In 1992, a group of musicians in Pittsburgh, Pa., inspired by Laurie Anderson and Philip Glass, would pack themselves into a van and perform at nightclubs and bars.
“Much of it had a touch of humor, and we certainly wanted to have that in there as we’re from Pittsburgh. So, Pittsburghers are a hardy bunch who like to laugh.”
Back then, Jackie Dempsey, Steve O’Hearn, and the crew of Squonk had no idea that one day they would become international avant-garde performance artists–not until they received their first theatrical commission from City Theater in Pittsburgh to put on “Night of the Living Dead: The Opera.”
“A few years after that we met some producers in Pittsburgh who took us then to Toronto, and then we went to New York," says Dempsey. "We did a run off-Broadway and then we went to Broadway. And then, we started touring internationally. So, it was, you know, kind of a gradual build.”
Today, Dempsey says Squonk performs outdoor shows across the country in places like Providence, Rhode Island and El Paso, Texas. The band has traveled to 36 states so far, making Louisiana their 37th with their debut at the Red River Revel.
“Brouhaha” is this year’s touring show, featuring band members parading around with giant tuba heads that shower streamers and holding tall, bright signs with eyes and ears and a massive, mythical instrument Dempsey calls the Squonkcordian, which gives festival attendees a hands-on experience.
“It’s like an accordion," Dempsey explains. "It’s six bellows that open up and down instead of side-to-side. And, they make sounds, sort of like a foghorn sound, all different tones. And, the audience gets to come up and pull these ropes to open and close the bellows to make the sounds, and so they become a part of the music and the band is playing with everyone.”
Dempsey says the performances are non-narrative and abstract.
“It’s sort of, like addressing all the different senses in a way. So, there’s music going all the way through, no singing. There’s no story, there’s nothing you have to ‘get.’
Dempsey says that the audience only needs to come and listen and maybe participate.
“Turning cranks and spinning wheels and pulling ropes and…”
It’s been more than 30 years since the band was inspired to become performance artists. Dempsey says these years have required a lot of perseverance.
“You can’t name as easily what it is that we’re doing. You know, we’re not making hats, we’re not making cars, we’re creating art and delivering that and sharing that with people," Dempsey notes. “All the work we do year-round… the big payoff is when we get to perform at these events and meet people and see the smiles on their faces and really just share that joy with everybody."
After their Broadway run, Squonk became a non-profit. The band receives grants from supporters, and they get a lot of support from their fans, but Dempsey recognizes that it is going to be getting harder to receive federal grants.
“There are so many…not only arts groups, but there are so many non-profits that help people in so many different ways. And there’s only so much money to go around, and we understand that,” says Dempsey.
The National Endowment of the Arts had their federal funds cut earlier this year. However, Dempsey says that the band has made it through not only the 2008 recession, but also the 2020 pandemic.
“We just keep going. Day-to-day we just, you know, do the best we can.”
Dempsey says that the band plans on putting on a new show in June 2026 called “Joy Machine” at Pittsburgh’s Three Rivers Arts Festival.
“Fingers crossed that we can raise all the money, and we can do it all over again,” she says.
Dempsey says this show will be the most interactive show they’ve done. She says that over time, she’s noticed a shift towards more audience participation in the show.
“People want to be a part of it. They want to be in on the action.”
With Red River Radio News, this is Alaina Atnip.