POST NO. 23: THE RECLUSIVE UNBUNNY

The fact that I've seen Unbunny perform twice in the past three years puts me in exclusive company with: 1) those who have been struck by lightning on more than one occasion; 2) those still alive that witnessed the Cubs win a World Series (in person); 3) those who didn't say "Aaaah" (at least to him or herself) several times while watching March of the Penguins; and 4) Unbunny groupies (some say they exist!). The entire two years or so that singer-songwriter Jarid del Deo -- he that is Unbunny -- lived in Champaign-Urbana, he played the grand total of two shows within city limits. And I was at one of them.

Then, Jarid moved away to New England for a couple years before swinging back through Champaign-Urbana a few weeks ago en route to Seattle, where he now resides (again). On his way through town, he stopped for an in-store appearance at Parasol Mail Order, which also houses Parasol Records and its subsidiary, Hidden Agenda, who had the honor of releasing Unbunny's last album. Snow Tires, released in 2004, ranked No. 28 on my Top 30 Records of '04. Looking back, I placed the album a bit too low on the list. Since 2004 ended, I haven't listened much to The Sadies, the Drive-By Truckers, The Soft Pink Truth, or Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds -- all records that I ranked higher at the time. So, if I could turn back time I would scoot Unbunny up a few notches as it really has had more staying power than some of its peers on that list.

Seeing Jarid a second time "in concert" only affirmed my belief that he's one of the best unheralded singer-songwriters in an army of thousands. Here's what I said about him in my review of Jarid's break-up record, Snow Tires: "Albums borne out of a cathartic need to create can either be stimulating or suffocating for the listener. In this case, Jarid del Deo ... has struck a tiny nerve that's inside us all. It's one that we prefer to pretend is nonexistent but can't help but agitate from time to time when we revisit photos tucked away in shoe boxes or mix tapes long since forgotten. He makes toying with that nerve a point of curiosity that doesn't quite kill the kitten. And with that success, Snow Tires picks up where Elliott Smith left off."

It's no lie. And if you happen to be lucky enough to be able see him do his thing live -- don't miss out! He may sound like a bummer on this album -- Is it possible to sound cheery on a break-up record? -- but in the flesh he's anything but. Check out the following tune, and purchase the record at Parasol Mail Order for the bargain price of $10. (His previous record, Black Strawberries, is also quite good!)

Unbunny - "Casserole"

Unbunny lives at this address on the web.