Damien Hess, known to the world as MC Frontalot, said he got into music because of the recording process.
"I had always considered myself a writer more than a musician," Hess said by phone from a gas station in Massachusetts. "But I remember I got a four-track recorder in 1991. I was really interested in technology and I tried to make some recordings that were as close to the pop-music production that was going on at the time as I could get.
"Then, suddenly, my computer was fast enough and had enough power to become a multi-track recording device. And I figured it would be great to use it because it was in my own house and I didn't have to spend $50,000 on it. I discovered this at 2 a.m. one night, and I felt it wouldn't be a good idea to call the keyboardist I was working with at the time to tell him. So I made a couple of tracks on my own and things went from there."
In addition to technology, Hess was also always interested in music. "I did listen to a lot of music — whatever was in my mother's record collection: Beatles, Stones, Marvin Gaye.
"But when I started buying music for myself I went a little different way. I think 'Cargo' by Men at Work was the first album I ever bought. And I loved (Michael Jackson's) 'Thriller.' I didn't have to buy that album because the after-care I was in after elementary school ended had the album, and we'd play it every day until my mom picked me up."
Fast-forward a few years and the public can find Hess as MC Frontalot making music and rapping about comic books, pop culture and other nerdy things. In fact, the style of rap MC Frontalot is famous for what is called "Nerdcore Hip-Hop," named after his debut extended-play. "The problem with doing the type of music I do is for people to not just like the music because it's different than other rap songs. I don't want people to think that the music we do is just a novelty.
"I mean it's a natural tendency to do that because the lyrics are humorous, but it's not just for laughs."
There has been a growth in the number of fans who have seen beyond the humor and who find MC Frontalot's music to be an ironic commentary on the world. "When they get what we're doing, they want to get involved with it. They want to share it with others, as well.
"I find that a lot of my fans want to volunteer to spread the music. In fact, there are three people who worked on my Web site (www.frontalot.com) and did thousands of dollars of work and didn't want a dime."
While Hess, who is 34, is enjoying the fact that his career has bubbled up from the underground into a more mainstream level, he knows that time will always be a force to reckon with. "I'm a lot older than some of the younger nerdcore artists who are hitting the scene. And I know there will come a time when people will not want to see this old guy jumping around the stage.
"So I've been making plans for my future. I would love to make recordings for children. I've already done some songs for 'Sesame Street,' and I really enjoy it."
If you go
What: MC Lars, MC Frontalot, Abby Normal
Where: Kilby Court, 741 S. 330 West
When: Monday, 7:30 p.m.
How much: $6
Phone: 320-9887
Web: www.kilbycourt.com
E-mail: scott@desnews.com