Dr. Steel is not properly Farrago-style weird. But he’s close.
He’s definitely odd, energetic and entertaining, and his steampunk fascism infused with Buckethead-style faux innocence is a product of clear influences, mixed to be eminently watchable and engaging. If Pee Wee Herman had aspirations for world domination after spending six months in Guantanamo being sleep deprived via toy commercials and KMFDM, the personality that resulted from the schizoid embolism might be Dr. Steel.
Dr. Steel is also a fine example of successful independent marketing. While I suppose I’m obliged to resist marketing and the commodification of art, the blitzkrieg of DVDs Dr. Steel slathered over Dallas’ anime-themed, ubernerd fest Project A-kon worked on me. I thought I was picking up a how-to guide from an indie gaming company; instead the disc, in its recycled Blockbuster case, contains Dr. Steel “propaganda” and most of a live show.
A Google search reveals that he’s been around since 1999, and it also highlights an entertaining bit of opportunistic PR, illustrating a very successful use of the Web to get a message out – even an irresponsible one, in which your fans mobilize against Joss Whedon for creating a character that looks like your already derivative character. They got picked up on Wired for their tomfoolery, so as long as you’re willing to leave ethics behind, you can see the tremendous possibilities that Web 2.0 brings to independent, underground artists.
The live show features anti-corporate puppets, nurse go-go dancers, and more steampunk imagery than you can pass through a pneumatic tube. Dr. Steel lays his schtick on thick, reminding us often of his plans to turn the world into a utopian playland through music and “Land of the Lost” references, or something. The variety of instrumentation is nice, but while he’s competent on all, he doesn’t really shred the accordion, and it’s clearly just there for the rubes to say “lol accordion.”
Is he underground? Enough that he lacks a Wikipedia entry, but shows up on Uncylcopedia and Encyclopedia Dramatica. So if he has worked himself into the Dadaist mindspace of Anonymous without meeting the significance requirements of Wikipedia editors, then …
Still, Dr. Steel is a pleasant, creative diversion, asking listeners to adopt a fictional reality before accessing the music, and the look is top notch. He’s on the mainstream edge of the fringe that is our interest here, and worth checking out.
