Blotto

Blotto was a rock band from Albany, New York, known for mixing music and humor. They formed in 1978 out of the Star Spangled Washboard Band, a "post-hippie" comedy jugband. Blotto's music combined new wave and soul/R&B, but with comedic themes. It began as a pick-up band in Saratoga Springs at a club then known as 17 Maple Ave., with three Washboard Band alumni, plus a drummer and a bassist. They were joined by Blanche Blotto, who contributed vocals and keyboards and inspired the band's drumhead lady logo. They began to amass a following and played in the New York City area at clubs such as The Ritz, SNAFU, Eighty-Eight, and My Father's Place. DJ Vin Scelsa of WNEW-FM picked up on their initial recording of "I Wanna Be A Lifeguard," which soon became the theme song of the Jones Beach Lifeguards. Their songs were played on the Dr. Demento Show, and they appeared on television's Uncle Floyd Show. They toured frequently and were popular primarily in the northeastern United States, especially among college students.
After releasing two EPs on their own Blotto Records label, they produced an early music video for "I Wanna Be A Lifeguard" with video production students at SUNY Albany.