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Review: Man Man and Yeasayer at Emo’s
After a week of high-profile performances during South by Southwest, Brooklyn-based Yeasayer returned to open for Philadelphia’s Man Man, who likewise showed what they were made of during the March festival. Yeasayer has clearly benefited from time on the road, as their set was tighter and packed with more psychedelic light show theatrics than the last time they were in town. The Pitchfork Media review of their debut album, “All Hour Cymbals,” refers to the band as “Byrne disciples,” which isn’t necessarily fair — the band holds its own without coming across as too derivative of the influences. It is undeniable, however, that lead vocalist Chris Keating does convulse on stage with moves reminiscent of the pointy-shouldered indie deity.
Man Man did their best to follow Yeasayer’s flashing lights and giant eyeball videos. As they took the stage, with streaks of white paint marking their faces, I couldn’t help but compare lead man (man) Honus Honus, with his early ’70s Stones-style mullet and thick mustache, to Harry Shearer’s bassist from Spinal Tap. While some might regard a five-piece band that equips each member with their own percussion set as indulgent, the crowd, which packed in as close to the stage as possible, clearly did not. Fans hung on every note of every song, with some feeling the need to crowd surf and even climb up on the rafters. The band romped through a set of their unique gypsy/klezmer/punk/rock, with highlights including “Top Drawer” off their recent release “Rabbit Habits.”
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By KCReb
May 1, 2008 1:24 PM | Link to this
Wow. This is a really weak review. The show was great and this just doesn’t do it justice at all.