Great Great

Posted by admin in Music on 06 15th, 2006 | no responses

Portland | Hank Stram

Man Man | old time relijun | chevron
Berbati’s Pan
From Philly, Man Man brought Exorcism, Caveman Throat and Bedroom Eyes. For awhile I had been disappointed in “rock” or “guitar music”. I found it sounding similar, no real exploration. That it hadn’t really changed. That I was seeing the same sounding band again and again. After 10 years though, it gets boring. Last year I saw Battles from NY. They kinda bitch slapped me out of that idea. They took beats sychopated to deep patterns with the big hard intense sound of helmet while weaving sophisticated melodies over, through and behind. Okay, so you’re like ‘did you see Battles or what’. They rocked and bopped and banged. They brought something new. They exposed the myth that live hip hop is all powerful. I’ve been having a growing sense that live hip hop is becoming a boring, mundane formula. A contemporary version of classic rock music. To make my point, how “cool” would it be, seeing on stage a guy in a cowboy hat, cowboy outfit (shirt from urban outfitters, pants from Chevy) singing to instrumentals of country music?

With only some guy with an mac behind him, or even if you’re lucky, a guy who puts country songs on turntables? Last night I got what I have been missing at hip hop shows, drama, danger and musical revelry. Pushing boundaries that should be pushed. Man Man pushed them even farther. Pushed them til you screamed ‘Stop pushing those boundaries! Leave them alone!’.

They put another crack in the all powerful hip hop. They grabbed you like the happy drunk guy at a wedding party, who is gonna make you dance at least one song (guys or girls). You only have one song to dance with him, so what the fuck, let it go. Man Man would. I’m not the most familar with Man Man but after the reviews of other shows, I had expected they would entertain. That they did.