Free Hot Lunch!

Free Hot Lunchtime were among the zaniest trios to step onto a folk festival stage. Although these were capable of performing serious-minded music, including “House from the Whales” along with a harmonious rendition of John Sebastian’s “Lovin’ You,” the group had been more aware of tongue-in-jowl, Jimmy Buffett-meets-the Seaside Children ditties, including “Sex within a Volcano,” “Sex By Email” and “Sidewalks on Parade.” They joked in regards to a hangover during “I Hate to AWAKEN in Nebraska” and considered how penguins kissed through the title an eye on their debut record, Penguin Love. Hardly ever mind that these were half of a continent from the sea. Free Hot Lunchtime, offering Jeff Berg (electric guitar, vocals), John Corning (acoustic and electrical guitars, mandolin and vocals) and Jeff Laramie (electric guitar, vocals), crafted a fun-filled audio that sounded as if they had fine sand in their flip flops and had been preparing to trip the waves. Their discovery album Penguin Like was a studio room work with instrumental support by Randy Sabien (violin), Jeff Eckels (bass), Todd Steward (drums, percussion), John Torrell (drums), Kathy Mueller (keyboards) and Frank Furillo (harmonica), while their last record, Eat This is a live collection documented at Orphans in Chicago on Oct 28 and 29, 1988.