The Pizza Underground
| Company type | Music group |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music, comedy rock |
| Founded | 2013 |
| Founder | Macaulay Culkin, Matt Colbourn, Phoebe Kreutz, Deenah Vollmer, Austin Kilham |
| Defunct | 2018 |
| Headquarters | New York City , United States |
| Products | Music recordings, live performances |
The Pizza Underground was a comedy rock ensemble originating from New York City, recognized for their humorous reinterpretations of the Velvet Underground tracks by incorporating pizza-related lyrics. The group consisted of Macaulay Culkin (vocals, percussion, kazoo), Matt Colbourn (guitar, vocals), Phoebe Kreutz (glockenspiel, vocals), Deenah Vollmer (vocals, pizza box percussion), and Austin Kilham (tambourine, vocals). To emphasize their theme, they handed out boxed pizzas during live performances.
History
According to Deenah Vollmer, the idea emerged in 2012 as a playful joke after realizing many Velvet Underground lyrics could be swapped with pizza themes. Phoebe Kreutz observed that the original material appeared to have pizza-inspired elements but required updating to resonate with contemporary listeners.
On November 11, 2013, the band recorded a live demo at Culkin’s residence and later performed a Lou Reed tribute at the Sidewalk Cafe located in Manhattan’s East Village. In December of the same year, Culkin helped promote the group through a viral video parody featuring Andy Warhol eating pizza.
Their inaugural music video was released in January 2014 and showcased pizza-themed adaptations of Velvet Underground songs such as "All Pizza Parties" and "Pizza Gal," with performances set among pizza box props and costumes. That year, Bitter Melody Records issued their demo on vibrant cassette tapes. Additionally, the band completed an 18-date North American tour titled Fresh to Your Door.
During the Dot to Dot Festival in Nottingham, England, in May 2014, The Pizza Underground faced boos from attendees who disapproved of their parody style. Culkin reacted to drinks thrown at them by stating he would rather consume them.
After their initial cassette launch, Bitter Melody Records released Live at Chop Suey, a recording captured in Seattle.
In January 2018, Culkin confirmed on the WTF with Marc Maron podcast that The Pizza Underground had officially ended their activities.
External links
- Official Bandcamp page
- Tumblr blog
- Artist profile on AllMusic
- American comedy rock musical groups
- American comedy folk musical groups
- Rock music groups from New York (state)
- Musical groups established in 2013
- 2013 establishments in New York City
- Musical groups from New York City
- American parody musicians
- Pizza
- Pizza in New York City
- The Velvet Underground
- Musical groups disestablished in 2018
- 2018 disestablishments in New York (state)