“˜Simpsons’ creator proves his music savvy

This June, Los Angeles’ second incarnation of the All
Tomorrow’s Parties festival opens at Royce Hall. Despite not
taking place exclusively ““ or even primarily ““ on
campus, this year’s festival is shaping up to be at least
nearly on par with the past year’s, easily UCLA’s best
arts event of 2002. What makes this year’s L.A. ATP unique is
that for the first time in the history of the festival, which also
goes off annually in New York and England, the curator of the
event, responsible for selecting and inviting the performers, is
not a band or musician. Instead, this year’s curator is Matt
Groening, creator of “The Simpsons” and
“Futurama.”

“What?” you say. “A cartoon guy? Messing with
my rock ‘n’ roll music?” Well, bespectacled indie
nerds everywhere, let me be the first to say, fear not!
Notwithstanding the automatic trust you should place in every
action taken in any context by a creative genius of
Groening’s caliber (the man created “The
Simpsons” for chrissakes), you should probably also know that
he spent years working as a rock critic and has famously hip
musical tastes.

The lineup of this year’s festival, while perhaps not
commanding as much superstar power as last year’s, is still
an impressive assemblage of outstanding musical talent. So we
don’t have Wilco or Aphex Twin, but we’re still gonna
see Wire, and The Fall, and Neko Case and …And You Will Know Us
By the Trail of Dead. The latter is today’s most notorious
live act, as whispers around Austin suggest ““ perhaps not
blasphemously ““ that on stage they could even rival Iggy Pop
circa ’69 at his self-mutilating best.

But can this possibly come as a surprise? Do you even watch
“The Simpsons?” Has any show ever been more noted for
hilarious musical sequences and tres hip guest spots?

No!

Walk with me a little, if you will, down the musical memory lane
of some of the show’s finest moments.

Remember when Mr. Burns stole the Simpsons’ beloved
greyhound puppies?

Remember how much we worried? Of course you do. But think you
well: What was the soothing balm assuaging even little Bart’s
most dire fears? You know how it goes.
“See…my…vest…”

There are more, of course. Apu’s “Who Needs That
Quick-E-Mart?” The rousing number that saved, well almost,
Springfield’s only burlesque house, “We Put the Spring
in Springfield.” And the finest musical number of all: the
head-slappingly brilliant number from “Kickin’ It, a
musical journey through the Betty Ford Center.” That’s
right, “You’re Checking In,” the song whose
acerbic lyrics represent some of the very best writing the show has
ever had. “No more pills, or alcohol, no more pot or Demerol
no more stinkin’ fun at all!” sings the detoxing main
character. Ouch.

The guest spots, too, comprise some of the show’s best
moments. Edna Krabappel stealing the drumsticks from Joey Kramer of
Aerosmith, Spinal Tap’s appearance in Springfield,
Apu’s jam session with Paul and Linda McCartney: classics,
every one.

The crowning musical achievement of “The Simpsons,”
however, was also one of the four best episodes of all time, and
ultimately came to be one of the defining moments of ’90s
popular culture. I’m speaking of course of Hullapalooza.
“The Simpsons'” answer to the alternative
generation featured guest spots by Cyprus Hill, The Smashing
Pumpkins, Sonic Youth and Peter Frampton. It dissected every thing
we love about rock and laid it out on the table, so that we might
see its stupidity, its beauty and its power, and love it even more.
It provided two lines of dialogue that came to sum up the attitude
of an entire generation of angsty teens. “Dude, are you being
sarcastic?” “I don’t even know
anymore.”

For the last 14 years, “The Simpsons” has
consistently been our finest cultural critic. If one man is capable
of creating something of that magnitude, then dammit he can pick
what bands I watch this June any day.