Oingo Boingo Tribute Show Adds ASL Interpreters and New Acts

Announced two weeks ago, the Oingo Boingo tribute band Reptiles and Samurai show at the Oriental extends accessibility to people with hearing loss and adds two amazing local acts to the bill.

Tickets available online: bit.ly/OingoTributeAtTheOriental
$15 GA in advance, $18 at the door, $20+ for reserved seating

"I was diagnosed last summer with Meniere's disease," says Reptiles trombonist and manager David Flomberg, "and for the first time in my life I was concerned about my hearing. Like so many of us, you don't think about things like accessibility until you're impacted yourself, which something I was guilty of." The idea to add ASL interpreters hit him when he saw a friend of his post a status update on Facebook seeking one for a show at City Park Jazz.

"I poked around online and stumbled onto FLOW Performance Sign Language Interpreters, thanks to an interview they did with 303 Magazine in 2016. They handle most of the big shows, but you rarely see an interpreter at a smaller theater show. I figured this would be a great way to make the event something more inclusive for the Denver community. Even better, when I talked to FLOW manager Amber Whelan, she worked a great deal to make this affordable for us.

"It takes a unique skill set to be a musical ASL interpreter," Whelan said. "You have to have someone with passion for the music itself, on top of just being a great signer. I loved the idea of extending accessibility into more of a club venue. We want to make sure access is provided to a Deaf and Hard of Hearing audience in large and intimate venues, with open access hopefully being something more widespread in the future!"

And ASL interpreters aren't the only additions to this exciting "Back To School" themed show. Electric Violinist Gracie G'night and her watusi-dancing Go-Go Delights open the evening, and then the much-beloved local funktet, The Fabulous Boogienauts storm the stage for a set, with Oingo Boingo tribute act Reptiles and Samurai closing out the evening.

"We're so excited to play this one," says trumpeter and Fabulous Boogienauts manager Keith Rouse. "We LOVE Oingo Boingo. And we're friends with a lot of the guys in Reptiles - and we're really excited about the idea of increased accessibility for our act. Hopefully we'll find a new batch of fans in the deaf community!"

In addition to all of that is a multimedia element for this show with Vee-Jay John Heenan, who'll be 'scratching' video clips of movies like Back to School and Weird Science and other Oingo Boingo videos on the big screen at the Oriental.

Reptiles and Samurai includes:

Lead Vox: Aaron Howell (MF Ruckus, White Fudge, Heavy Heavies)

Keys: Chad Aman (Heavy Heavies, Slack, Alpha Schoolmarm Orchestra),

Lead Guitar: Ryan Fiegl (Lost Walks, Brett Sexton band)

Rhythm Guitar, vox: David DeVoe (The New Ben Franklins)

Bass: Chris Harris (Heavy Heavies, Tony Black Summit)

Drums: Dustin Arndt (Tivoli Club Brass Band, Urban Island)

Trombone, vox: David Flomberg (TCBB, ASO, Disco Floyd, Money Plays 8)

Trumpet: Steve Illich (TCBB, Sammy Mayfield Blues Revue, Disco Floyd)

Saxophone: Troy Thill (TCBB, Oxycodone, Lost Dog Ensemble, Bow Shock)

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Photo Credit: Roger Gupta