Possibly one of the most prolific, original, and influential bands to emerge from the chaotic mash of freak folk acoustic rock scene of New York City in the past 20 years. Seth Faergolzia’s voice and songwriting style can be matched by no other.
Seth Faergolzia: Acoustic Guitar/Lead Vocals
Seth Faergolzia planted the Dufus seed in 1996 when he was given access to a multitrack studio in New York. In 1997, Seth and Graham Dion collaborated to make Eee*Lai*Font, and that Autumn, Dufus performed their first official show as a band. Since then, Dufus has been in continual flux, exploring every experimental and creative direction, utilizing musicians of a wide variety of backgrounds to build a solid reputation for fresh ideas while Seth offered compositions that stretched the music’s boundaries to include all those involved. Over the past 11 years there have been at least 100 members.
The Dufus stage has historically been an open space for exploratory collaboration, often with no less than 15 revelers sharing the stage. Some of these collaborations have included names like Kimya Dawson of the Moldy Peaches (Juno Soundtrack), Jeffrey Lewis, and Regina Spektor. Arrangements for special performances have included choir, orchestra, horn section, double quartet, and a noise ensemble. For the band’s 10 year anniversary in 2007, Seth assembled a 30 piece band for a performance at SUNY Purchase, NY.
In the year 2000, Seth began inviting “non-musicians” into the band. These “non-musicians” added choir, noise/circuit bending, live video projection/visual art/moving sculpture in a format reminiscent of a 60s “happening” or a Warhol Factory piece. Seth dreamed to design a new kind of folk music. The music was already experimental, but he wished to make it a more inclusive experience. Hi-Fi meets Lo-Fi in an innovative strain of sound and sight.
As the years have progressed, the band has been met with increasing critical acclaim, abroad and at home with plans for increased tour schedule and a number of releases, including a stream of consciousness puppet rock opera DVD, “23 Psaegz,” to be released early in 2010.
Seth’s first rock opera, “Fun Wearing Underwear,” ran for more than 3 months in NYC’s Surf Reality, often playing to sold out audiences. Seth and Dufus have recorded and released over 15 albums. The band has toured Europe multiple times. Besides touring the States, they have also toured in Canada and Japan.
Besides Dufus, Seth has been an active sculptor and painter, clothing designer, displaying work in various galleries (including a special mention in the New York Times for his work in a show featuring Jean-Michel Basquiat), an author of two novels and a father.
Dufus fans have bloomed all over the world, often taking the time to share the ways in which the music has touched them… Dufus helped them quit their day job or Dufus helped them get over a terrible break-up or Dufus inspired them to write music for the first time. It is hard to describe the magic that happens when people come together to participate in or simply experience.
Dufus has graced the stage with such acts as Regina Spektor, Kimya Dawson (Juno Soundtrack), Yeahyeahyeahs, Ween, Animal Collective, Moldy Peaches, Herman Dune, Low, Kool Keith, Dub Trio, Cerberus Shoal, Adam Green, Usaisamonster, Jeffrey Lewis, Moe., John Brown’s Body, Diane Cluck, Friska Viljor, Cornershop, Major Matt Mason, Langhorne Slim, Of Montreal, O’death, Akron/Family, and the Black Dice
