Sex. Indulgence. Anarchy. Decadence. To some, the pillars of societal decay; to others, symbols of a genre of music that permits, in fact requests, these innate traits and desires to surface, if only for the duration of a tune. Rock music in all of its exquisite forms carries with it an extraordinary ability to liberate any willing participant to momentarily live an existence that transcends their customary boundaries; to allow one to embrace his primal urges for rebellion and a life without deadlines and restrictions. In what quickly evolved into fascinating discourse, I recently had the privilege of interviewing Hal Oszan, frontman for LA rockers Poets & Pornstars, whose intrigue with the influence of rock music served as the very foundation for the band and his career in music. With long hair, leather pants and songs about cathartic ideals such as sex, individuality and independence, Poets exists as a champion for the preservation of the brightly glowing flame of the rock n' roll torch.

In 2005, Oszan (vocals/guitar), Dave Plesh (drums), Sally Hope (bass), Randy Austin (percussion /keys/vocals) and Tom Domaracki "Domo" (guitar) fused to form the current line-up of Poets, what Oszan describes as a "piece of magic". For aficionados of Guns N' Roses, Van Halen, Motley Crue and other notables of the late 80's and 90's, the music of Poets is an ideal addition to your music library. With catchy guitar riffs, engaging choruses and, at times, crude lyrics, Poets offers raw, unadulterated rock. Oszan's voice is melodically flawless and rasp-free which is somewhat unique to a band of Poets' variety.

Although the connection between poetry and pornography seems a union of things too disparate to comprehend, in fact, the two are mediums through which any one characteristic can be expressed. Using Oszan's example, insolence is insolence whether expressed through poetic verse or the physical act of porn. Central to this notion is man's personal acceptance and permission to embrace feelings and convictions, however provoked, beyond what may be comfortable or socially approved; rock music provides a conduit through which this can occur.

As a former philosophy major turned rocker, Oszan articulately explained that rock n' roll "talks to the innate part of us that wants to scream for revolution, that innate part that wants to break the rules, that wants to act like a child and be free. It sets us free to do these things, even if it is just in our imagination while we listen to it."

Recapturing the moment he discovered music to be the focus of his life's ambitions, Oszan discussed the profound emotions evoked when he listened to House of the Rising Sun (The Animals) at a mere five years of age and burst into tears for reasons beyond his comprehension. This powerful experience and the enduring memory serve as both the catalyst and the sustaining factor for his life of rock music, despite the instability, financial difficulties and other impediments typical to a musician's journey.

"I'll be in a new town and there will be 100 or 200 people throwing themselves around the room singing my music back to me. That reminds me of that initial experience. It spoke to me on a profound level; I want to create that same affect on them. The idea that for a brief period of time they experience life more richly. Art is the only way to affect people that way."

Much as a filmmaker yearns for his audience to become entranced by his film and leave their own lives in favor of those of the characters on screen, Oszan covets a similar reaction from the listeners of his songs. "A song should take us on a journey and when we arrive, hopefully, we will have learned something about ourselves and the world around us. [Songs] should have people acting and thinking in ways that they have never thought before and bring us to emotional states beyond the humdrum of everyday life."

The doldrums of my ordinary life were pleasantly interrupted by the Poets' record release party at the Roxy Theater. The band took the stage to a packed house and a fervent audience with arms in the air shouting, "Poets, Poets." The performance contained all of the ingredients of an arena rock show, sans arena-confetti flying, palpable energy, a rowdy crowd, a seductive lead singer sometimes taking his songs just inches from a face in the crowd and the raising of cigarette lighters. It's difficult to describe why some bands create an infectious energy and some, although playing lively tunes, fail to grab the crowd in a meaningful way. In posing the question to Oszan, he responded with a provocative discussion of the collaboration between audience and performer entangled in a frenzied orgy.

"The ideal scenario is you get to have sex with everyone in the audience and they are having sex with you and each other. I go to every show looking to have the best time of my life." Poetry through rock, and pornography through intensity; a Poets show is a place where poetry and pornography collide.

Poets' grasp of why music fans crave live shows goes beyond the inherent desire for the erotic and lascivious (not that it needs to). Oszan appreciates and welcomes the responsibility of a band to perform as though they derive sublime pleasure from it and hopes that the rapture he experiences by performing on stage infects the crowd below.

"There is, or there should be, an unspoken agreement between artist and audience-the audience comes to a show to feel set free and they, as a result, come open and willing to be moved by the person on stage. So if the person on stage is willing to be free and express freedom then the bargain is complete. There's no reason why they both can't experience something sublime and intangible."

The self-titled debut album from the band's current line-up was released just last week (Wenzl-Hopper/Adrenaline Music Group) after recording sessions described by Oszan as "blissful". Poets is currently touring throughout the United States although it's unknown when they will return to rock LA and the Sunset Strip. In the meantime, it behooves those who desire to be lost in the story of a song, or who merely want to bob their head and beat on the dash in traffic, to throw the CD in the car, crank up the volume and sing with Poets, "it's just rock n' roll to me!"

For more about Poets & Pornstars:

www.myspace.com/poetspornstars
www.poetsandpornstars.com

By: Megan Karasch