THE HISTORY OF DR. BIZARRO &
THE INTERNATIONAL BROTHERHOOD OF BIZARROS (I.B.O.B.)
If you've made it this far into the website, you're either just curious, or you remember that Bizarro guy and the band that became a legend in a time and a place where the world really needed one.
Dr. Bizarro & The Disgustos had their humble beginnings as a relatively unknown theatrical rock band that became known in the custom vanner community back in the 1970's. They came to some notoriety for performing wild music and on-stage stunts during The Mid West Vans Truck-Ins. They played tunes by Frank Zappa during a time when NOONE would DARE attempt that and expect to be taken seriously as a band.
They also covered selections by such groups as The Bonzo Dog Band, The Fugs, Flo & Eddie and Captain Beefheart. Occasionally, Dr. Bizarro would combine original compositions with other cover songs to create a mind-numbing mash-up soundtrack of music that melded with the overall outdoor festivities. Sometimes, the band would get people from the audience to recite at random poetry, wear strange costumes, or dance naked on stage while the band did an avante garde styled instrumental, much to the delight of the already cannabis-saturated audience.
The climax of their illustrious career as a band that never got paid in anything except sloppy joes, beer and cannabis was when they performed for MIDWEST VANS Truck-In Festival in 1977 at a campground in Monticello, Indiana called ANDYS HIDEAWAY that the vanners affectionately called "SLEEZE LAKE".
It was at this particular show they entered into the history books of independent music playing at one of the largest outdoor events of the time. Not content to merely have a typical truck-in, the members of Midwest Vans (MVL) decided to hand-build and fashion a complete town called “MELLOWDONIA” out of waste wood and various piles of miscellaneous debris.
The town included a jail, wooden sidewalks, a walk-in bar and entertainment venue, and various other structures for the amusement and delight of all in attendance. After 3 days of partying in the mud, the beer and the music, the climax of the event was marked by MVL burning the entire town down to ashes in a glorious flaming heap while music played on to mark the final moments.
The SLEEZE LAKE event garnered the attention of ROLLING STONE magazine, after which the entire story was published in the magazine, (INVASION OF THE IGNOROIDS) complete with pictures and interviews of the various van club members.
The event also marked the official crowning of a membership club within the vanner organization known as I.B.O.B. or the International Brotherhood Of Bizarros. At one point, it was rumored to have as many as over ten thousand members in the US, Canada and even England.
(JOE MADONIAS' MUSEUM OF VANNING - HUDSON, FLORIDA)
From the beginnings of a single watershed moment in time till the present day, Dr. Bizarro & The Disgustos have taken their place among fans of the underground indie music community to hail them as "Not Just Another Zappa Copy Band", but true originals that contributed real music for real people.
To this day, Dr.Bizarro, (the musical alter ego of Robert Kramer) continues to produce & release Bizarro/Disgustos albums based on the original band line-up. His recent efforts have included a complete re-working of catalog material from over 45 years using A.I. now available for download.
