Chime spree

Photo: Beth Levendis

For some New Yorkers, the first cloyingly happy notes of the Mister Softee theme song blaring out of an approaching ice-cream truck mark the beginning of summer’s many downsides. That’s why Williamsburg artists Jeffrey Lopez and Lauren Rosati cooked up their mobile public art project, “Ice Cream Headache”—a means of giving Gothamites relief from the pain of the ubiquitous ditty by letting them reinvent it. “We thought it would be interesting to see what people come up with,” explains Lopez. “It gives them a chance to create their own jingle.”

Until April 30, the pair will accept audio submissions at info@suite405.com from anyone willing to cut a completely new version of the 1960s tune, which was originally created by an advertising firm for Mister Softee’s radio ads.

On May 27 (during Memorial Day weekend) they plan to board an ice-cream truck in Williamsburg and travel through the boroughs, playing a continuous audio loop of the entries and setting up listening stations so people can preview the various tracks. They’re also hoping to give away free ice cream if they find a sponsor. To avoid heat from the very litigious Mister Softee Inc., the duo will decorate their vehicle so that it cannot be mistaken for one of the iconic trucks—but since they’re not selling anything, the tune-smithing is free expression.

So far, Lopez has fielded 29 entries, ranging from the ambivalently relaxing, like one from Timothy Nohe of Australia, to tracks that creatively reinterpret the classic Mister Softee chime, such as the instrumentless version by New York’s Adam Matta. “He’s a human beat-boxer,” explains Lopez, “so he’s replaced the bells with a trumpet, but the sound comes from his mouth.”

In some cases, the interpretations are coming off as a form of revenge. “I think people’s disdain toward the Mister Softee truck isn’t the volume, but the repetition,” says Lopez. “You’re like, Oh God, that jingle. But it’s characteristic of New York. I mean, this is a noisy, vibrant place.”—Daniel Derouchie