On Saturday I made my way to Permanent Records here in Edmonton to catch a rare instore Chi Pig acoustic performance. Chi Pig (Ken Chinn) is the lead singer of the iconic punk band SNFU. Anyone who has followed his career knows that seeing him perform, one never knows what may happen.
This show on Saturday had a guy on acoustic guitar with Chi singing. The show was dleayed for a bit as they tried to round up a guitar cord for the guitar played. Chi kept the audience entertained though, by walking around the store swilling a beer and talking to people, making off colour jokes and signing autographs.
After finally getting everything set up it was time for Chi Pig's show, which had him doing what felt like acoustic karaoke. Chi had a binder off to the side full of pages of lyrics which he kept going back to as he sang his songs. Chi did some cover songs, one of them a New York Dolls cover "You Can't Put Your Arms Around A Memory", some SNFU songs one of which was the classic "Cannibal Cafe" from the ...And No One Else Wanted To Play album that came out in 1985 as well as the song "Elaine Elaine" from the album "In The Meantime And In Between Time". He also did a new SNFU song from his forth coming album Never Trouble Trouble, Until Trouble Troubles You. The new album should be out later this year on Cruzar Media.
In all honesty Chi makes me uncomftorable, especially in that kind of setting, in a record store with a few dozen people. I'd much rather see him again at a bar with full band and stage. Chi Pig was dropping f-bombs here and there, with his guitar player reminding him that there were a few kids at the show with parents, kids were maybe 7 or eight, that didn't stop him at all though. Chi was also spitting into his hand and slicking his hair back between songs. Grabbing CD's and trying to put them in his pocket and fellow customers pockets, that got some laughs, he also grabbed a CD, not sure who the artist was, but he looked at it laughed then rubbed it all over his ass and throwing it back in to the bin. I thought Chi sounded pretty rough throughout the show, but on the last song of the 45 minute set he did the Nine Inch Nails song "Hurt", made famous by Johnny Cash on one of his last albums. That seemed to have a lot of heart in it. Chi is a really intense guy to be around, when he is singing and not looking in the binder for the words, he comes across as intense and really meaning what he sings. Chi Pig is part comedian, marijuana advocate, singer,lounge singer (a bad one at that),lol, and a full on crusty punk rocker. The man has lived quite the life, it's always good to see that he is still kicking and doing what he wants, a true punk. Good times!!!
I was never a big fan of SNFU during their hey days here in Edmonton in the 80's early 90's, I do have a lot of respect for Chi Pig being a survivor.
T-shirt bought after the show.
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