The Jimi Homeless Experience is a social/political satire of the 1960s pro-drug/drop-out-of-society message which Jimi Hendix came to represent for so many people. This project exists as an online comic book, a live stage show, and now on the tracks of this hard-hitting parody record.
This particular album lampoons some of Hendrix' most popular songs, twisting the lyrics and song stories in a way that is seriously funny and somewhat disturbing at the same time.
A big part of the motivation behind this project is a desire to draw attention, start some dialogue, and hopefully help find some answers to the homeless epidemic in this country.
In August of 1967 Jimi Hendrix' ground breaking debut album "Are You Experienced?" was released in the United States and things were just never quite the same.
Jimi not only single-handedly turned the world of music upside down and on it's ear, he also became a figurehead of the 1960s "free-love" generation and it's exploding drug culture.
His songs were rich in psychedelic imagery and even the most unhip person knew that the "experience" alluded to in the title track of his first record was much more than sound deep, indeed, it was a call for all to experiment with hard drugs.
The revolutionary counter-culture message of the time was "Turn On, Tune In, Drop Out" and that is exactly what the vast majority of young people did at that time.
Unfortunately, the inevitable end for many who take this route is finding themselves on hard times, drug addled and wandering the streets (homeless).
This is where the idea of Jimi Homeless and his "message" was born. The (admittedly dark) parody comes from taking the '60s "pro-drug" message to it's ultimate conclusion. It is a cautionary tale clothed in slightly-tattered edgy humor.
We play live on Hollywood Blvd. outside of Mann's Chinese Theatre and sometimes at the Salvation Army homeless shelter in skid row.
People say we sound a little like Jimi Hendrix but we really don't see the connection.
We use our man equipment every chance we get.