Bobby Conn, the 11th Plague

The Passover season is here. It seemed a bit chilly and snowy to be doing spring cleaning, but it's been a cold endless winter here on the North Coast. What can you do?

I thought I'd kick it off with probably the oddest Passover song & video I've seen in a while. The video is a segment of the TV show "Chic-A-Go-Go - Chicago's Dance Show for Kids of All Ages," a local access favorite produced and aired in Chicago. I can't tune it in but, if you're in Chicago, you can. It's available on cable channel 19 every Tuesday at 8:30 PM CST and Wednesday at 3:30 PM CST.

They describe the segment like this...

An excerpt from the puppet Sedar special CHIC-A-GO-GO PRESENTS PASSOVER IN PUPPETTOWN (1999). Features Bobby Conn's amazing performance "Passover" (alternate version from album) and features The Goblins, Ratso, plaques, Moses, K-Satt, a sock puppet Rabbi named Rabbi Sachman, and puppetry by Miss Pussycat, and Ralph Syverson

This brings us to Bobby Conn. Conn is an off kilter wild man. I've seen his music described as "glam rock," "progressive rock," and "avant-garde" and seen him compared to David Bowie. This performance of his song Passover is completely over the top. Conn in a kimono in front of a silver curtain with two female models air-guitaring poorly while he wails about the angel of death. Coming on the heels of a puppet show seder only makes it more surreal.

Bobby Conn in "Passover in Puppettown" (Chic-A-Go-Go)