This Sunday at the Tonic Lounge there is going to be quite an interesting collective that includes some of Portland’s more unique musicians. The main event of the night is the celebration of the release of “Happy Halloween,” a seven-inch record by the highly touted psychedelic rock scientists The Boo Jays. Mainly serving as the vehicle for the inspirational Naveed ‘Cinco Sanders’ Mir, along with his controversial backstory and his visionary creations, The Boo Jays dip into the experimental realm of its horror-like tones in a way that will surely get the attention of your inner ghost.
The musical maverick Mir is accompanied by fellow musicians Kyle Freeman (bass), Jose De Lara (organ) and Geoff Schlemm (drums). “Happy Halloween” will be the band’s official debut, directly in response to their notable welcome in the public presence their music has already conjured up, which is heavily accredited to their online presence.
However, Mir is not only infiltrating the unspoken boundaries keeping similar musical facades (i.e. Christmas music, theme songs and commercial tunes) from dominating airwaves, but the creative ace is also producing their highly entertaining music videos that are quite imaginative. You can check out most of the videos on the group’s website, www.theboojays.com.
According to their feedback from my initial inquiry about the group’s bio, the quartet’s unique appeal runs even deeper than their music. The Boo Jays started as a recording project for Mir upon entering the second phase of his life; this life-changing event became known only following the songwriter’s traumatic injury endured while living overseas in his hometown of Karachi, Pakistan. Previously, Mir was a Pakistani railroad construction foreman, remembered as a local legend for surviving an accident in which a large iron rod was driven completely through his head, destroying much of his brain’s left frontal lobe. His friends and family attest to the injury’s effects on his personality and behavior by claiming that they had witnessed an entirely new person emerge following his gruesome accident.
Previously unskilled in the arts, and at times claiming to be recklessly disdainful towards them, Mir was suddenly taking his previously unfounded interest in expression through the arts and harboring new interests in articulating himself musically. Teaching himself to play drums, piano and most stringed instruments, he claimed to have acquired a new talented perspective and at a speed that most people would only claim to be truly unbelievable. Mir first moved to the U.S. in 2009 as an act of escaping his home country, seeking only to land somewhere where he would be able to utilize his uniquely acquired abilities to their full potential.
That said, the Boo Jays bring an entirely new perspective into the popular holiday Halloween, demonstrating that the American tradition is not just a day, but also proves to be an altered state of mind. The colorful music palette that Mir displays with his sound holds the familiar feelings of evoking a chilling and eerie new kind of sound, linking two dimensions that few have tried to express. Citing Bobby Picket’s famous tune “Monster Mash” as a key influence, Mir and his scary surf-style renditions will surely get your attention, and hopefully haunt you for many weeks to come.
Even though the timing might seem a bit off, be sure to check out The Boo Jays at their release party this Sunday at the Tonic Lounge. They’ll also be accompanied by other groups such as Nuclear Animals, Swamp Buck and a very special guest. ?