Artis the Spoonman
Encyclopedia
Artis the Spoonman is an American street performer
from Seattle, Washington, who uses spoons as a musical instrument
.
He frequents the Pike Place Market
accompanying singer/songwriter and guitarist Jim Page
with his collection of spoons of different shapes and sizes and materials spread out on a blanket. To the larger public, he is probably best known for his collaborations with Soundgarden
and Frank Zappa
.
in Eugene, Oregon
, and at New York's Palladium, in 1981.
focused on him and his artistic rejection of material values. His song "Wake Up Call" opened the 1994 compilation Northwest Post-Grunge
.
In the same year, he recorded "Spoonman
" with Soundgarden
, a song named for and featuring Artis. He played the spoons in the song and appeared in the music video. On their 1994 tour, he opened up for the band in New York City. The single charted at number three on the US Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and at number nine on the US Modern Rock Tracks chart. The song also became a top twenty hit on the UK Singles Chart
. In 1995, the song won the Grammy Award
for Best Metal Performance.
Chris Cornell
commented:
On November 10, 1995, he released an album titled Entertain the Entertainers.
The album was rated four and a half stars out of five by Allmusic.com who called his release "an exceptional album showing off a very good range for an artist that would otherwise be known more for the gimmick of his chosen instruments, regardless of his abilities on them."
Artis has performed at many festivals, mostly in Canada and the United States. Other bands he has played with include Aerosmith
and Phish
, and he has been a featured performer at Seattle's Bumbershoot
Festival and the Oregon Country Fair
.
Artis has made television appearances on the BBC
and Late Night with David Letterman
, among others. He plays an old man in the 1995 film Toast With The Gods. He suffered a heart attack in 2002, and a benefit was organized for him in Seattle.
Busking
Street performance or busking is the practice of performing in public places, for gratuities, which are generally in the form of money and edibles...
from Seattle, Washington, who uses spoons as a musical instrument
Spoon (musical instrument)
Spoons can be played as a makeshift percussion instrument, or more specifically, an idiophone related to the castanets. "Playing the spoons" originated in Ireland as "playing the bones," in which the convex sides of a pair of sheep rib bones were rattled in the same way.- Techniques :# A pair of...
.
He frequents the Pike Place Market
Pike Place Market
Pike Place Market is a public market overlooking the Elliott Bay waterfront in Seattle, Washington, United States. The Market opened August 17, 1907, and is one of the oldest continually operated public farmers' markets in the United States. It is a place of business for many small farmers,...
accompanying singer/songwriter and guitarist Jim Page
Jim Page
Jim Page born in 1949, is a folk singer-songwriter and social activist.-Early life:Page was born in Palo Alto, California in 1949 and moved to Seattle in 1971.-Music career and activism:...
with his collection of spoons of different shapes and sizes and materials spread out on a blanket. To the larger public, he is probably best known for his collaborations with Soundgarden
Soundgarden
Soundgarden is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington in 1984 by singer Chris Cornell, lead guitarist Kim Thayil, and bassist Hiro Yamamoto...
and Frank Zappa
Frank Zappa
Frank Vincent Zappa was an American composer, singer-songwriter, electric guitarist, record producer and film director. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa wrote rock, jazz, orchestral and musique concrète works. He also directed feature-length films and music videos, and designed...
.
1970s & 1980s
Artis had been active since 1972 as a street artist when he had his first collaboration with a major artist, appearing on stage with Frank ZappaFrank Zappa
Frank Vincent Zappa was an American composer, singer-songwriter, electric guitarist, record producer and film director. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa wrote rock, jazz, orchestral and musique concrète works. He also directed feature-length films and music videos, and designed...
in Eugene, Oregon
Eugene, Oregon
Eugene is the second largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and the seat of Lane County. It is located at the south end of the Willamette Valley, at the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about east of the Oregon Coast.As of the 2010 U.S...
, and at New York's Palladium, in 1981.
1990s and later--collaboration with Soundgarden
In 1994, an NPR's Morning EditionMorning Edition
Morning Edition is an American radio news program produced and distributed by National Public Radio . It airs weekday mornings and runs for two hours, and many stations repeat one or both hours. The show feeds live from 05:00 to 09:00 ET, with feeds and updates as required until noon...
focused on him and his artistic rejection of material values. His song "Wake Up Call" opened the 1994 compilation Northwest Post-Grunge
Northwest Post-Grunge
Northwest Post-Grunge is a 1994 Elemental Records compilation.-Track listing:#"Wake Up Call" - Artis the Spoonman#"Sea Song" - Hitting Birth#"Godgun " - Floater#"Oh Well" - Running With Scissors#"I've Always Wanted..." - Dirt Fishermen...
