In my capacity as Producer for Out of Bounds, I have, since 2002, seen a ton of memorable shows on the OoB stage. Over the next couple of weeks leading up to the 2009 festival, I will recap some of the more memorable (at least for me) performances that I've seen over the years.

The first is Punch Drunk Comedy from 2003.

Our sketch comedy friends from Dallas, Punch Drunk Comedy first came to my attention when they arrived at my house to stay with Jeremy Lamb, Craig Kotfas, and me when we were living together in North Austin. I had no idea what they would be like when I went to see them the first time, but after one show, I was hooked.

It was a no-brainer to have them at Out of Bounds in 2003, and they were certainly up to the task. Playing on the downstairs stage at The Hideout, I don't think anyone had any idea what they were in for when PDC took the stage, but they were thunder from the outset...gross, completely outside-the-box, 'OMG they didn't just do/say/spray the stage with that' kind of thunder.

Firmly imprinted in my mind is the image of Rasa Hollender chasing her children as a psychopathic mother as they drive away from her house, turning the sweet old woman into a creepy nightmarish vision from hell, and I will never forget the fortune-telling head of Crystal Gayle in a box.

The thing, however, that will forever endear me to Punch Drunk, aside from the fact that I once played a giant slice of pizza in one of their shows, is their spot-on live action recreation of the "Take on Me" video by 80's Scandanavian rock giants A-Ha. Silly, high impact, careening out of control, but faithful as can possibly be, this was the sketch that, to me, said that these guys weren't just surrealists who could gross you out with the craggiest depths of their minds, but that they knew how to craft a sketch that could bring that iconic MTV moment to life.

Punch Drunk haven't, to my knowledge, played together for a while, but Rasa still lives in my old apartment in Austin, where I am glad to know that she's holding down for the kids from Dallas. When I think of the early days of OoB, I always think of them.