What do 125 volts surging through a fresh pickle have in common with the 1980s/early-'90s alternative rock group, The Pixies? For David Lovering, the former drummer of The Pixies who has been involved with both of the above, the pickle and the band have more in common than one would think.
Lovering says they have both served as outlets for him to do what he loves - entertain. "They seem completely different, but it's the same kind of understanding," Lovering says. "[Entertaining] is something one gives back to an audience."
Over the past 10 years, Lovering's art of performance has evolved from being The Pixies beatmeister to David Lovering the Scientific Phenomenalist, meshing characteristics of Bill Nye the Science Guy and Harry Houdini. More importantly, this is where the charged pickle enters into the equation.
"I flow 125 volts of electricity through a pickle to make it grow instantly in front of the audience," Lovering says smugly. He says the transition from the drummer's chair, which normally rests in the back of the stage action, to solo performance is a distinct adjustment. "Before my first magic show, I was shitting bricks," Lovering says.
His sole paranormal performance, the Science Project, which Lovering concedes has consumed his life, includes such magical standards as levitation and telekinesis, but Lovering says he also incorporates a great deal of old-fashioned science. "I want people to wonder if the act was just science or something more - magic," Lovering says.
For three years, Lovering has toured his scientific magic act as the opening performance for bands like the Breeders. "[The magic performance] is an alternative kind of act to open for a band," Lovering acknowledges. On Friday in Tempe, Lovering will kick off a two-month tour with Frank Black, the former Pixies lead singer and songwriter.
Yes, that's right, The Pixies are again touring [at least, two of them are], just not together, per se. Lovering acknowledges, however, touring with Black will be a pleasant experience, as it has been in the past. "There is an added cushion performing with and for people who know who I am," Lovering says. Also, having Lovering around could serve as a vital insurance policy for Frank Black. "There were a couple of gigs in the past where their drummer fell ill and I was able to take over for a few songs," says Lovering, who hasn't played the drum seriously in years. "That's when I remember what a physical workout playing the drums can be."
For many people the transition from a rock 'n' roll drummer to Mr. Science may seem extreme, but a polite Lovering says that for him it was no big deal. "I've always loved science," he says.
For Lovering, who graduated from Wentworth Institute of Technology in Boston with a degree in electrical engineering, science has always had a grand influence in his life.
"When I left the field of electrical engineering I always told myself that I would go back to it sometime," Lovering says. Although he claims he never officially went back to the discipline, Lovering says a great deal of what he learned in college is evident in his show. For example, the Action Flux Amplifier, a piece of electronics that he built, serves as a significant role in his performance. Although he says the amplifier is his "ultimate brainwork," he wouldn't get into the details of its function. "All I can say is it enhances the power of the meteorite," Lovering says referring to a segment of his act.
Above all, Lovering says this new angle of performance has provided him the opportunity to go back to what he loves about the entertainment business - the traveling that touring offers. "It's definitely a big escape for me," Lovering says. Ultimately, he hopes he can convey that same great escape from life to his audience though the gift of science and magic. "I want people to be able to escape from reality," Lovering says.
For Lovering this is just the beginning of what he trusts to be a successful and magical career, and is now "aiming for a gig in Las Vegas."
Reach the reporter at matthew.garcia3@asu.edu.
David Lovering opens for Frank Black and the Catholics at Nita's Hideaway, southwest corner of Price Road and Southern Avenue, Tempe. 7 p.m. Friday. $15. 480-966-7715. |