:: August 13, 2003 ::

The Uke Strikes Back

The entertaining musical burlesque of Ukefink

text Teena Apeles photo S. Dungan

Ukefink

Whoever thought ukuleles would be considered cool in this day and age? Or that Pasadena would’ve spawned the boys who could give the ukulele fan base a boost?

Half a family affair, partly a love for the uke and definitely an obsession with pop icons, local band Ukefink (pronounced yook-fink) has been crafting their unique brand of uke-driven, low-fi rock since 1994. Members Eddy French, Jason Holley, Steve Salardino and brother Dave Salardino have proven to audiences on both coasts—from Eastside hipsters at Spaceland in Silver Lake to New Yorkers at the legendary CBGB—you don’t need fancy electric guitars or mammoth amps to rock.

“The power of the ukulele is no less than the power to save lives,” says Steve Salardino, who was introduced to the uke by French more than a decade ago. An extreme sentiment, but not unusual. Members of popular bands such as Pearl Jam and Everclear are even picking up the fourstringed instrument. “Alternative ukuleleists” is the term for these modern enthusiasts, whose numbers are growing; so much so a documentary was made exploring the movement. Currently touring the country, Rock that Uke, spotlights Ukefink, alongside other uke-playing folks such as the punk duo Pineapple Princess and the local flashback favorite Janet Klein.

Besides ukuleles, the band’s inventory of instruments includes a banjo, national guitar, accordion, jawharp, jaymar piano, slide guitar, mandolin, pump organ, jaw harp, radiotone, melodica cymbals, drums and harmonica, among others. “If the instrument is under $100 and society has kicked it to the curb, somehow it will manage to end up on stage,” says French. And then there’s the unconventional “soundmakers” Ukefink employs, such as the occasional skateboard, saw, cardboard boxes, washboard, spring and string “and anything that goes ding, ding, ding.”

Ask the boys how they would describe the Ukefink experience and you’ll get responses as diverse as their instruments.

“The old answer was porch songs harvested from the ether,” says Steve Salardino. Brother Dave calls their music “homemade,” with less positive words to share from French, who thinks Ukefink is “crummy sound and bad attitude.”

But ask longtime fan Fred Kiko, host of KXLU’s (88.9 FM) “Demolisten,” what he thinks of the band and he’ll simply call them “perfect.” When a friend gave Kiko a Ukefink cassette years ago, he thought the songs were “intelligent, stupid, funny, sad and weird,” which is why he immediately started playing them on his show.

But seeing Ukefink live is the only way to get a true taste of why the band has continued to surprise and delight even the most wary audience member. Kiko’s reaction to his first Ukefink show is typical of first-timers: “I went to see them play . . . and HOLY SHIT they are playing ukuleles and boxes and bells and banjos!”

One show they’ll be sporting shiny black dress shoes, vintage suits, topped off with fedoras playing their string instruments singing about lost love; the next, they’re donning jumpsuits banging on skateboards and saws harmonizing about Jesus’ crucifixion.

But that’s not all. Because they are infamous for taking a long time to set up between songs—since they swap places, instruments and often the lead singer role—down time to keep the audience entertained has taken the form of stand-up comedy, performance art with the assistance of stuffed animals, modest pyrotechnics and gossip. And on one unforgettable occasion, Steve demonstrated how his lanky body could fit through an everyday wire hanger.

Their songs are eclectic in terms of musical styles and vast when it comes to subject matter and lyrical arrangement, as it well should be when you have as many instruments as they do. Their earlier songs include the country-tinged tune, appropriately called “Rodeo,” the Lou Reedesque vocals on “Rag & the Ether” and the celebrity anthem “Leonardo,” all of which were featured on their self-released Heck No CD. And their music has also been included in the Come On Ooji compilation (Brinkman) and two KXLU compilations, Demolisten Volume 2 and Live Volume 3 (No Life Records).

Managing to outlive many of the venues they used to play at—such as the Alligator Lounge in West Los Angeles, the Impala downtown and Pasadena’s Espresso Bar, “a great place that the birth of Ukefink owes something to,” notes Steve—each member has a different reason as to why they’re still together.

Steve compares the Ukefink experience to heroin or great sex. “It’s hard to quit when it feels so good,” he says. Sibling Dave has a simpler take: “I think we all enjoy the music, and the method and style in which we play it.”

Meanwhile, French has two radical takes on Ukefink’s bond: “We all know we’re on to something and we always feel that it is slightly out of reach.” Or, “We’re all too afraid to start our own bands.”