Tuesday, July 3, 2007

Man Man @ The 40 Watt Club, Athens, GA 6/29/07: SHOW REVIEW

I haven't seen a show this spectacular since Gogol Bordello (one of my top four shows EVER, btw) a couple of years ago. This was musicianship & showmanship at it's finest, folks. A show so great, that the albums themselves pale in comparison to what Man Man is capable of delivering in their live performance. Like a hipster Peter Pan and his Lost Boys, Man Man performed in a wild, manic, fun-addicted frenzy decked out in all white (tennis short-shorts, t-shirts, polos & headbands) with streaks of white face paint, hell-bent on sucking us into their "happy place". Their stage setup was like a bed-sheet/pillow fort, with the lead singer and the drummer facing each other up front jumping around like 8 year olds hopped up on pixie sticks, while the other members surrounded them from behind frequently switching up instruments. Yet, it was all choreographed perfectly. The songs were spot on, and like I mentioned before, actually BETTER than the CD they came from. If there was ever a candidate for a live album, it would be Man Man. In fact, every album they record from now on should be live. From now on, whenever I'm stressed out & need to center myself, I'm gonna go back to that Man Man show. I'm gonna remember dancing my ass off, I'm gonna remember singing loudly & trying not to spill my PBR on the dude in front of me, I'm gonna remember the blur of lights and music, and I'm gonna chill out for awhile...in my new "happy place". Whatever you do, NEVER MISS a Man Man show. It WILL be the biggest mistake you will ever make (unless you're The President, then..well, you might be able to think of a bigger one).

3 comments:

Rich said...

I'm a big Man Man fan, but of the four times I've seen them I'd say only the first one approached what you're describing. I think the novelty wore off after seeing the outfits and antics a time or two. Damn good band though.

indietodd said...

Yeah, they are a damn good band. This was my first time seeing 'em, so I'll have to see what the second time brings. Hopefully it's just as good as the first time. Unlike heroin.

Anonymous said...

well said, friend. brought me right back. it was my 2nd show, and holy shit, I'm fiending even more than after the 1st. albums are like a sick joke after seeing them live.

don't think it'll get tired as long as they are into their music. the white garb's a throwaway, and doesn't take anything away like gimmicks can. the power lies in their reluctance to hold back, and how tuned-in to each other they are. fucking amazing.