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<< Previous   of   Next >> (click to enlarge) The Presidents of the United States of America: Andrew McKeag (left), Chris Ballew (center) and Jason Finn (right).   ADVERTISEMENT   Related Stories • A little caffeine will fix that 3/10/08   CONTACT THE HERALD Melanie Munk, Features Editor munk@heraldnet.com   Published: Monday, March 10, 2008 Presidents' goofy exuberance at the Paramount By Andy Rathbun Herald Columnist Being a President doesn't mean instant admiration or loads of money. No, it means working a day job for years and sometimes playing shows for toddlers, as Andrew McKeag knows. In 2004, the Seattle guitarist was approached by his longtime friends in The Presidents of the United States of America, a goofy alternative rock band best known for mid-1990s hits like "Lump" and "Peaches." The Presidents needed someone to play guitbass, a three-string guitar the group uses in lieu of the traditional six strings. McKeag landed the job. Then he had to learn to play the instrument. "It took me about two months of playing with the band all the time to really get to feel like I could do it without looking at my fingers," he said. "It was hard." Now going on four years with the Presidents, McKeag plans to play the Paramount Theatre on Saturday as the group supports its latest album, "These Are the Good Times People," out Tuesday. The Seattle-based band, which sold more than 3 million albums in the mid-1990s, hasn't changed course on its new album, again hitting on childishly cracked subject matter. These guys love music about animals, insects and girls. The album's first single, "Mixed Up S.O.B.," is fairly characteristic of the new album. It's catchy but a bit grating. It's funny but in an adolescent way. And it's hard to pin down the point of the thing, with lyrics about a "sugar cube empire" and a girl "stuck in gear, too bad it's reverse." Like playing a three-string guitar, however, the group's songs aren't as simple as they seem, McKeag said. He found a new appreciation for the band after spending countless hours with Chris Ballew, the Presidents' chief songwriter. Before, McKeag thought they were "just goofy for the sake of goofy." "I couldn't have been more wrong," he said. He pointed to "Ghosts Are Everywhere," a song that rhymes "over there" with "underwear." "On the surface you may try to understand it's about ghosts, but it's really not," McKeag said. "It's got all kind of elements, of people, relationships. It's just like any songwriting. Some of it is literal and some of it isn't. Some of it just comes from the ether." It's probably those little bits of ethereal nonsense -- along with repetitive lyrics and springy beats -- that helped the group cultivate an unlikely fan base among toddlers. Yes, like They Might Be Giants and a handful of other indie rock bands, the Presidents play shows for the 5-and-under set. McKeag, who has kids of his own, isn't phased by those shows. Outside of omitting the occasional swear word, the gigs are similar to a typical Presidents' concert: People run around and scream, nobody really knows why they like the songs, and everyone is enthused. "It's not that different," he said. While he may be used to dealing with kids, joining the band has meant changes for McKeag. The 38-year-old has played in numerous groups but never as part of a headliner like the Presidents. Unfortunately for McKeag, he missed out on the group's boom years, when the band was an MTV mainstay. About a month ago, he finally quit his day job, in anticipation of a heavy tour schedule to promote the new album. "I'm not sitting here rolling in thousand-dollar bills," he said. Listen up In person: The Presidents of the United States of America, 8 p.m. Saturday, Paramount Theatre, Seattle. Tickets are $20 plus service fees at the box office or at www.ticketmaster.com. The album: "These Are the Good Times People," will be out Tuesday. To hear tracks from the album or see the video for "Mixed Up S.O.B.," visit www.heraldnet.com/popsecrets today. Columnist Andy Rathbun: 425-339-3455 or e-mail arathbun@heraldnet.com.

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