.
In the same year, he recorded "Spoonman
Spoonman
"Spoonman" is a song by the American rock band Soundgarden. Written by frontman Chris Cornell, "Spoonman" was released on February 15, 1994 as the first single from the band's fourth studio album, Superunknown . "Spoonman" is often credited as one of the songs that launched Soundgarden's career...
" with Soundgarden
Soundgarden
Soundgarden is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington in 1984 by singer Chris Cornell, lead guitarist Kim Thayil, and bassist Hiro Yamamoto...
, a song named for and featuring Artis. He played the spoons in the song and appeared in the music video. On their 1994 tour, he opened up for the band in New York City. The single charted at number three on the US Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and at number nine on the US Modern Rock Tracks chart. The song also became a top twenty hit on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
. In 1995, the song won the Grammy Award
Grammy Awards of 1995
The 37th Grammy Awards were presented March 1, 1995. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the previous year.-Award winners:*Record of the Year**Bill Bottrell & Sheryl Crow for "All I Wanna Do"*Album of the Year...
for Best Metal Performance.
Chris Cornell
Chris Cornell
Chris Cornell is an American rock musician best known as the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist for Soundgarden and as the former lead vocalist for Audioslave. He is also known for his numerous solo works and soundtrack contributions since 1998...
commented:
It's more about the paradox of who [Artis] is and what people perceive him as. He's a street musician, but when he's playing on the street, he is given a value and judged completely wrong by someone else. They think he's a street person, or he's doing this because he can't hold down a regular job. They put him a few pegs down on the social ladder because of how they perceive someone who dresses differently. The lyrics express the sentiment that I much more easily identify with someone like Artis than I would watch him play.
On November 10, 1995, he released an album titled Entertain the Entertainers.
The album was rated four and a half stars out of five by Allmusic.com who called his release "an exceptional album showing off a very good range for an artist that would otherwise be known more for the gimmick of his chosen instruments, regardless of his abilities on them."
Artis has performed at many festivals, mostly in Canada and the United States. Other bands he has played with include Aerosmith
Aerosmith
Aerosmith is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as "The Bad Boys from Boston" and "America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based hard rock, has come to also incorporate elements of pop, heavy metal, and rhythm and blues, and has inspired many...
and Phish
Phish
Phish is an American rock band noted for its musical improvisation, extended jams, and exploration of music across genres. Formed at the University of Vermont in 1983 , the band's four members – Trey Anastasio , Mike Gordon , Jon Fishman , and Page McConnell Phish is an American rock band...
, and he has been a featured performer at Seattle's Bumbershoot
Bumbershoot
Bumbershoot is an annual international music and arts festival held in Seattle, Washington. One of North America's largest such festivals, it takes place every Labor Day weekend at the 74-acre Seattle Center, which was built for the 1962 World's Fair. Seattle Center includes indoor theaters,...
Festival and the Oregon Country Fair
Oregon Country Fair
The Oregon Country Fair is an annual three-day fair held in Veneta, Oregon, United States. Located in the Willamette Valley, the site is about west of Eugene along the Long Tom River. Annual attendance is approximately 45,000, and the fair has around 350 booths each year...
.
Artis has made television appearances on the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
and Late Night with David Letterman
Late Night with David Letterman
Late Night with David Letterman is a nightly hour-long comedy talk show on NBC that was created and hosted by David Letterman. It premiered in 1982 as the first incarnation of the Late Night franchise and went off the air in 1993, after Letterman left NBC and moved to Late Show on CBS. Late Night...
, among others. He plays an old man in the 1995 film Toast With The Gods. He suffered a heart attack in 2002, and a benefit was organized for him in Seattle.
External links
- "Spoonman/Performance artist dishes out entertainment", from UW Daily, February 12, 1996
- Artis the Spoonman, Seattle Sinner, April 2005. Preserved on Internet ArchiveInternet ArchiveThe Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It offers permanent storage and access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, music, moving images, and nearly 3 million public domain books. The Internet Archive...
, December 23, 2005. - artis the spoon man, United Mutations. Provides a (partial) bibliography, discography, etc.
- Daily Bleed Calendar