On this new blog trend of comparing people to UCLAradio staff, Joseph Arthur pretty much looks like a combination of DJ Octoon - your trusty marketing director - and Nicolas Cage. interesting, huh? Much more bizarre, however, was his show last night at the El Rey. His newest album is entitled Nuclear Daydream and that might just be the perfect way to describe the oddity of a show that occured last night. You need some examples?

Well, to begin with, the show began with an extremely lengthy speech about how our auras were going to be magnified tenfold and some extraterrestrial babble over the loudspeaker while the curtains were still closed. A few songs in, Arthur grabs a pole with maybe seven or eight rolls of toilet paper on it and a LEAF BLOWER and uses the compressed air to unwind each roll into the audience!

Oh, I can't let myself forget to mention his aversion to shirts. He's all about the funky colored suits and chest hair. You listen to his music and you think, 'hmmm, nice singer-songwriter stuff." Then you go see him live and there is such a disconnect. All I could think is "what is happening?" And yet, I enjoyed it - tremendously.  He closed with a rollicking cover of The Rolling Stones' Miss You that had me strutting around all day today still.

Stream the whole new album here, but don't expect him to be tame; he was the epitome of theatrics. You might, however, clock in on the side that has Wikipedia explaining that "on his fall 2006 tour, Arthur has incorporated a full band, which has been met with largely unfavorable reviews." The best show musically? No. But for sure a true show. And, you know, sometimes I prefer that.

- Laura