Mickey Avalon is perhaps one of the few artists making music nowadays that actually does the dirt he writes about. His salacious exploits would likely send most running frantically through the streets shocked and confused until collapsing onto the doorstep of the nearest church or recovery center.
Maybe you’re uniquely blessed with the same “tiger blood” that both Avalon and Charlie Sheen were kindly bestowed, and the reaction from such escapades would be a milder one, like a fist bump for making it out unscathed. Whatever warped side of the coin you find yourself on, you can always enjoy the experience from a safe distance with Avalon’s records, which will be much easier now that Avalon has been released from his Interscope Records contract.
Nearly five years have passed since Avalon introduced himself to the world with the scandalously entertaining album “Mickey Avalon.” Most would presume that such an extended amount of time without a new record would be a sure sign of artistic drought. Fortunately for Avalon fans, this was not the case.
Avalon found plenty of success with “What Do You Say?” from The Hangover soundtrack and “My Dick,” which garnered much attention via YouTube. Both songs featured Avalon alongside his rap group The Dyslexic Speedreaders. During this period, he also put out multiple unreleased singles like “I Get Even,” Hell Hounds” and “Sticky Mickey,” which featured Ke$ha. Avalon had plenty of fuel to carry himself through the years, playing clubs and festivals while he handled his record label woes.
To celebrate an upcoming EP — as well as a new home at Suburban Noize Records — Avalon graciously dropped a video for the lounged out, “drive it ‘til the wheels come off” anthem, “Rock Bottom.”
“Rock Bottom” opens with Avalon waking up in a hospital. Dazed but determined, he makes his escape from the facility and staggers through back alleys of Los Angeles, eventually finding himself back in a nightclub. The video cuts back and forth from his hospital breakout to shots of him in the nightclub surrounded by typical L.A. nightlife excess while he lazily sings “All or nada / Through hell or high water / Gotta do what I gotta / Ima get high ‘til I hit rock bottom.” While this would normally come off as a beaten-to-death stock chorus, it somehow sounds fresh when delivered by Avalon.
Judging from his Tumblr page, the video might not be far off from what really does happen in the world of Mickey Avalon, minus the hospital escape — maybe. One of his most recent posts was a photograph showcasing a risqué pair of women’s underwear with the names of multiple girls and a phone number written on the inside with black ink. This is just one small example of the treasure chest that is Mickey Avalon’s Tumblr.
The Mickey Avalon circus will soon be making a weekend of it in Arizona, playing three consecutive dates in Tucson, Phoenix and Flagstaff. His Phoenix date is on Sept. 23 at Martini Ranch in Scottsdale. In the meantime, rest up and drink plenty of fluids — this show may deplete you of all things natural.
Reach the reporter at tebrook1@asu.edu
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