JOEL GEHRINGER / Lincoln Journal Star | Posted: Thursday, July 20, 2006 7:00 pm
Tim Scahill’s never been one to hold his tongue.
As the lead singer and lyricist for Rent Money Big, he’s put his thoughts into words for three years now, tweaking, jerking and freaking out all over the stage as shows devolve into controlled chaos.
But not all thoughts fit nicely into rock songs, and not everyone at the bar is listening to rock songs for insights and observations about life, the universe and everything.
That’s why Scahill has taken some of his ranting, raving, rambling words and (kind of) organized it into a poetry collection titled “The Book of Werds.”
He’ll be reading excerpts from the book Tuesday at the Chatterbox, 815 O St., in a concert with Petit Mal and The Bad Sects.
It’s surprising how well poetry and rock music work together, especially with Scahill’s humorous, biting brand of prose.
At the book release in May, Scahill and Rent Money Big shared the stage with Ideal Cleaners and Her Flyaway Manner. Scahill read from “The Book of Werds” between sets to keep the crowds entertained.
“I’ve been writing poetry ever since I had insomnia in high school,” the Nebraska Wesleyan graduate said. “I sort of published one book locally about a year and a half ago now. This one’s with an actual publisher (Publish America). It’s kind of cool that have that outlet.”
With titles like “Hot Pig Fat & Revisited Icons,” “Squeeze Those Air Molecules” and “O! Opossum,” the poems in “The Book of Werds” hit everything from personal experiences and observations to philosophical concepts and political ideas.
Scahill said the book attempts to force its readers to view life from new perspectives.
“It’s kind of a hard concept to get across most of the time, but basically I’m just getting sick of the western Christian judgment of everything,” he said. “I want to tell people that this isn’t the only option. There’s more here that can be divine. Not to knock Jesus’ teaching, because he’s an awesome dude and everything, but there’s more out there, and I want people to get a new perspective of how to react to reality.”
Heavy stuff from a rock musician, but Scahill separates the poems he writes from his writing for Rent Money Big, to an extent.
“This stuff was mostly written after college classes because I was pissed at the topic we were talking about that day,” he said. “Of course, there’s a couple Rent Money Big lyrics in (the book), too.”
Not everyone at the local bars is open to poetry readings in the middle of their rock and roll shows, Scahill said.
“People don’t have the attention span for that kind of stuff,” he said. “Sometimes I much prefer reading at Crescent Moon or whatever. The audience is more open. But I love doing both.”
One of the best parts of Scahill’s readings is their spontaneity.
“(The show’s success) is really up to the poems, because I never choose a set or anything,” he said. “Sometimes that kills me and sometimes that makes me. I prefer not making a set, though. I have a couple (poems) memorized, but it’s hard for me to sit down and do it without music behind it.”
Scahill sells the book online at Barnes & Noble and Amazon.com as well as at Spindle Records downtown and at shows. He also offers samplings of his work at www.athoughtbytim.com.
But, of course, he always enjoys a chance to speak his mind live, whether at a Rent Money Big concert or a coffeehouse poetry reading.
“If anyone needs a poet,” he said, “I’d be happy to do a show.”
Reach Joel Gehringer at 473-7254 or jgehringer@journalstar.com.