Phoebe Kreutz

Phoebe Kreutz is a singer-songwriter, primarily associated with the anti-folk scene of New York City, but also known for her theater and television work.

Phoebe Kreutz
Phoebe Kreutz on stage portrait
Phoebe Kreutz in 2012
Background information
OriginNew York City
GenresRock, anti-folk
Instrument(s)Vocals, guitar
Years active2003–present
Websitephoebekreutz.com

Kreutz has been performing live since the early 2000s, and has released five independent albums, Pretty. Pretty Stupid., Big Lousy Moon (released July 2, 2007), Bemusement Park (released in 2011), "The Age of Reasonableness" (2012) and "Nightlife Sentence" (2013)[1] On Big Lousy Moon, Julie LaMendola (of fellow Anti-folk group Ching Chong Song) also joined her as a guest musician.[2][3][4]

She has also performed with groups Urban Barnyard and The Phyllis Newman Health Initiative Dancers. Her songwriting was featured on the Disney Channel show Johnny and the Sprites, and in the theater production of Alex Timbers' musical Dance Dance Revolution.[5]

Kreutz has toured extensively in the U.S. and in Europe, sometimes supporting the Canadian band The Burning Hell in spring 2011. She was also invited to perform at the Lawnya Vawnya Art Festival in St. John's, Newfoundland, where the Burning Hell's leader Mathias Kom currently resides. She is also a cult figure in Berlin, Germany, where she repeatedly plays the Fourtrack on Stage concert series and is featured on the Berlin Songs compilation.[6]

A review of her songs called "Awesomer & Awesomer" was produced at the Triad Theater in 2012 and featured Ann Harada, Gwen Hollander, Carey Anderson and Travis Morin. It was directed by Alan Muraoka.[7]

Recently, she has been working on writing a new musical, The Dirty Hippie Jam Band Project .[8][9]

She is also a member of the pizza-themed Velvet Underground parody band The Pizza Underground, featuring Macaulay Culkin and "Two Kazoos" – a band she formed with her husband, Matt Colbourn.[10][11][12]

Critical reception

Kreutz' musical style is often described as "joke-folk", and her songs are often inspired by diverse subjects, such as historical figures ("Oh, Elizabeth I"), literature ("A Bad Feeling About Anna Karenina"), relationships ("Disaster"), and the pitfalls of Rock'n'Roll excess ("The Ballad of Throat Culture"). About her style, the New York Times wrote "Phoebe Kreutz’s chanteusey delivery and comic writing were genuinely funny".[13]

About her Edinburgh, Scotland performance, The Skinny wrote, "Following this buoyant beginning is the kookily cute Phoebe Kreutz and her jovial tales of lesbian cowgirls and Viking wannabes. Adorably quirky, her voice soars over spiky strumming like a countrified Regina Spektor, using craftily contagious songs to woo the heart of the audience."[14]

The Daily Barometer wrote: "Kreutz is a hilarious songstress, demonstrating the broad-base and sense of humor inherent to the genre. Citing Tiny Tim as inspiration, she sings about wanting to be a pirate, falling in love with a Taco Bell worker (specifically Gary) and a less-than faithful boyfriend." [15]

The Stanford Daily wrote: "It has been said that the third member, Phoebe Kreutz, sings like a lovechild of Joan Baez and Weird Al Yankovic. To me, she sounds like a female version of Adam Sandler, only more focused on the quality of her music than that renowned comedian-turned-songwriter. Working well within the Antifolk community, Kreutz also keeps true to her promise to never write about her feelings." [16]

Discography

Albums and EPs
  • Pretty. Pretty Stupid (2003)
  • Big Lousy Moon (2007)
  • Bemusement Park (2011)
  • The Age of Reasonableness (2012)
  • Nightlife Sentence (2013)
  • Leaky Canoe (2021)

Guest appearances
  • African Dance Class (2006) by Don Lennon on the album Radical by Don Lennon[17]
  • Autumn, Winter, Spring (2010) by Boo Hoo on the album Afgahn Hounds[18]

