Dressed For The Apocalypse by Sexual Buddha

Not these folks, they were more concerned with clean shoes and lint removal..

NOTE:

Sexual Buddha has no problems with the morality present in the base teachings in Christianity, in fact, we rather agree with most of it. We do however have issue with some of the practices.

Who/What is Sexual Buddha

Sexual Buddha is a group of musicians who enjoy playing live. More importantly we are a band that has the ability to change the minds and feelings of those we encounter. We play positive Rock/Funk/Soul music designed to take the party to the next level. Bring an open mind and a willingness to have fun and you’ll have the time of your life. Bring a closed mind and a need to stay miserable and you’ll leave wishing you had an open mind.

But Buddha doesn’t have sex…

It’s true in one type of Buddhism abstinence is taught and practiced but in many sex is practiced and seen as vital to being one with the life that is yours. We celebrate sexual energy as very important if not most important to life and human existence.

Where it all began

Sexual Buddha began in February 1994 at 109 Prentiss Street in Iowa City, Iowa. Attending the University of Iowa, Chad Parsons(guitar) and Mark Arnold (drums/percussion) lived there. Also in school, Rob Levy(vocals) and Tim Flanagan(bass) lived about a block away. Chad, Mark, and Rob all went to George Washington High School in Cedar Rapids where they were active in the arts. They had known each other for years and it was natural that they saw this as an opportunity to get something together. The “band” conversation took place there in the living room and took about 4 hours. There was some philosophical debate and some standoffishness but the four finally decided to play together. Mark had just sold his set for a bunch of Congas so they needed a set drummer. Enter Stu Cruden. From Rockford, Illinois Stu was a Classmate of Chad’s at the university. They got some songs together and their first live performance was at The Texas Steak House in Iowa City(1994). A friend of the bands was running an open mike and wanted them to come in and close the thing out. Rob’s cousin Nathan Derrick stopped by to emcee. The whole thing worked out well and they were able to set up a few more gigs.

Gaining Popularity

Sexual Buddha gained most of its popularity playing house parties (sometimes 3 or 4 a week). When they played at the local bars they always had a following and that made them even more popular with bar owners. The bars seemed to do record alcohol sales when Sexual Buddha was around. In 1995 Sexual Buddha became THE band to call for Gabe’s Oasis in Iowa City.

Summer 1995 Nathan Parsons joined the band as another percussionist. This filled out what is referred to as “The Wall of Percussion”. This strength in rhythm along with Tim’s percussive bass and Chad’s over the top strumming mad it hard for people to not dance. In 1996 “Gunner’s” took on Sexual Buddha as their house band. This continued through 1997. In late 1997 Tim and Stu moved to Chicago to pursue other ambitions. Chad moved there soon after. In 1998 the band took a break for a while.

Louis Parsons

Louis Parsons was the father of Chad and Nathan Parsons and a friend of the bands. Louis died in 1999 in a car accident. This tragedy brought Tim and Chad back to Iowa. Sexual Buddha got together again to play a benefit show for the Parsons family. Stu was not able to make it back to Iowa so Mark started playing drum set for the band. This time that they were together led to Sexual Buddha playing again. Sexual Buddha gained back its popularity and played bars and house parties until 2000.

California and Back

Chad moved to California in 2000 to work. Nathan and Tim moved out there soon after. In the meantime Nate D married Erika Reimer. Chad and Nate P moved back to Iowa in 2003. Erika’s brother Cort was into music and started hanging around Chad, Nate P, and Mark. Mark found a space behind where he worked to set up a practice/recording studio. And they started working on things. Learning more about the recording process than writing songs but this set the stage for the current incarnation of Sexual Buddha.

Sexual Buddha Now

In 2006 Sexual Buddha got together, wrote a few new songs, played some gigs, and recorded the album “Dressed For The Apocalypse”. The band is now more serious about playing then ever. The current line up is: Rob(vocals), Chad(guitar), Tim(bass), Mark(drums), Cort(guitar), and Nate P(percussion).

For Info about band members, go to: www.myspace.com/sexualbuddha or www.sexualbuddha.com

Reviews and comments about the album and Sexual Buddha

Goiowacity.com

A self-described "party band,"Sexual Buddha first formed 13 years ago, and except for a brief hiatus in '98, the group was a steady presence on the local scene from 1994-2001. Various members ventured out into the "real world," but as with most longtime Iowa City denizens, they surrendered to the area's strange, magnetic charms and regrouped here in 2005.

For the most part, the band's first-ever disc opts for an informal, "live"-in-the-studio sound that manages to effectively project the septet's communal, laid-back vibe while adding a little shamanistic, Stooges-inspired shake-down (and, on "Mailman," some hard-edged, blistering blues-rock) to the usual funk, reggae and '60s/'70s Bay Area influences common to the modern jam-based crew on the go.

The group shares writing credits for the music, and if lead vocalist Rob Levy's lyrics speak of one-too-many "smoked breakfasts," he's still a charismatic, shape-shifting force, riding herd over this inclusive, rhythm-driven set dedicated to the celebration of, uh, celebrating.

-- Jim Musser

Guy in local bar:

“…the music is alright, but the singer is like they picked up some homeless guy going on and on. I could only take him for a couple songs…”

-some asshole

Average Customer Review: