus Lizard on 10/10/2024 by Kurt OrzeckIt was a privilege to be able to write a lengthy feature for FLOOD on The Jesus Lizard, one of my top three favorite bands of all time, and for vocalist David Yow and guitarist Duane Denison to speak extensively with me about their reunion(s), wild moments from yesteryear and their new album, Rack. Due to space constraints, FLOOD published an abridged version of the feature that ran roughly 2,000 words. Because The Bad Penny isn’t bound by such limitations, we’re bringing you the “extended and unreleased” version, which runs almost 900 words longer. Enjoy.
Continue readingThe David Yow Interview To End All David Yow Interviews
Posted in Interviews with tags David Yow, the Jesus Lizard on 06/17/2024 by Kurt OrzeckExpect to hear a lot about the Jesus Lizard in the coming months, during which the underground rock legends will release their first studio album in 26 years and play a smattering of shows in support of it. But regardless of what articles get published about the band and its immortal frontman, David Yow, you won’t get to know him any better than in this 6,178-word, up-close-and-personal feature just published on New Noise.
From designing billboards for Frozen and Garfield: The Movie to terrifying a hotel room service worker on accident to witnessing a horrific disease claim the life of his mother to briefly meeting Queens of the Stone Age’s Josh Homme to throwing a Led Zeppelin-themed party to resisting Jesus Lizard reunion gigs to getting torn to shreds by his cat to turning the sound of his garage door into a song to breaking his nose on New Year’s Eve to linking up with David Lynch, Yow truly tells all like he never did before—and probably never will again.
Looking Back: Steve Albini, David Yow, Rob Crow Chat About Touch and Go’s 25th Anniversary
Posted in Concert Reviews, Reviews with tags Big Black, Calexico, David Yow, Man ... or Astro-man?, Monorchid, Pinback, Rob Crow, Scratch Acid, Steve Albini, the Jesus Lizard, Touch and Go, Yeah Yeah Yeahs on 02/20/2023 by Kurt OrzeckNow here’s a blast from the past. A blast from the past from the past, actually.
Touch and Go Records 4 eva.
Before Fall Out Boy, before the Academy Is … — hell, even before the Smashing Pumpkins — there was Touch and Go Records. Like those bands, the trailblazing record label’s reach has extended far beyond its Chicago base of operations, but come September, it’ll be enshrining its 25 years of influence with a massive anniversary gala designed to dazzle indie rock’s shrewdest scholars.
Scratch Acid, Big Black, Man … or Astro-man?, Killdozer — while they’re not exactly household names, the underground goons that shattered eardrums and tore punk rock a new one decades ago will be wreaking havoc once again in commemoration of the label that sustained them. Think of it as “A Mighty Wind” for the indie-rock masses.
Continue readingAll Souls Frontman Reflects on New LP, Tool Tour, LAPD Run-Ins
Posted in Interviews with tags Alain Johannes, All Souls, Fatso Jetson, the Jesus Lizard, Tool, Totimoshi on 02/12/2023 by Kurt OrzeckIf you’re a fan of Totimoshi, desert rock, Tool, alt-rock, Queens of the Stone Age, Fatso Jetson, Alain Johannes, the Jesus Lizard or indie rock in general, you need to familiarize yourself with All Souls. My wide-ranging conversation with frontman and all-around-good-guy Antonio Aguilar is up on New Noise‘s website. Don’t miss it.
Spencer Moody On Murder City Devils’ Breakup: ‘Everyone Was Ready For A Change’
Posted in Interviews with tags Big Business, Dead Low Tide, Enemymine, godheadSilo, Melvins, Murder City Devils, Rabbit Ears, Smoke and Smoke, Sparta, Spencer Moody, the Jesus Lizard, the John & Spencer Booze Explosion, Triumph of Lethargy Skinned Alive to Death on 02/03/2010 by Kurt OrzeckAfter unearthing an ultra-hard-to-find interview with Dead Meadow yesterday, today it seemed fitting to trudge up an even rarer one with Dead Low Tide. This piece is so obscure, in fact, that only two eyeballs have seen it thus far: Shortly before it was due to run, Dead Low Tide bit the dust, and the article was scrapped. Continue reading
Mike Patton And Duane Denison Talk Tomahawk ‘Downtime’
Posted in Interviews with tags Cows, Duane Denison, Faith No More, Fantômas, Hank Williams III, Lovage, Maldoror, Melvins, Mike Patton, Mott the Hoople, Mr. Bungle, Peeping Tom, Roxy Music, the Jesus Lizard, Tomahawk on 01/27/2010 by Kurt OrzeckIn light of the 1999 Duane Denison interview and Jesus Lizard trivia labyrinth that have recently been posted in these parts, here’s another vintage conversation with the guitarist, along with Tomahawk bandmate Mike Patton. Continue reading

















