Q&A: Jose Bold of Seateeth

John Osebold, aka Jose Bold, is having a big year. His musical Spidermann made a splash in New York in March and last month he received a Genius Award from The Stranger. Meanwhile, Osebold continues to perform with his band, “Awesome,” and pumps out copious volumes of new work, including Seateeth, an experimental piece of theater ostensibly about a literary reading. 

What inspired Seateeth?
Two things happened: I saw the cross section of a sperm whale at the Bishop Museum in Honolulu and I read my first book by Haruki Murakami. I really connected with Murakami’s writing, particularly the recurring structural patterns in his novels. Then, in June, I read a surreal little essay I wrote for the release of Jennifer Borges Foster’s Filter vol. 3. I started having delusions of being an author. So I decided to build a story inspired by Moby Dick (which I haven’t read) and structured as a Murakami novel.

How is this show different from your past work?
Mostly, I write short unstageable plays, song lyrics, strange poetic meanderings and Facebook status updates. With Seateeth, I’m taking a chance not only on my ability to write a good story, but also on presenting it in a way that explodes the literary reading format.

How does it feel to be on your own without a band, a cast or some kind of team? 
Going in with a team sets me at ease, but I also like the thrill and freedom of flying alone. I get protective of my vision when I’m generating a project, so sometimes I need to be selfish and hog the sandbox. Of course, I’m never completely alone—it’d be a mess if I couldn’t bounce ideas off others.

What do you think makes you such a prolific artist?
A lot of things I’ve made have arisen from the impulse you experience when you make a joke. “you know what would be funny, if you did that same thing on stage for two hours but in a penguin costume covered in blood,” or whatever. The whim you toss out for a laugh, that’s the source of my ideas.

What’s the upside of working in so many disciplines?
Larger candy selection.

And the downside?
Stomachache.

See Seateath on Oct. 20 at Heineken City Arts Fest.

Photography by Nate Watters