Watch a punk drag queen rage against evil corporate life in this exclusive video
Chicago-based queer punks Bev Rage & The Drinks deliver a fierce screed against idiotic (mis)management with new song "Permanent Receptionist"
Aux News Rage
Who among us hasn’t suspected our incompetent boss of secretly being a Cenobite-like creature in disguise, trying to suck the life out of us by making our existence as frustrating as possible? That’s the basic premise of the video for “Permanent Receptionist,” the new single from Chicago-based garage-rock outfit Bev Rage & The Drinks, and—not to put too fine a corporate-assault point on it—it kicks ass.
It’s the lead single off of the band’s forthcoming sophomore LP, Exes & Hexes, due out this summer on What’s For Breakfast? Records. And while the band has always taken influences from a number of sources—you can hear elements of everything from Cheap Trick to The Cramps to riot grrl in its sound—this one is a straight-up garage-punk blitzkrieg, with a howling start-stop refrain and shrieking vocals that rail against the daily indignities of contemporary corporate office culture.
“It is interesting to think of the 9-5 office culture pre-pandemic and how there is now a looming fear in many folks who depend on these positions for health insurance and/or live month-to-month as the pandemic rages on,” singer Beverly Rage explains. “Many artists work these jobs, then work on their music or art at night and hope for a little time off to tour, play shows, or just find time to create.”
“I wanted to write a song that explores all of these issues,” she continues, “and the video compliments it to highlight how many of the people in charge at these corporate jobs are barely disguised monsters in suits and ties.” Indeed, the MBA-wielding asshats that tend to run otherwise productive work environments into the ground get their just deserts in the video, produced by New Trash, who has done videos for NNAMDÏ, Sen Morimoto, and many other amazing Chicago artists. It’s the first of six singles and videos the band intends to put out in the lead-up to the release of Exes & Hexes, so keep an eye out for more ferocious rock explosions from the best band you’ll ever hear fronted by a seven-foot-tall drag queen. You can learn more about the group, and see more videos, on its website.
7 Comments
It’s got a beat and you can dance to it.
Not quite the level of commentary or satire I’d expect from a drag queen or any post-secondary punk band but the instrumental was okay.
Ok.
This article feels like it was written by a record company’s PR staff. Random, unexceptional band puts out random, unexceptional video of random, unexceptional song — but somehow it made it as a post for AV Club. The whole article reads like a promotional puff piece.
It’s pretty cool that they let their mom join the band.
Office Space: The Song
This article feels like it was written by a record company’s PR staff. Random, unexceptional band puts out random, unexceptional video of random, unexceptional song — but somehow it made it as a post for AV Club. The whole article reads like a promotional puff piece.