Atom and His Package - Hair: Debatable

Atom and His Package
Hair: Debatable
Hopeless Records
Grade: A

My first full-scale introduction to Atom and his Package came during the ascension of Napster. On a whim, after non-stop talking about Atom and his Package from various sorts, I did the illegal and downloaded "Pumping Iron for Enya." That one song, I still think one of his best, made me a big time fan. One of my crazy friends saw Atom open for someone in NYC in the late nineties and told of this insane guy who is a solo act. After hearing more of Atom's stuff I finally connected the two.

So who is Atom and his Package? Atom is Adam Goren - a self-referencing Jew from Philadelphia who rocks out like closest case rock star. "His Package" is an electro-box that Atom programs in drums, guitars, keys, blips, sounds, etc. He then sings and sometimes plays guitar to the package. Getting the timing right live with one of those things takes some real skill, simply because if you screw up the timing a tiny bit your just fucked. His sound would be best described as quirky comedic electro-punk - not like the Rapture or something over-the-top like that. He mixes that with an underlying allegiance to lame 80s synth pop. His songs all average around two minutes often containing some of the funniest lyrics you have ever heard - though he maintains he is horrible at and hates writing lyrics. This may partially be a function of the song subjects - from a punk rock high school to a girlfriend who only is a head to hanging out with the Ghetto Boys on Halloween. In addition, almost every song as one section that absolutely rocks your balls off. The song maybe marginal then all of a sudden he drops like the best sound on a chorus and it takes off.

Atom has been doing this deal since around 1995 for shits and giggles - or more specifically a way to play and write music without the hassle of having to deal with band members and all the separate issues. In previous endeavors he found himself doing almost everything anyway, so why not go solo. This decision helped add a completely different sound and voice to the punk genre.

Between four full-lengths and assorted other releases on labels like Hopeless and No Idea, he has create quite a large catalog of songs. His best are chronicled on this live CD/DVD of his last show ever in Philadelphia on August 29, 2003 at church that was hot as balls. Why was it his last show? A succinct of saying why it is because of life circumstances. The long way is that his wife is pregnant and he has been diagnosed with diabetes. Hence, he needs to find a steady job with full health coverage. The show was with the similar minded the Zambonis, Excelsior and This Radiant Boy. The twenty-five songs played at this show include almost ever thing you would want him to do from all of his material. This includes such classics as "…the Metric System," the aforementioned "Pumping Iron for Enya," "Mind's Playing Tricks on Me," "What we do on Christmas," "Avenger" and "Punk Rock Academy." I couldn't think of anything else I would have wanted him to do except the "Break Down the Walls" cover where he does the Cookie Monster voice. As is explained in the linear notes, Atom was going to use a digital recorder to record the show, but it failed to work before he went on. So, the sound guy mixed the show on the spot and there is less immediate precision, but it quickly gets good - not that it ever sounds bad. Honestly, and I think this partially due to package knocking out all of the sounds from one central place, this is phenomenal live recording. Also, Atom live vocals strictly mirror the recorded in a very sharp way.

Though the over-an-hour live CD rocks, the full magic comes on the accompanying DVD. Unlike the growing trend to include the most tangential material on an enhanced CD or a short DVD, this is some great stuff. The DVD includes the entire show shot on digital video by like five cameras set up around the stage. But what makes this one of the best recorded live performances is that it is all in the now and the immediate. For instance, often when you watch recorded shows they have these long shots that make the show look so insignificant and boring - which it may be. Here, one of the cameras is set up the on the mic stand which gives a great perspective when Atom is playing guitar and at the stationary mic. It also helps overwhelmingly that Atom gets totally into it and everyone there knows all the little ins and outs of all the songs. Among the few additions or changes that I wished for was that Atom would play some death metal axe riffs on "Me and My Black Metal Friends." The finale "Punk Rock Academy" is something special that instills the requisite chills.

Besides from the extraordinary live recording, the DVD includes a twenty-minute documentary on the pre-last show and what led up do it by Benni Berman. This also includes brief interviews with Atom's wife Jenn Schumow Goren, roommate Brian Sokel and sister Aliza Rabinowitz. There is an older shorter documentary by Katie Akana and some odd 'Philly Music Profile' that is sort of 'who is Atom and his Package.' Though the sound is well off, the DVD also includes Atom doing "Goalie" with the Zambonis and then they bash a piñata of Atom's head. Finally, the video for "Undercover Funny" is included with all the pseudo-Muppets made for free by Keith Scofield. Atom tells the story of how it was made in the linear notes when he went down to NYU to meet Scofield where Atom lip synched the song several times in front of a green screen - which as he denotes accounts for some of the sheer awkwardness. Then Scofield added in all the assuming computer graphics.

At the end of the day, this is a must have for fans, either now or at anytime, of Atom and his Package. The amount of awesomeness is immeasurable and it is hard to think of a day going bye with not watching or listening to it. Yet how long Atom is actually out of the game appears not to be too extensive. He has been playing in a band with some friends called Armalite and continues to pen solo numbers. I would suspect with all that is happening in the world, we will see an emergence of hot new material from Atom and his Package in the next few years.