Listen Up: The Barbaras

The Barbaras (from left) Stephen Pope, Billie Hayes, Bennett Foster, Will McElroy and Alex Gates, bring an unconventional presence to the stage.Michael DonahueThe Commercial Appeal

You might have seen The Barbaras perform in their pajamas. Or bathing suits. Maybe one of them was dressed up as Santa, or ice cream.

"We don't want to be shocking or anything like that, but we also don't want to be boring visually," said guitarist/keyboardist Will McElroy, 22.

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The Barbaras (from left) Stephen Pope, Billie Hayes, Bennett Foster, Will McElroy and Alex Gates, bring an unconventional presence to the stage.Michael DonahueThe Commercial Appeal

The Barbaras -- guitarist/singer Bennett Foster, 23; guitarist/singer Alex Gates, 22; singer/drummer Billie Hayes, 23; and bass player Stephen Pope, 23 -- performed Saturday at Gonerfest.

"We've had different themes for our shows," McElroy said. "Like 'Christmas Show.' Or we had a bedtime theme show where we had a bed on stage and pajamas."

They usually come up with a theme an hour or so before a show. "Do all the makeup and costumes and race to the show," Pope said. "Holidays are really good for The Barbaras because we don't have to think of a theme."

Once you see a particular show by The Barbaras, that's it. "They're ephemeral and they never repeat," Foster said.

Their music has evolved into bubble-gum punk, Pope said.

"We're not trying to be a retro band, but it is pretty bubble-gum," McElroy said.

"Devour the Jungle Deer" was recorded on a cheap tape recorder. "I think it was about how scared I felt all the time in high school," said Hayes, who writes most of their lyrics. "I still feel really scared all the time. Most of my songs are about fear of ghosts and fear of paranormal aliens. I'm scared of dogs. I'm scared of werewolves. I'm scared of Frankenstein."

Last year, The Barbaras, recorded a 45-rpm single, "Summertime Road," on the Goner Records label. "I like their blend of psychedelia and psychoticness," said Zac Ives, Goner co-owner.

The band is working on a full-length album to be released in spring on In the Red Records of Los Angeles.

The Barbaras wouldn't reveal much about their Gonerfest show. "We're maybe challenging people to pull off their own high jinks this year," Foster said. "Oftentimes they will do that and we won't know what's going to happen. Then all of a sudden there's a coffin on stage and two ushers in tuxedos. While we're playing."

-- Michael Donahue: 529-2797

The Barbaras play at 5 p.m Sept 27 at Murphy's, 1589 Madison. Cover is $10. To go to the group's MySpace page, click here.

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