Additional projects

Kreutz worked on the Broadway and Hallway (and off-Broadway) productions of the popular musical Avenue Q until 2007. She mainly worked as Puppet Wrangler, and was responsible for quickly changing the puppets in and out of their wardrobe between scenes.[19][20] She also co-wrote a song (with Michael Patrick Walker) for the cast/company recording, "The Holi-daze", found on the Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS CD, Broadway's Greatest Gifts: Carols for a Cure, Vol. 8. She is also joined by Avenue Q alumni (Gary Adler, Michael Croiter, Mark Hartman, and Jen Barnhart) in the group, The Phyllis Newman Health Initiative Dancers, suitably named after The Phyllis Newman Women's Health Initiative.[21]

Kreutz also contributed the songs "Francine" and "Fairyland" (both inspired by the Kurt Vonnegut, Jr book, Breakfast of Champions) and the song "Straight Edge Kids" to the first Bushwick Book Club compilation.[22]

Kreutz also contributed with Macaulay Culkin cover band, The Pizza Underground, using a pizza box as instrument and supporting vocals.

References
  1. "( Big Lousy Moon > Overview )". allmusic. July 2, 2007. Retrieved September 13, 2010.
  2. "Ching Chong Song Biographies". Chingchongsong.com. Archived from the original on May 27, 2010. Retrieved October 18, 2010.
  3. "Phoebe Kreutz | Caveman, Caveman | the Age of Reasonableness". Archived from the original on December 12, 2013. Retrieved December 9, 2013.
  4. "Tante Pop präsentiert und empfiehlt dringlichst: Phoebe Kreutz".
  5. "Orwellian Dance Dance Revolution Premieres in NYC Dec. 3". Playbill.com. Archived from the original on February 16, 2011. Retrieved September 13, 2010.
  6. "Berlin Songs". Retrieved September 11, 2011.
  7. "Phoebe Kreutz: Awesomer & Awesomer!!! | in New York". Time Out New York.
  8. "The Dirty Hippie Jam Band Project Musical Reading Features Allen, Barnhart, Rosa and Summers". Playbill.com. Archived from the original on March 22, 2010. Retrieved September 13, 2010.
  9. "The Dirty Hippie Jam Band Project – Home". Dirtyhippiemusical.com. Archived from the original on January 29, 2011. Retrieved September 13, 2010.
  10. Beck, Laura (December 8, 2013). "Macaulay Culkin Has a Pizza-Themed Velvet Underground Cover Band". jezebel.com. Retrieved February 23, 2014.
  11. "Roamin' Tourgy Farewell Show: Toby Goodshank, Phoebe Kreutz + guests | Berlin". Archived from the original on December 13, 2013. Retrieved December 9, 2013.
  12. Michaels, Sean (December 9, 2013). "Macaulay Culkin forms pizza-themed Velvet Underground tribute band". guardian.com. Retrieved February 23, 2014.
  13. "How Does It Feel, Antifolkies, to Have a Home, Not Be Unknown?". Archived from the original on January 28, 2023. Retrieved September 13, 2010.
  14. "Queen Monica plus guests @ The Swamp Bar @ Caledonian Backpackers". The Skinny. June 1, 2006. Retrieved September 13, 2010.
  15. "Public Approval Tour brings four NYC Antifolk artists to OSU – Diversions". Media.barometer.orst.edu. Archived from the original on August 16, 2011. Retrieved September 13, 2010.
  16. "Stanford grad Lindsay and her Antifolk set to perform". Stanford Daily. April 1, 2003. Retrieved September 13, 2010.
  17. "Credits of Don Lennon's song "African Dance Class" on Google Play". Retrieved July 22, 2016.
  18. "Credits of Boo Hoo's song "Autumn, Winter, Spring" on Bandcamp". Retrieved July 22, 2016.
  19. Viagas, Robert; Asch, Amy (August 2007). The Playbill Broadway Yearbook – Google Books. ISBN 9781557837325. Retrieved September 13, 2010.
  20. "DIVA TALK: A Chat with Avenue Q's Stephanie D'Abruzzo Plus News of Egan, Holliday and MORE". Playbill.com. Retrieved September 13, 2010.
  21. "phoebekreutz.com". www.phoebekreutz.com.
  22. "VOLUME 1". The Bushwick Book Club. Retrieved September 13, 2010.
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