Watch

This Band of Puppets Will Rock Your Socks Off

Creator:
Published:
April 9, 2024
January 23, 2023
Watch and meet Fragile Rock — a band made up of musicians and puppeteers.

Chadwick Smith's love for puppets started at a young age. As he got better at puppeteering, he started making his own puppets by hand — and eventually got recruited for the opportunity of a lifetime: to join a rock band. And not just any band. Fragile Rock is made up of musicians and puppeteers that bring their puppets to life with music.

Chadwick shares, "I'm a gray-haired, balding man that plays with puppets. But you know what? It makes people happy, makes people smile, and that makes me happy."

Video Transcript

(Puppet band Fragile Rock on stage)

Lead Singer of Fragile Rock: We're Fragile Rock. Thank you very much.

(Kyle, the puppet guitarist being interviewed)

Kyle: I saw an ad in the paper that said, "Guitarist needed. But it doesn't really matter what you are or who you are. Just a guitar — really, we just need a guitar."

(Chadwick being interviewed)

Chadwick: I had my first puppet when I was probably four or five years old. My parents, they told me that they would get creeped out because I got so good at it, even at a very young age. And then 2007, I just had the idea of like, "I wonder if I could make a puppet?" And so I had no idea how to do it, and I couldn't sew.

(Chadwick puts on his first puppet, Hank)

So I hand-sewed it and made my first puppet, Hank. He's kind of beat up, but it's Hank. He's like an old friend. And then from there, I started making more puppets, creating characters. Yeah, he's a little bit like, "Ah." Sometimes he's quite — he's European.

(Chadwick showing all of his puppets that he’s made)

“I don't like talking to people.”

Which leads me to being asked to work a puppet guitarist for the band, Fragile Rock. The Fragile Rock project started as a joke. A friend of mine, she knew that I did puppeteering, and so she asked me — "Do you want to come stand in with this puppet?" And met Kyle, the puppet I puppeteer with, and so we've been together for seven years now.

(Fragile Rock on performing on Stage)

When the pandemic hit, it was right before South By. So we went on hiatus for a while. It was less nervousness about doing another, show that we hadn't done in two years, and more excitement. It was very refreshing to get back in the rehearsal space with the band. And play the songs again, they're fun.

(Chadwick shows the materials he uses to make puppets)

If you want to get into puppeteering, watch lots of puppet shows. And there's some of the videos that are on YouTube. And so YouTube, YouTube, YouTube, YouTube. As far as building goes, become familiar with the crafting stores and the different materials. Really anything can be turned into a puppet. You're basically just giving an inanimate object life. And if it's got googly eyes, then it's got googly eyes.

Get creative. Don't be afraid of what people are going to say. I'm a gray-haired, balding man that plays with puppets, but you know what? It makes people happy, makes people smile, and that makes me happy.

Chadwick: I'll check it, 1. Check it, 2. A microphone, check, check, microphone checkout. A 1, 2... What is this?

Creators:
Grotto
Published:
April 9, 2024
January 23, 2023
On a related note...
Feast of Christ the King Spotify Playlist | #GrottoMusic

Feast of Christ the King Spotify Playlist | #GrottoMusic

Grotto

Joy That Refuses To Be Eclipsed

Joy That Refuses To Be Eclipsed

Alli Bobzien

Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows Spotify Playlist | #GrottoMusic

Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows Spotify Playlist | #GrottoMusic

Grotto

Artist Colors Her City With Vibrant Murals

Artist Colors Her City With Vibrant Murals

Grotto

How Social Media Relationships Can Be Meaningful

How Social Media Relationships Can Be Meaningful

Robert Christian

St. John the Baptist Spotify Playlist | #GrottoMusic

St. John the Baptist Spotify Playlist | #GrottoMusic

Grotto

Making Adventures with Superhero Capes for Kids

Making Adventures with Superhero Capes for Kids

Grotto

Gold Medalist Bobsledder Speaks on Importance of Faith

Gold Medalist Bobsledder Speaks on Importance of Faith

Grotto Shares

The Shroud of Turin and the Science of Resurrection

The Shroud of Turin and the Science of Resurrection

Tara McMullen

5 Instas Every Booklover Should Be Following

5 Instas Every Booklover Should Be Following

Gabriella Patti

What These 5 Films About Death Teach Us About Life

What These 5 Films About Death Teach Us About Life

Hunter Cates

Why You Should Be Reading Outside

Why You Should Be Reading Outside

LuElla D'Amico

Racial Justice Spotify Playlist | #GrottoMusic

Racial Justice Spotify Playlist | #GrottoMusic

Grotto

She's All Set: A Grotto Short Film

She's All Set: A Grotto Short Film

Grotto

What I Learned From Burying My Pet Ferret

What I Learned From Burying My Pet Ferret

Eric Clayton

Growing Up on a Christmas Tree Farm

Growing Up on a Christmas Tree Farm

Grotto

Jazz Like Home

Jazz Like Home

Grotto

Feast of All Saints Spotify Playlist | #GrottoMusic

Feast of All Saints Spotify Playlist | #GrottoMusic

Grotto

Derek Jeter Transcended Baseball — But Is He a Hero?

Derek Jeter Transcended Baseball — But Is He a Hero?

Mike Jordan Laskey

Good Vibes Only Spotify Playlist | #GrottoMusic

Good Vibes Only Spotify Playlist | #GrottoMusic

Grotto

newsletter

We’d love to be pals.

Sign up for our newsletter, and we’ll meet you in your inbox each week.