Describing the incomparable Fort Wilson Riot is challenging... everything you could imagine, plus beatboxing! Their theatrical live shows have to be experienced to be believed. Elements of hip-hop, the Beatles, Joni Mitchell, broadway musicals, a Who rock opera, David Byrne projects, Tom Waits, magic realism fiction all rise momentarily to the surface of consciousness, flittingly replaced by various imagery as in a dream. Jacob Mullis (vocals, guitar, keys, melodica) said it well: “Our songs are a bunch of musical moments put together. The pirate song is this sequence of musical moments. The Beatles created these beautiful musical moments in everything they did.”

Fort Wilson Riot is Amy Hager on vocals, guitars, keys; Jacob Mullis on vocals, guitars, keys, melodica; Joe Goggins on bass, beatboxing and harmonoboxing; and Ben Smith on drums. Fort Wilson Riot is named after an historical riot against food prices Mullis read about in Howard Zinn’s The People’s History of the United States, also inspirational source for exciting new percussion protest song, “Song of the Conscripts,” that drives audiences wild.

The “five-legged beast” that is Fort Wilson Riot’s four bandmates plus their friend Yael, were friends first and a band later. Three of the four live together in the Dude House in the Seward neighborhood and all spend most of their spare time together. They enjoyed playing together so much once at a wedding, they decided to become a band. Because they’re friends they had no boundaries regarding how they wanted to be, or what style of music they would play.
FWR traverses many styles and they want to do more. Hager said a lot of bands sound the same no matter what song it is; they still use the same voice. “But I feel it’s important to change the voice to fit the style of music. Its an instrument.”

Smith agrees. “I feel like that with the drums for a new song. One song there’s lots of stuff going on. Others, I’m playing three things, and it’s the part that’s necessary.”

Goggins adds: “Different rhythms, different melodies are better suited for one topic than another. It all boils down to: you’re writing the music to express yourself or communicate something. To do that you use what styles, melodies, rhythms are appropriate.”

Goggins, formerly a hip-hop artist in Katilys, brings beatboxing to the band, an element similar to Tom Waits music. “I’ve been beatboxing forever. Beatboxing when I’m walking from point A to point B, when I take a break, or whatever. It’s a way to keep music part of everything I do.” He also does something I’ve never heard or seen, “harmonoboxing,” beatboxing into a harmonica held in place inside a flowerpot on the mike, combining the melodic and rhythmic elements.
Fort Wilson Riot songs are inspired consciously and subconsciously by everything they experience by everyday living -- literature, politics, history, films, music and art. Smith said “We’re all like sponges. And since we don’t really have those musical boundaries, a lot of other things are let out. Like if I hear a really good R & B song on the radio we aren’t like, ‘we can’t really do that... we’re like ‘yeah, that’s great! Let’s do it!’”

An interesting aspect Mullis finds about FWR is the songs get started as ideas before music, unlike other bands he’s been in where a song might start with a guitar riff.
Each member contributes writing and arrangements. Hager said, “We really work off of each other. Idiguaragua, has three parts [soon to be five]; everyone has a part they wrote. That’s probably why our music changes so much.” Goggins quips “and probably why it’s a little bit schizophrenic sometimes.”

For example of forthcoming political five-part song, “The Five Fierce Jokes,” Hager said: “We always switch back and forth, Oh, I like your idea. Let’s do that for a little bit.”

Goggins said “Five Fierce Jokes,” is not as elaborate or as long as the broadway musical or rock opera-like soon to be five-part “Idiguaragua.” (one of the best half-hour moments in music you can experience). “And then there are songs that are spurts. Periodically we’ll start something new and suddenly realize we’re not working on another project that needs to get done. One infinite resource we do have is creativity. It’s a good thing but at the same time, reality does pose its restrictions on us.”

They all agree being such good friends allows them to recommend changes to each other easily. “We have kind of a spontaneous check and balance in the band” Smith said.
Mullis said he brings structure to the songs because he likes pop songs so much. “Hairspray that Holds” was pretty much all over the place initially. I was like, ‘Why don’t you make the “smooth lager beer” part into a chorus? Repeat that.’”

Hager, an excellent singer with a strong versatile vocals, was initially nervous to sing to anyone less than two years ago.

At their first show at the Whiskey Junction, though, Goggins put it in perspective. “Whenever you have a show, you’re going to have adrenaline no matter what. You can either make yourself anxious and freak out about it, or make it into excitement and fun.”

Hager said “All of a sudden it changed. Now, I don’t get nervous. He’s like ‘this is your body. These are your chemicals, to own.’”

Googins sums it up: “Chemicals associated with intensely bad feelings like fear, are also associated with love. Often underlying the polar opposite experiences, are the same chemicals in your body. So much of your experience of a situation is what you put towards it.”

Mullis said, “You could hate us or you could love us . . . “ Hager added “Use your chemicals right”
Mullis: “You control your own chemicals! Another t-shirt for Fort Wilson Riot.”

www.fortwilsonriot.com/