Tom Tuerff - Something To Sell At My Gigs

Tom Tuerff is a Phoenix-based singer-songwriter (and was also host of RFP's Zappa Universe) who likes to say he writes about important things: getting older, Catholic guilt, body piercing and choosing between paper or plastic, to name just a few.

After years of playing coffeehouses around Phoenix, he says, "People kept telling me, 'Tom you have to make a CD so you have something to sell at your gigs.'" So I recorded the CD and it's called 'Something To Sell at My Gigs.'"

This CD features Tom's tune "First House" which became a top among on Dr. Demento's Funny 5 in 2001.

"The song was played on Dr.Demento six times in all by the end of June," Tom says, "and five of those times, the song was in the 'Funny Five,' which is the most requested songs of the week. I was completely blown away but I'm very grateful to the Doc for breaking my song like that."

"First House" eventually reached the #1 spot on the "Dr. Demento Funny 5" on the June 3, 2001 show. By the end of 2001, the song was #5 on Dr. Demento's "Funny 25" list for the year 2001, and is featured on "Debasement Tapes 10," a CD sent out by the show to members of the Demento Society (his fan club).

Other songs on the CD that have received airplay on "weird music" radio shows around the country (and several countries in Europe) include "Very Short Books," "Catholic Guilt," "P.O.P.," "The Beatles Are Witches" and "Little Star Treks."

Tuerff has been playing guitar for more than 30 years, and writing songs nearly as long. He's known for playing right-handed instruments, left-handed. In other words, upside down.

"People have a real problem playing with me sometimes, because they can't figure out what I'm playing," Tuerff says. "Then once they figure it out, they usually have problems playing with others who are doing it normally."

Tom plays coffeehouses around Phoenix, and makes limited appearances outside of the Valley. If you don't live in Phoenix though, now you don't have to go there to buy a CD at one of Tom's gigs--you can order one right here!