The Small Stars put on a big show
Spin magazine recently reported that The Small Stars were from Reno, Nevada. Not true. But who could blame them? Until recently the Small Stars did indeed present themselves as a casino and cabaret inspired band from Reno - a biographical white lie that bandleader Miles Zuniga (aka Guy Fantasy) said eventually got old and confusing.
"We actually went to Reno to play. It was like in the comic books and when someone meets their doppelganger and they clash and disappear into each other. It wasn't a very good gig. And everywhere we'd play and open with "Keno in Reno' it would always go over. Not in Reno. People didn't think it was funny. I thought this is a good place to leave this behind," Zuniga said.
The Small Stars' new record, Tijuana Dreams, presents a surprisingly straightforward set of pop songs - particularly for a band with a reputation for putting on anything-goes, make-em'-laugh live shows. Zuniga said it wasn't until the record was complete that he recognized these were tunes headed in a new direction.
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"For some reason there's a lot of songs about break-ups, infidelity and divorce. There's still a theme, it's just not Vegas and Reno and all that. Maybe it's Vegas after you lose all your money and get caught in a whorehouse. That's kind of where this record's coming from," Zuniga said.
The Small Stars is Zuniga's brainchild. Their shticky live shows - which have featured comedians, magicians and dancers - were designed to be decidedly different than Fastball, a band with a far more traditional approach to playing live.
"We had a hit song on the radio but weren't drawing anything near the amount of records we were selling. But there were plenty of bands that didn't sell any records but had something. They were knockouts live. I didn't want to be in another band that just came out and played. There's a million of them. And I was in one of those. I've done it. I want to put on a show," Zuniga said.
Between knowing what works and what doesn't onstage and a more mature record, Zuniga thinks this is the moment where The Small Stars stand out as more than just a clever concept. If not, there's always Plan B – going back to Reno.