Tell Me About That Track: Stag’s “The Bedazzler”
The new glam rock tune from a bunch of guys faking Workers’ Comp injuries to get pain meds from Urgent Care
By Gwendolyn Elliott February 13, 2017
In this edition of Tell Me About That Track, we catch up with Ben London of five-piece rock outfit STAG, a group currently promoting its latest 7-inch single, the T-Rex-indebted “The Bedazzler,” through Mike McCready’s HockeyTalkter Records (find it via Pearl Jam’s site here). You can hear them play it live this Friday at Darrell’s Tavern 7th anniversary party.
Name of Band: STAG
Name of Track: “The Bedazzler”
In three sentences or more, tell us the story of the band: This is the true story…of seven strangers…picked to live in a house…and have their lives taped…to find out what happens…when people stop being polite…and start getting real…The Real World. Sorry, that’s the Real World. As for STAG, we’ve all known each other for years, decided to form a band that was based on the scientific question, “What would a can of Rainier sound like plugged into a Marshall Stack?” and have lived with the consequences ever since.
In three sentences or more, tell us the story of the track: The Bedazzler started out of a joke-filled conversation I had with our bass player Pete about the old commercials for “the BeDazzler.” I’m a big ’70s glam fan and started joking around like I was T-Rex’s Marc Bolan saying “I’m the Bedazzler” while doing wizard hand moves. That punch line stuck with me and I sat down a few days later and wrote the song. They lyrics practically wrote themselves. Once we started working it out as a band it got larger and more epic at every turn. Add some horns, some Gary Glitter-esque “Heys!” and a few guitar solos, what do you get? The Bedazzler!
What’s next? We’re headed out to New York City in early February to make a record with one of our favorite producers John Agnello (Dinosaur Jr., Hold Steady, Sonic Youth, Buffalo Tom). We’ll be producing the 2nd Annual Summer Stag Party Aug 5th at Slim’s (that in 2016 featured Big Star’s Jody Stephens), and playing some other shows here and there. For 2017, it’s basically just keeping the pedal to the metal and faking Workers’ Comp injuries to get pain meds from Urgent Care. We have a single release show on February 17th as part of the celebration for Darrell’s Tavern’s 7th anniversary.
Follow Us
Getting Ghosted
Kim Fu’s latest novel turns a rain-soaked Pacific Northwest winter into the backdrop for a story about grief and loneliness.
In their latest novel, Seattle-based author Kim Fu gets one thing right about the Pacific Northwest: the rain. Set during a particularly bleak winter, The Valley of Vengeful Ghosts tells the story of Eleanor Fan, an online therapist grappling with the recent loss of her mother, Lele. After Lele’s passing, Eleanor inherits money to put…
Go See Diné Artist Eric-Paul Riege’s Largest Show to Date at the Henry Art Gallery
With a mix of mediums, ojo|-|ólǫ́ examines questions surrounding the authenticity and ownership of Indigenous work.
It’s a phrase that’s been drilled into most of us since we were young children: When you’re visiting a gallery, please, do not touch the art. In many cases, it’s with good reason: the pieces on display are fragile, one-of-a-kind, or historic works that cannot be reproduced. It’s such an ingrained approach to the museum-going…
Rearview Mirror: Ballet’s Saddest Story, New Art in the Sculpture Park, and a Home-Grown Wine Label Promoting Social Justice
Things I did, saw, ate, learned, or read in the past week (or so).
Circular Thinking I am very lucky to live just a 12-minute walk away from Seattle Art Museum’s Olympic Sculpture Park. It’s a regular destination for my weekly walks and, aside from the world-class art, has one of the city’s best views of Puget Sound. Earlier this week, I went on a wet, windy walk and discovered…
Studio Sessions: Gabriel Stromberg
For his current show at studio e gallery, Gabriel Stromberg explores the challenges of working with clay.
Gabriel Stromberg has been a name about town for nearly two decades. As one of the cofounders of design firm Civilization (where he was the creative director and lead designer from 2008 to 2022), Stromberg worked on many award-winning projects, helped produce the wildly popular and always packed Design Lecture Series, and co-created and moderated…