Meet the Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players

Jason Trachtenburg, his wife, Tina, and their daughter, Rachel, are the Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players. They are the newest indie rock darlings, and it’s no wonder why. Dad plays keyboards and writes and sings songs based on slides that the Trachtenburgs pick up at estate sales, 11-year-old Rachel is the percussionist and backing vocalist, and Mom works the old-school carousel slide projector during live performances. All this makes our hearts go pitter-patter, but we nearly foamed at the mouth when we got word that the family cooks vegetarian meals on stage to share with the audience. When we got the chance to peek inside Jason’s brain, he wrote us an anti-KFC poem and left us with only one unanswered question: What’s not to love?

So tell us your story. When did you decide to go vegetarian? Was Rachel raised on a vegetarian diet?

I have been a vegetarian since July 4, 1992. That final and unceremonious chicken leg and thigh was at a barbecue in Austin, Texas. I don’t really do cheese or milk either. What’s the point? Our daughter and drummer in the band, Rachel Trachtenburg, has been a vegetarian by choice for most of her life. Vegetarianism is one of our two or three favorite things about this life.

We’ve heard that you sometimes cook vegetarian food to feed the audience at your shows. That’s a really fun and positive way to get people to consider vegetarian food as an option. What else do you think is a good way to spread the word about vegetarianism?

We have cooked recipes on stage—fried-and-battered tofu, fresh corn tortillas, and various cakes. Vegetarianism is life, simply because there is no killing involved. A good way to spread the word about being vegetarian would be to have everyone come over to my apartment and try some of these ridiculously amazing chickpea dishes I’ve just made. Chana bhaji masala was the successful concept. And, with the extra garbanzos, I made intense golden garlic hummus. Tina Piña Trachtenburg, the mom in the band, gave me the recipe for the hummus, and I used a spice packet for the chana bhaji (kinda cheatin’—but easy enough). And it was so good, oh my God.  

We’ve also heard that you cook for yourselves while traveling. How easy is it to eat a vegetarian diet when you’re on the road?

It seems so easily feasible and obviously economical to exclude eating meat from this world. It’s somebody’s choice to fry up decaying carcasses rather than steam rice and vegetables. Guess what? You are the chef. And you have the choice to choose from the most abundant selections and varieties of organic and biodynamic produce in the history of humankind at any health food store or co-op in the world. Never before has it been more convenient to procure produce produced pre-pesticide. When the family band travels, we source out the independent health food stores and co-ops in each new town every day.

How much do you know about factory farming? And what kind of impact did it have on your decision to stop eating meat?

All glories to the animal rights activists who set up tables on the streets. All glories to those in this world who have stopped eating meat. All glories to everyone who takes the extra measures it takes these days for kindness to all living things. All glories to those who do the right things. Factory farming has created an accepted atmosphere of disease and filth. It is the ultimate expression of Western expansionism, slavery, and torture. Carnivores create “bird flu” and E. coli issues. Vegetarians are clean.

Why do you feel that it is important for people to make the compassionate choice to go vegetarian?

You just have to ask yourself, “Which side am I on?” Do I, or you, want peace in our hearts and peace on this planet? Does the power of our thoughts and decisions really carry an impact? “Choice” and “choose” are the key words to this question. We, the concerned, chose compassion over killing. My American lifestyle and reality choices have taken me far away from the torture and abuse of the enslaved—be they human or animal. So, when your friends come over with their bottles of water and tubs of chicken salad, let them know the “before” and “during” consequences of the devastation that they have caused to themselves, the environment, and the chickens.

Our main campaign right now is against KFC. What kind of message do you have for KFC about the way it treats its animals? And what do you think is a good way to spread the word about KFC?

A Chicken/ Kentucky Fried/ Scalded Alive/ Biscuits and Fries/ Pepsi Lies Accountable for crimes against humanity/ And crimes against the animals/ Devastating (sur)reality compensating and competing forces vie for our attention spans the world that goes round and round and … Hey will somebody do something around here? Or is it up to me … ? I guess it’s up to me./ And you.

My 35-year boycott of KFC continues to this day. My main “beef” with all these restaurants is their refusal to offer meat substitutes at all times. Vegetarian “chicken” and “meat” and “cheese” products are readily available to everyone. I challenge the restaurant and fast-food industries to raise their lowest-common-denominator stature and to raise customers’ expectations.

After PETA’s vigorous campaign against J.Crew, the clothing chain announced that it would stop selling fur. What message do you have for people who still think that it’s acceptable to wear fur?

First of all, congratulations on your victory! Progress has been made. Lives have been saved. And fashion is better than ever—just ask the dogs and cats from China. The common-sense anti-fur movement has seeped into the mainstream consciousness. Hopefully, vegetarianism will soon follow. Fur-wearers often travel together. They feed off each other’s grossness and grandiousness. Even vintage fur has a bad vibe.

Thanks so much for taking the time to do this interview. Before we sign off, can you tell us what’s next for the band?

The Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players are putting together a DVD and our Volume II CD is available now. See our Web site for details! Thank you, PETA, for your earth-shattering efforts in this world made of glass. 

We all may not be able to travel the world while cooking on stage for adoring fans, but we all can make a difference for animals. It’s as simple as sharing your favorite recipe on the boards so that others can learn how easy it is to cook delicious vegetarian meals. Or, if you’re feeling inspired after reading Jason’s poem, why not write your own anti-KFC diatribe and then forward it to friends for their feedback? Better still, send the poem to us, and—if you’re lucky—we’ll post it on our blog!