The Residents to perform Eskimo live for the first time at EXOTIKON 2025

For the first time in their five-decade history, avant-garde pioneers The Residents will bring their iconic 1979 album Eskimo to the stage, headlining the immersive exotica celebration EXOTIKON on June 7, 2025. Hosted at the historic Mayan Theater in Downtown Los Angeles, this long-awaited live performance promises to be one of the most ambitious moments in experimental music history.

Released during the height of punk, Eskimo subverted musical conventions entirely, replacing songs with fictional sonic rituals and ambient sound collages. A surrealist critique of Western imperialism and cultural appropriation, the record remains one of The Residents’ most celebrated and mysterious works—bold, bizarre, and, until now, entirely unperformed live.

This reimagined premiere at EXOTIKON will blend elements of reverent recreation and radical deconstruction, incorporating original master recordings alongside new visual and theatrical components. Fans can expect a myth-expanding experience that pays homage to the legacy of Eskimo while exploring new interpretive ground.

The event will anchor Day One of the two-day EXOTIKON festival, an immersive celebration of mid-century escapism curated by Peekaboo Gallery. The weekend includes performances from acts like CREEPXOTICA, Marty Lush & the Singapore Slingers, and The Satanic Puppeteer Orchestra, as well as symposia, vintage marketplaces, and late-night tiki bar takeovers.

With the myth of Eskimo finally stepping into the spotlight, EXOTIKON 2025 will be a must-attend for lovers of outsider art, avant-garde experimentation, and the strange beauty of sound that defies definition.

Tickets and full lineup details are available now at exotikon.com.