Man Man in Chinatown and Nashville

After Isa Chandra's 8-part meal, of which I was only able to horde mouthfuls of the 8th (vegan chocolate cupcakes), the attendees of New York magazine's second of six "hip" parties aimed at ... amping magazine subscriptions, making a meglomagazine cool, throwing money around, promoting Verizon and Diesel for fun(?) were privy to one of the best live acts in rock, circus noise, carnival beat(?). Man Man aired out some new material that seemed slightly more focused on melodic repetition (replete with quirky, unpredictable Rhodes arpeggios and choral hootenany) in a densely percussive integration of its parts that signaled a more synthesized whole. It was perhaps more of a pleasure, though, to hear their oldest material, which, first released to my knowledge in 2004, has become so innate to their playing styles that watching and listening to them playing "Zebra" or "10lb Moustache" is watching Man Man breath out their husky, hyper erratic souls. They've kept some of the same gimmicks through the years - the giant trumpet kazoos, the choreographed stool stomps, spoon percussion, and, their strict tennis whites and matching face paint dress code.

Was it weird to see them headline for a heavily sponsored promotional event for a glossy? Perhaps. Did it really matter once they got started? Most of the sponsors filtered out before they even hit the stage, a whole crew of Diesels in front of me buttoning up their muave leather jackets and mussed hair and leaving full bottles of wine in their wake. And no matter whether New York Magazine hoped to collar them into "it" band status, their inner Man Man seemed incapable of noticing.

Nashville

Music City, U.S.A. – Nashville, a town that is home to some of the finest music ever conceived to tape, has made me start to question its credibility in the current scheme of things. As of the past year, the alleged “home of country music,” has developed into a place where I’ve become weary of encountering live music. This isn’t because of the music, but because of the crowds that come to these shows – you have the type that stand like a stiff board, blocking the view right in front of the stage, or the type that revel in getting so drunk that they forgot a band was even playing. Either way, it’s hard to immerse yourself in a live experience to it’s full potential with the distraction of a horrendous crowd. But it’s now safe to say, my confidence in the Nashville crowd has been somewhat restored after Tuesday night’s Man Man show at the Mercy Lounge.

Although the show was opened up by quite possibly the most unimaginative DJ set I’ve ever witnessed (so much so that I can’t even begin to remember the name of the figure behind the tables), Man Man took the stage to a crowd that didn’t seem to be expecting much on a Tuesday night, but got more than they ever bargained for. After first seeing them at last year’s Pitchfork Music Festival, I had to be there when the Nashville date was announced.

For those that have had a chance to see the band live, you’ll notice their set-up is immensely packed in. This allows them to all feed off each other, pummeling sounds out of their amplified instrumentation. Screaming through tracks off of “ Six Demon Bag” and their first record “The Man in the Blue Turban With A Face”, this was the sound of a band hitting its peak.

Fresh off the Modest Mouse tour I expected nothing short of a well-rehearsed band, and my expectations were fulfilled. Performing what I’m guessing were new tracks, the band’s excessive amount of percussive instruments were in impeccable timing and their chemistry as a band provided Nashville with one of the best shows I’ve seen in 2007. Their psychotic freak-outs and insane stage antics, such as the act of throwing spoons – something I never thought I would type within the pages of a live review – provide a circus of sounds and a live show unlike any other. Although throughout the duration of the show, the Tom Waits vocal comparisons turned more into comparisons to Modest Mouse’s Isaac Brock as the rasp wore off (which is not always a good thing), the band delivered to their full capability.

I was under the impression that the vast majority of these people at this show weren’t too familiar with the band, but most left under the impression that this band was one they needed to become familiar with. The only thing I can hope for in the near future is that their records begin to carry the energy that their live shows bring, then we’ll have ourselves one hell of a band.