In 2001, the Provo City Council passed a Dance Ordinance basically banning all non-educational, non-religious and non-military dances.

"There are too many raves in Provo," they said. "People go to Club Omni to do drugs."

Rising from the belly of this completely non-oppressive, "Footloose"-like law were the first semblances of the popular Provo electro/post punk dance band, Midwife Crisis.

"The law was a fascist law," singer Gian Pierotti said. "They don't want us to have any fun, they being the government."

The band officially began in September 2004, when four friends Mike Evans, bassist, Matt Nelson, lead guitarist, Scott Jensen, drummer and Pierotti decided to take the then-lacking Provo music scene into their own hands.

"We wanted to start a band where people had fun at the shows," Evans said.

After a month of dedicated practice, the band premiered their act Halloween night. Pierotti looked like a well-dressed zombie in a white suit and powder white face. Evans, Nelson and Jensen wore all black. Behind them they projected an experimental film montage.

"We're not hiding the fact we have beliefs," Pierotti said. "I use Christian icons and motifs onstage. There's a lot to do with black and white, heaven and hell. ... Everyone should be able to relate. It's pretty nondenominational; it's something no one's ever really seen or dealt with here."

Unlike many bands that are singularly concerned with sound, Midwife Crisis accounts for the entire experience in their stage show. Their rousing dance music, black and white costumes and stage antics couple to create a triple threat experience.

"We demand that you watch the show, not listen to the music," Evans said.

To this day, almost two years after Midwife Crisis' conception, most of the band's lyrics are about the absurdity of the dance law and social stigmas found in close-minded communities, like in their songs "Cops and Kids" and "Dancing Babies."

"There's that whole mentality: If you guys dance, you're going to start having babies," Pierotti said. "We're kind of making it ridiculous."

It's been almost a year since Midwife Crisis last played, but the band is confident in their staying power and likeability.

"We're the best band that Provo's ever seen, better than the RubberBands," Pierotti and Evans said.

The band is slated to release its first EP, "Behemoth/Leviathan," this Saturday, Feb. 18, 2006, at 8 p.m. with Chris Purdie, "the best drummer in the Valley" according to Pierotti, filling in for Jensen. Set to open the show at Velour, located at 135 N. and University Ave., are Brilliant Stereo Mob and Return to Sender. For more on Midwife Crisis, check out Myspace.com/copsandkids.

(For comments, e-mail Lisa ruefenacht at lisaruefenacht@byu.net)



Copyright Brigham Young University 15 Feb 2006