Man Man at the Mercy Lounge

I opened up Safari yesterday to my nice Google homepage only to see on my Nashville concert ticker that Man Man was playing a show that night. It didn't really matter what happened the rest of the day, with a surprise like that, there could be no wrong. I've been a fan for a few months now, and with a picture of their live show like this:


there was no stopping me from seeing Man Man for myself. I got to the Mercy Lounge slightly early and heard their sound check, which only served to top my anticipation. Their lead singer came and let us in, talking to us and thanking us for coming. He even went back stage and got the six of us plastic bowls and spoons, cereal, and soy milk for us to enjoy before the show. What else could go wrong? When the show finally started, the energy was close to euphoric. Unmatched by any I've ever seen. Not even close. They came out in war paint only to play 50 minutes of continuous music...no breaks. For instruments they used everything from bike horns to spoons in a metal bowl. And the crazy thing was for all the stage antics, facial expressions, and audience christenings (yes, i was man man christened), they actually sounded great! They were so good I have made a promise to myself that I will travel up to 3 hours to see them again, so if you have a chance, by all means GO TO THEIR SHOW! I will leave you with a wonderful sample of my night last night. I hope you enjoy!

Man Man -- Hot Bat
Man Man -- Engwish Bwudd

Thanks to http://lostinyourinbox.blog-city.com/ for the mp3s.

In light of my night, my list of favorite shows has undergone a dramatic shift. Sufjan is still secure, but Man Man has made its mark:

1) Sufjan Stevens at the Rhyman
2) Man Man at The Mercy Lounge
3) Coldplay at Starwood

Close behind: Lovedrug at Exit/In, Augustana at City Hall, and perhaps even Family Force 5 at Rcktwn.