There have always been some musicians who are prepared to push the boundaries of convention and expectation. Today that role falls to the likes of TV On The Radio, The Flaming Lips and of Montreal – but it’s hard to think of any of these bands existing without the influence of The Residents.

If that seems like a grand statement, then look at the evidence. The Residents were using tape loops long before Radiohead decided to get their freak on with Kid A, and they’ve remained anonymous behind capes and giant eyeball helmets for far longer than either Daft Punk or Deadmau5. Combining performance art with experimental music and production values, The Residents have been pushing the boundaries of popular music for over forty years – and all without the help of Susan Sarandon spanking a pig.

While the very nature of The Residents’ musical output has kept them out of the mainstream, they’ve remained as one of the most innovative and bold musical outfits ever to have entered a studio, and their early videos have even been preserved for posterity in the New York Museum of Modern Art’s permanent collection. So are The Residents a rock band, or an extreme work of performance art?

You can decide for yourself when they come to Seattle this March. The Residents will play Neumos on March 18, 2011, and tickets are available now from the Moe Bar or online at eTix, priced $25 plus fees. Expect giant eyeballs, top-class experimental rock… and the unexpected.

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