Man Man
Hallowbaloo Street Festival:
Saturday, October 29th
FREE Show!!
The Loloweeny Stage - 8:40pm
Mystical Soulmates: Frank Zappa, Tom Waits
Reviews
“Its [Man Man’s] set was a dizzying whirlwind of barrelhouse piano, alternately yelped and yowled vocals, and a drummer positioned at the front of the stage, where he belonged. Fans don't often shout for encores from bands playing in the late afternoon on SXSW's outdoor stages, but they can be forgiven their enthusiasm here: When Man Man stopped playing, the silence seemed almost surreal.” -NPR 03/20/2011
“As anyone at last Thursday's Man Man show will agree, the band put on one hell of a live show - arguably one of the best around. In t-shirts with “roadie” written across their back, the five-piece and friends transformed the outside stage at Emo’s into a mystical junkyard/art installation... As front man Honus Honus belted out his bluesy howl and launched into a jangly jam, a mosh pit erupted. Matching and surpassing the crowd's enthusiasm, Honus Honus jumped from his keyboard to sing into various microphones (with different effects) then returned to the keys as Sergei Sogay, Critter Crat, and Chang Wang switched off on different instruments and Pow Pow pounded away on the drums. Within a couple of songs fans were crowd surfing and eventually climbing the rafters as Man Man kept the energy sky high with their circus-like showcase.” -AUSTINIST 05/09/2011
Hallowbaloo Street Festival:
Saturday, October 29th
FREE Show!!
The Loloweeny Stage - 8:40pm
Mystical Soulmates: Frank Zappa, Tom Waits
Reviews
“Its [Man Man’s] set was a dizzying whirlwind of barrelhouse piano, alternately yelped and yowled vocals, and a drummer positioned at the front of the stage, where he belonged. Fans don't often shout for encores from bands playing in the late afternoon on SXSW's outdoor stages, but they can be forgiven their enthusiasm here: When Man Man stopped playing, the silence seemed almost surreal.” -NPR 03/20/2011
“As anyone at last Thursday's Man Man show will agree, the band put on one hell of a live show - arguably one of the best around. In t-shirts with “roadie” written across their back, the five-piece and friends transformed the outside stage at Emo’s into a mystical junkyard/art installation... As front man Honus Honus belted out his bluesy howl and launched into a jangly jam, a mosh pit erupted. Matching and surpassing the crowd's enthusiasm, Honus Honus jumped from his keyboard to sing into various microphones (with different effects) then returned to the keys as Sergei Sogay, Critter Crat, and Chang Wang switched off on different instruments and Pow Pow pounded away on the drums. Within a couple of songs fans were crowd surfing and eventually climbing the rafters as Man Man kept the energy sky high with their circus-like showcase.” -AUSTINIST 05/09/2011
“If a sellout at the Bluebird wasn't enough of an indication of Man Man's fervent audience, then the widespread concertgoer face painting - homage to the chosen bodily accessory of the Philly band - surely was. The quintet pleased its following into mosh-pit-madness, embracing a Dionysian turbulence few other touring groups can equal.” –THE DENVER POST 05-26-2011
Hallowbaloo Preview
Man Man is the name of the band. Honus Honus, Pow Pow and Chang Wang are some of the band members’ names. Got your attention yet? Are you wondering what this all means? Even die-hard fans of Man Man may not be able to fully explain it to you. But all you need to know is that describing Man Man as wacky is a bit of an understatement. And an opportunity to see them live should not be missed. Repeat: should not be missed.
The highly experimental band from Philadelphia, Penn. has been described as anything from Viking vaudeville to maniacal Gypsy Jazz. Touting a dark carnival-like tone to much of their music, songs often evoke images of glittery demon clowns chasing little children through a fun house full of twisted mirrors. While loosely based around frontman Honus Honus' piano playing and sometimes growling, screaming vocals, the band members all play multiple instruments, from sousaphone to smashed plates to toy noisemakers, pots, and bike horns. It’s common to see the band sporting war paint and coordinated white outfits on stage, all the while performing at a frenetic pace. Hardcore fans often sport matching white warpaint and white outfits while rocking out in the front row of shows.
