After an uncharacteristically swift recording period following the Icky Flix tour, in 2002 The Residents released Demons Dance Alone, a new studio album conceived as an indirect response to the group's emotions regarding the World Trade Center attacks the previous year.
Just as for their previous two major projects, a live show based on the album was produced and toured throughout 2002 and 2003; longtime friend of the band Eric Drew Feldman was hired as a member of the touring group.
The Residents also celebrated their 30th Anniversary with a slew of special releases such as the Petting Zoo CD (collecting some of their more accessible songs), a 13th Anniversary 2-disc edition of Freak Show, and a DVD version of Eskimo in a new 5.1 Surround sound mix.
Timeline[]
January[]
- The Faust remix album Freispiel is released, featuring a Residents remix of the song "T-Eléctronique".
February[]
- Eat Exuding Oinks, a CD issue of the 1977 radio special, is released by Ralph America.[1]
- 14th: The new album Demons Dance Alone and the Petting Zoo compilation are announced by Hardy Fox in an IRC chat. Other announcements of note are special editions for Freak Show and Wormwood, and a 5.1 surround DVD of Eskimo.
April[]
- 21st: Petting Zoo, a 30th Anniversary compilation of The Residents' more accessible songs, is released worldwide for an unusually cheap price.[2]
May[]
- 3rd: The special edition of Wormwood is pushed out of the schedule and said to possibly resurface in 2003.
- 24th: The King & Eye RMX (not made by The Residents) is announced for the Fall, as well as a retrospective DVD of The Residents' live shows, and the Disfigured Night DVD.[3]
June[]
- 24th: Blaine L. Reininger's album Night Air is reissued; one of the bonus tracks is a remix of "Crash" made by The Residents in 1982.[4]
July[]
- 9th: Demons Dance Alone is released on Ralph America and Euro Ralph as a deluxe limited edition with a bonus disc of demos.
August[]
- The Residents finish work on the Eskimo DVD.
September[]
- 3rd: The Residents' new album Demons Dance Alone is released in the US, and a week later in Europe.
- 30th: Jean-Michel Roux's documentary Enquête sur Le Monde Invisible is released; about 90 seconds of The Residents' Eskimo are used in the film.
October[]
- 4th: Ralph America opens pre-orders for the 2xCD special edition of Freak Show, including an extended version of the album, and a disc of recordings from Freak Show Live in 1995. The product is shipped out on early November.
- 20th: Demons Dance Alone is released in Japan.
- 25th: The Demons Dance Alone tour begins at the Rio in Santa Cruz, Califronia.
- This portion of the tour is filmed by The Residents for use in a concert film project.
- Live! ...on the Outskirts, the DVD portion of the upcoming Kettles of Fish on the Outskirts of Town, is sold as a merch item on this tour.[5]
- 27th: The Residents perform at the House of Blues in Anaheim, California.
- 29th: The Residents perform at the Belly Up Tavern in Solano Beach, California.
- 30th: The Residents perform at the House of Blues in West Hollywood, California.
- 31st: The Residents perform their second annual Halloween show at the Warfield in San Francisco.[6]
November[]
- 1st: The Residents perform at the Crystal Ballroom in Portland, Oregon.
- 2nd - 3rd: The Residents perform for two nights at the King Cat in Seattle, Washington.
- 5th: The Residents perform at the House of Blues in Chicago, Illinois.
- 6th: The Residents perform at the Fine Line Music Cafe in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
- 7th: The Residents perform at the Barrymore Theatre in Madison, Wisconsin.
- 8th: The Residents perform at the Majestic Theater in Detroit, Michigan.
- 11th: The Residents perform at the Variety Playhouse in Atlanta, Georgia.
- 12th: The Residents perform at the State Theatre in Falls Church, Virginia.
- 13th - 15th: The Residents perform for three nights at the Warsaw Theatre in Brooklyn, New York.[6]
- Audio from one of these shows is used for the concert film.
Releases[]
- Demons Dance Alone (CD, East Side Digital / Euro Ralph / Bomba Records, ESD 81672 / CD 027 / BOM 22167)
- Demons Dance Alone (Limited Edition) (2xCD, Ralph America / Euro Ralph, RA 013 / ERSP 033)
- Petting Zoo (CD, East Side Digital / Euro Ralph / Bomba Records, ESD 81662 / CD 026 / BOM 9501, Compilation)
Re-Releases[]
- Eat Exuding Oinks! Ralph Records' 1977 Radio Special (CD, Ralph America, RA 012, 1,000 copies produced)
- Previously released as The Residents' Radio Special.
- Features new original artwork.
- Freak Show (Special Edition) (2xCD, Ralph America, RA 014)
- Expanded version of the original album, with excerpts from Blowoff added.
- Includes a bonus CD with a live recording of Freak Show Live, tracks for an unfinished DVD adaptation of the album and a live performance of "Benny The Bouncing Bump" from Icky Flix Live.
- Bundled with a hardbound 48-page booklet.
- Released in celebration of the 13th anniversary of the album.
Collaborations[]
- Night Air Plus (CD, LTM, LTMCD 2339)
- Expanded remaster of Night Air by Blaine L. Reininger.
- The Residents contributed a remixed version of the track "Crash".
Compilation appearances[]
- Enquête Sur Le Monde Invisible (CD, Universal, 064 957-2)
- Includes an excerpt of "The Walrus Hunt".
- Dominic Raacke liest Hank Williams - Das Leben Einer Country-Legende (4xCD, Roof Music, RD 2233170)
- Includes an excerpt of "Six More Miles (To The Graveyard)".
- Dicembre 2002 (CD, Il Mucchio Selvaggio, MS 021, Promo)
- Includes "Caring"
Home video releases[]
- Live! ...On The Outskirts (DVD, Euro Ralph, DVD 028)
- Eskimo (DVD, Euro Ralph / Bomba Records, DVD 2136-8 / BOM 3201)