Everybody Loves The Tinklers

A friend burned me a copy of The Tinklers documentary, Everybody Loves The Tinklers. Directed by a pair of local undergrad filmmakers, it’s a wonderful tribute to a beloved Baltimore duo known for deftly combining performance art, common sense philosophy, and a lo-fi/diy sensibility. For almost 30 years, Chris Mason and Charles Brohawn have created a unique, irony free universe where anti-hipster cool (not to be confused with slacker cool), intellectual prowess, and a put-’er-there-pal inclusiveness mingle freely. You may have even heard them on NPR around the time of the first Gulf War. After a segment on Saddam Hussein, the network played a snippet of “Tough Guys Are Probably Sad Inside,” one of The Tinklers all-time greatest songs.  In the film, fans such as Half Japanese’s David Fair, Lungfish’s Asa Osborne, and True Vine Records’ Jason Willett wax poetic about why The Tinklers are the best band to ever strum rubber band guitars and sing about the importance of libraries. The movie, which screened at Load of Fun last fall, is definitely worth seeking out.