Man Man’s first album, The Man in a Blue Turban with a Face, came out in 2004, but it wasn’t until the release of Six Demon Bag in 2006 that the band rose to bigger-name success. The single “10 lb Mustache” was featured in a Nike commercial starring The Office’s Rainn Wilson. A rendition of the album’s “Black Mission Goggles” at last year’s SxSW saw Honus climbing stage beams in short white denim shorts.
Rabbit Habits came out in 2008, and the music video for the title-track starred funny people Fred Armisen, Charlyne Yi and a tribute to the ’80s film Teen Wolf. Man Man’s fourth album, Life Fantastic, just came out in May of this year, followed by major American and European tours. Produced by Mike Mogis of Bright Eyes and Monsters of Folk, Life Fantastic is a bit more toned down and darker than the previous three albums, though no less entropic in content. CMJ writes, “Man Man has an image to uphold, and it does that while refining its focus. The group has moved forward conceptually but at times still sounds like the trained animals and clowns from the circus that ambushed the orchestral pit, and that’s just fine.”
It’s a promise that a Man Man show will be a spectacle and a memorable experience — a pensive experience, too, if you let it be. All this is matched by penetrating music that is equally worthy of your attention. The band members are not only talented, but extremely seasoned as well. Did we mention that a live Man Man show is not to be missed?
Hallowbaloo Preview
Man Man is the name of the band. Honus Honus, Pow Pow and Chang Wang are some of the band members’ names. Got your attention yet? Are you wondering what this all means? Even die-hard fans of Man Man may not be able to fully explain it to you. But all you need to know is that describing Man Man as wacky is a bit of an understatement. And an opportunity to see them live should not be missed. Repeat: should not be missed.
The highly experimental band from Philadelphia, Penn. has been described as anything from Viking vaudeville to maniacal Gypsy Jazz. Touting a dark carnival-like tone to much of their music, songs often evoke images of glittery demon clowns chasing little children through a fun house full of twisted mirrors. While loosely based around frontman Honus Honus' piano playing and sometimes growling, screaming vocals, the band members all play multiple instruments, from sousaphone to smashed plates to toy noisemakers, pots, and bike horns. It’s common to see the band sporting war paint and coordinated white outfits on stage, all the while performing at a frenetic pace. Hardcore fans often sport matching white warpaint and white outfits while rocking out in the front row of shows.
Man Man’s first album, The Man in a Blue Turban with a Face, came out in 2004, but it wasn’t until the release of Six Demon Bag in 2006 that the band rose to bigger-name success. The single “10 lb Mustache” was featured in a Nike commercial starring The Office’s Rainn Wilson. A rendition of the album’s “Black Mission Goggles” at last year’s SxSW saw Honus climbing stage beams in short white denim shorts.
Rabbit Habits came out in 2008, and the music video for the title-track starred funny people Fred Armisen, Charlyne Yi and a tribute to the ’80s film Teen Wolf. Man Man’s fourth album, Life Fantastic, just came out in May of this year, followed by major American and European tours. Produced by Mike Mogis of Bright Eyes and Monsters of Folk, Life Fantastic is a bit more toned down and darker than the previous three albums, though no less entropic in content. CMJ writes, “Man Man has an image to uphold, and it does that while refining its focus. The group has moved forward conceptually but at times still sounds like the trained animals and clowns from the circus that ambushed the orchestral pit, and that’s just fine.”
It’s a promise that a Man Man show will be a spectacle and a memorable experience — a pensive experience, too, if you let it be. All this is matched by penetrating music that is equally worthy of your attention. The band members are not only talented, but extremely seasoned as well. Did we mention that a live Man Man show is not to be missed?
