Photo of Honus Honus by Valerie Paschall.
Philadelphia’s Man Man has carved out a bizarre niche over the course of its four albums. The band is repeatedly described by similar reference points — Frank Zappa, Captain Beefheart, Tom Waits — though nobody would mistake anything played Friday night for Trout Mask Replica or “Frank’s Wild Years“. Rather, Man Man has found its own gravely voice amidst its influences, mixing frenzied spectacle that’s a few parts junkyard gang with hints of wistful melancholy and obscured melodies. On stage, ephemera become instruments, be them fire extinguishers, water coolers or bicycle spokes.
Man Man was in town supporting Life Fantastic, a new album that refines, rather than expands, its established palate. Songs like “Piranhas Club” and “Dark Arts” seamlessly blended into the set alongside fan favorites like “Hurly/Burly” and “Feathers,” whereas the record’s production by Saddle Creek’s Mike Mogis hints at a creeping maturity. “Oh, La Brea”, Life Fantastic‘s final track, might be the band’s most subversive experiment yet: a flirtation with a clean, nearly growl-free sound.
Man Man has amassed a sizable if not overwhelming following, but one whose fervency made the front of the Black Cat’s mainstage awash in heaving, sweaty bodies. The band is most commonly identified with mustachioed singer Honus Honus, who, along with Pow Pow, remain constants in an ever-rotating cast of characters; it’s Honus’ carnival barker persona that provides Man Man’s live show with a petulant immediacy. During the sinister “Haute Tropique”, he threw confetti decked out in goggles and a trench coat, conjuring something between a perp on To Catch A Predator and Rip Taylor. For “The Ballad of Butter Beans”, he slipped into something more comfortable: a bedazzled onesie. Vamping around the stage, Honus resembled a bizarro Liza Minnelli with facial hair. That’s entertainment, indeed.
The band’s persona — to say nothing of its lyrics — is peculiar, but there’s something universally appealing and infectious about its manic energy. Even during its more subdued moments — of which there were quite a few, particularly during an extended encore — Man Man’s charms inspired more than a few fans to slow things down and catch their breath with a well-earned waltz.
