Review: KILL THE BAND At FRIGID New York

Kill The Band is half concert and half Off-off Broadway show running at Under St. Mark's as part of the Frigid New York Festival. Revolving around the band (of the same name) the show coincides with the group's first CD release, which is given free with each ticket purchase. The story tells of KTB's struggles with one another, and the aspirations of lead singer Killy Dwyer. Short, sweet, funny, and light, Kill The Band is the perfect addition to Frigid New York.

The Frigid New York Festival was originally founded by Horse Trade and Exit Theatre in 2007. Now, riding the "fringe of winter" once more, Frigid New York returns and is set to run through March 7th. This round will feature over 150 performances from hundreds of theatre artists both local and international. The fest is entirely uncensored, and allows the artists to take home 100% of their box office profits.

That being said, Kill The Band performed to a full house. The audience was responsive and supportive, laughing loudly at lead singer Killy Dwyer's antics and contagious excitement. Dwyer is one big ball of alternative energy, kicking and singing like some sort of vaudevillian diva. Kill The Band mainly follows Dwyer's journey to success...or at least moderate success. She shares her aspirations as a lonely, weird child, and considering the audience, there are more than a few lines of dialogue that strikes a chord from our own weird childhoods. (Dwyer dreams of growing up and playing Fantine and then Eponine in Les Miserables. What geeky theater girl has not had that exact same plan?)

A free CD is given with each ticket and on it are the songs performed during the show. Each tune is a combination of alternative rock and comedy; the lyrics to Kill The Band's songs are hilarious, witty, and intelligent, calling upon topics such as stalking, current events, melodramatic depression, and cloning. With catchy lyrics like "Don't Attack Me With Your Happiness" and "Girl Balls, Girl Balls, Do You Want Tears Or Do You Want Balls?" you can forgive the uneven Under St. Mark's sound system.

The idea of the Frigid New York Festival was originally taken from the Canadian Association of Fringe Festivals in 2006. According to the Frigid website, Horse Trade Theater Group was drawn to CAFF's mission "...to provide all artists, emerging and established, with the opportunity to produce their play no matter the content, form or style and to make the event as affordable and accessible as possible for the members of the community." I believe that this ideal is important to remember when seeing the shows in the festival. Kill The Band is a great way to spend ten dollars and one hour. There's awesome beat-boxing, funny songs, and great comedic moments. Are there flaws? Sure. The show is not all that smooth, the dialogue is not all that convincing, and the story is one we have heard a thousand times before. But the spirit is one that celebrates uniqueness and captures the best parts of the New York fringe music and art scene. In a city where Broadway ticket prices are sky high and concert ticket prices are no better, it is refreshing and important that festivals like Frigid and artists like Killy Dwyer continue to kick and dance and scream their way into off-off-Broadway theaters.

Kill The Band's remaining shows run Tuesday March 2nd @ 7:30pm; Saturday March 6th @ 10pm and Sunday March 7th at 4pm at Under St. Mark's Theater 94 St. Marks St. NYC. Tickets: $10 are available by calling Smarttix at 212-868-4444 or online at www.FRIGIDnewyork.info