SHOW REVIEW: Personal and the Pizzas @ The Funhouse

I’d say Pizzafest 2010 was a success gauging from the enthusiastic turnout on day two of the makeshift 2nd annual event. New Jersey’s Personal and the Pizzas drew wild applause, plenty of shimmying, and at one point even a large piping hot Post Alley Pizza, that had crowd surfed its way to the front and was plopped down on the Funhouse stage. The crowd tore that pepperoni pie to shreds after it was handed back by Personal himself. The mouths of those less fortunate remained agape around me as I ravaged my snagged free slice, but I eventually broke down and treated one particular female vulture to the remainder of my crust. This act was met with pure jubilation and some pretty hilarious freestyle pizza dancing as well.

As for the soundtrack of the evening, Personal and the Pizzas treated everyone to a bunch of newer material-- most of which is present on their just released brand new LP, “Raw Pie”. Not to be confused with the DIY cassette they released last year of the same name-- it’s different for the most part. Going with the theme, "Pepperoni Eyes" and "Pizza Army" were the definite winners of their set.

The bill also featured goofy garage rockers, the Slippery Slopes, who at one point had to resort to borrowing an out of tune replacement guitar for what some (Palmer Sather) might call the worst song of all time-- it was rough that’s for sure. Other than the last minute equipment troubles that nobody really seemed to mind, the Slippery Slopes rocked it out too.

As ridiculous as the premise of a festival devoted to pizza might sound to the casual passerby, Pizzafest is as you would imagine really just about getting a little loose and having a good time in the name of everyone's favorite comfort food-- then of course indulging in the cheesy delight as well. Who can argue with that? Lighten up already? Screw work, relationships, mortgages, pets, oil spills, politics, and whatever. It's good to cram your face, suck down some cheap suds, and rock out with your breadstick out once in awhile man. Though I suppose you'll have to wait 'til next year.