Causey says so

By GINA VIVINETTO, Times Pop Music Critic

© St. Petersburg Times, published July 14, 2000

Feeling spiritually bereft? The Causey Way, from Gainesville, may be able to help. Though its bumper sticker claims "The Causey Way is not a cult," it's hard to ignore fans' fervor for the man known simply as Causey, the band's leader, a David Koresh lookalike who plays guitar and sings his own praises.

Dressed in white attire, the band's six members play energetic dance punk that hints of Devo and the B-52's. A gig, er, "service" finds Causey followers swept away by his message, a dogma Causey has difficulty detailing. But in his lyrics, he boasts with ease:

"There's only one thing with more power than me: electricity!"

After the service, rush to the booth to fill out the Causey Way's strident "membership application," including a $1.99 processing fee. Perhaps sign up to live on the compound the band has been building in an undisclosed rural Florida location.

Even the famous see Causey's light: Check out guitarist Reign Causey, better known as Hollywood actor (and Gainesville resident) Rain Phoenix, sister of Joaquin and the late River. Her onstage chores include flipping the band's "hymnal," which announces each new tune to the congregation.

The Causey Way performs with Mooney Suzuki at 9 tonight at Club More, 703 Franklin St., Clearwater. (727) 466-6673. Admission is $7 at the door.

Other music events worth investigating:

MOVIES THAT MOVE: 8 p.m. Monday . The Globe Coffeehouse, 532 First Ave. N, St. Petersburg. (727) 381-4894. Admission is $5.

The Movies That Move film series, organized by WMNF DJ and girl-about-town Margaret Murray, is trying something new by bringing in instrumental band Jon Todd from Jacksonville to play a live musical score to the 1919 German expressionist silent horror flick The Cabinet Of Dr. Caligari. Jon Todd, a trio, plays experimental rock with no vocals, inspired by avant-gardists like Sonic Youth, Fred Frith and Arto Lindsay, as well as old school punks such as the Minutemen.

BOGUS POMP: 8 tonight. Skipper's Smokehouse, 910 Skipper Road, Tampa. (813) 977-6474. Admission is $10.

Bogus Pomp, a 10-piece Frank Zappa repertory band featuring regular and upright bass, marimba, trumpet, saxophone, trombone, flute and an organ, performs Zappa's experimental compositions with love and inventiveness. Bogus Pomp play songs such as Lumpy Gravy Theme, I'm the Slime and Take Your Clothes Off When You Dance. Fiddle virtuoso Dan Campbell joins the band for this gig.

Iratowns opens the show.

YELLOWMAN: 8 p.m. Wednesday. Skipper's Smokehouse (see above). Tickets are $12 through Ticketmaster, $15 at the door.

International reggae dance hall ambassador Yellowman was institutionalized as a child because he's an albino. He went on to become famous in the 1980s with lyrics that were funny or crude, depending on your point of view. He's enjoying a resurgence now, with the bawdiness toned down, though some may still remember him as "Mr. Sexy."

Brother's Intent opens the shows.

TEAM POP TRIVIA: The winner of last week's random drawing for the tantalizing St. Petersburg Times T-shirt is Brad Argyros from Largo. Argyros knew it was the Jimi Hendrix Experience that tried opening for the Monkees on tour in 1967. Hendrix and the gang were so frostily received by the Monkees teeny-boppin' fans, they opted to ditch the tour.

THIS WEEK'S QUESTION: To get your name in the random drawing for the hot rocking Times T-shirt, tell me what socially conscious singer, whose birthday is today, had the slogan, "This machine kills fascists" written across his guitar.

Fax entries to Team Pop Trivia, (727) 892-2327, send e-mail to gina@sptimes.com or send your entry in an envelope as our ancestors used to: Team Pop Trivia, c/o Weekend, St. Petersburg Times, P.O. Box 1121, St. Petersburg, FL 33713. All mailed entries must be postmarked by Saturday (the day after we ask the question). Faxes and e-mail can come as late as Monday morning. Please include your full name and phone number.