Press Kit: Blurbs & Bios for Promotional Use
Quick Blurbs (for Program Books and Pocket Programs)
- He's here! The silliest man in filk, with yet another barrage of godawful puns, wicked folk-rock, and more fun than should probably be legal.
- If you know his stuff, you know you have to be there. If you don't, or if you think you don't like filk... trust us. As good a time as you will ever have at a con, or at a concert.
- If you do nothing else this weekend, catch Tom's concert. High energy, low comedy, and amazing fun.
Brief (for Program Books and Promotional Flyers)
- The only recording artist to appear on both NPR's Sound and Spirit and The Dr. Demento Show, Tom Smith combines high-energy folk rock, SF/fantasy, popular culture, progressive politics, cartoon voices, unbelievably bad puns, and the occasional recipe into a show you will never forget.
- Tom Smith is NOT your ordinary filker, or even your ordinary comedy musician. With the lyrical complexity of Ashman and Sondheim, the vocal fireworks of Meat Loaf, the comedic timing of Robin Williams, and the dynamic physique of the Skipper from Gilligan's Island, the only thing he won't do is be boring. No one alive combines the musical chops, the bizarre yet somehow plausible premises, the catchy tunes, and the barrage of godawful puns that Tom brings to the table. And no one is likelier to break your heart with one song, your head with the next, and your funny bone with the one after that. If you only catch one concert this year, well, you should get out more -- and, when you do so, go see Tom Smith live!
- Tom Smith has been praised by such diverse folk as Lois McMaster Bujold, Larry Niven, Christine Lavin, Peter B. Gillis, and Dr. Demento. He has eighteen albums so far, and plans several more over the next few years. He has won fourteen Pegasus Awards for Excellence in Filking, written songs for video and movies, and has more projects right now than he actually has time to do, which apparently won't stop him.
- Tom Smith, master of improv weirdness and Grand Poobah of Punnery, is in attendance, with more songs and silliness than is probably good for us. But who cares? It's fun! His shows are always just nuts, and he's always got something new. Check out his website (tomsmithonline.com), hang onto your brain, and live the Myth of Smith!
Bio (for Convention Program Books)
For over two decades, Tom Smith, The World's Fastest Filker, has been breaking hearts, crippling minds, and dropping jaws across the country and around the world.
One of the most manic people in the history of fandom, Tom can warm or chill your heart at whim and seemingly pull new songs out of the air. He blends comedy, tragedy, dark romance, popular culture, politics, religion, gaming, movie trivia, current events, and the occasional recipe with virtually every genre of music you can imagine.
His songs range from the slow and sensual ("Starlight & Saxophone", "Storm Dancing", "Pluto") to the dark and dramatic ("Hellraiser", "PQR", "Dervish") to the sweet and innocent ("A Dragon's Lullaby", "Take Your Hands Off The Bear", "500 Hats") to the flat-out rockin' ("Bermuda Triangle", "Rocket Ride", "And They Say I've Got Talent"). He has written in dozens of musical styles, from Klezmer to opera to Zappa pastiche to gospel choir to hip-hop.
But mostly... it's about the puns. The grade-A, hi-test, godawful stinkbombs that make you choke on your own laughter. And the horrifically bad jokes that you can't help but giggle at. And the ludicrous yet somehow plausible situations that you have no idea where that came from. And the audacity with which he throws 'em around. "Smurfin' Safari", "Five Years", "I Want To Be Peter Lorre", "Domino Death", "Sheep Marketing Ploy (The Ballad of Fenton)", "Divine Irregularity", "Telly Taley Heart", "Honey-Glazed Ham", "House At Cthulhu Corner", "Psychic Voicemail Hotline", "Dead Potters", "Badger Pajama", "The Illuminati Polka", "Talk Like A Pirate Day", "Spoiler Alert", "Undead Happy Trees", "Lars Needs Women", "Tech Support For Dad", "Zombie Blues"....
And then there's the speed with which he does it. He can make up a ditty about virtually any subject on the spot. He has improvised entire concerts, and can't seem to let ten minutes on stage go by without making up something no one's ever heard before, including him.
On top of all that, he's carving out a bit of a niche market -- songs for web sites, especially online comic strips. He's written songs for Accidental Centaurs, Kevin and Kell, Something Positive, Girl Genius, and the online Furry Fandom magazine Anthro.
So far, Tom's got eighteen albums, fourteen Pegasus Awards for Excellence in Filk, an animated music video ("Enterprising Man" from the second Babylon Park video) and a spot in the Filk Hall of Fame. He's all over the internet -- you can find him at:
- his home page (www.tomsmithonline.com)
- LiveJournal (filkertom.livejournal.com)
- MySpace (www.myspace.com/filkertom)
- The Funny Music Project (www.thefump.com)
- Facebook (personal and music page)
Long and short of it: If you have heard him before, you know you've got to be there. If you haven't, check it out, join the party, and live the Myth of Smith!
Mainstream Press Bio
It has been said that "music makes a us family." Okay, then: Tom Smith is the fat hippie uncle.
Weird Al with way more books; Jonathan Coulton with way more jokes; George Carlin with way more Cthulhu songs. Tom is not your ordinary comedy musician. With the lyrical complexity of Ashman and Sondheim, the vocal fireworks of Meat Loaf, the comedic timing of Robin Williams, and the dynamic physique of the Skipper from Gilligan's Island, the only thing he won't do is be boring.
The only recording artist to be featured on both NPR's Sound and Spirit and The Dr. Demento Show, and writer of the official chantey for Talk Like A Pirate Day, Tom has been praised by such diverse folk as singer/songwriter Christine Lavin, author Larry Niven, and webcomic creator Randy Milholland. He has eighteen albums so far, blending comedy, tragedy, horror, science fiction, fantasy, romance, swashbuckling adventure, video games, popular culture, politics, religion, and the occasional recipe with virtually every genre of music you can imagine.
A mainstay at sf/fantasy conventions throughout the Midwest and across the country, Tom arranges and records at home, blending MIDI, loops, and all manner of software gadgetry... but on stage, it's just him and his guitar, in a high-energy performance filled with laughter, shtick, and really, really bad puns.
If you have heard Tom live, you know what we're talking about. If not... well, he's wandering the halls this weekend. Brace yourself. And trust us: it'll be a whole lot of fun.
Visit Tom on the web at tomsmithonline.com and filkertom.livejournal.com