[ATTENDED: August 27, 2019] Playboy Manbaby
When I heard about Okilly Dokilly from The Simpsons, I decided that I would like to see them live. So, when it was announced that they would be playing with Mac Sabbath (who I’d never heard of), at a venue fairly close to me, I grabbed a ticket. Hilariously (although not for me), this show apparently sold so poorly that by a week before the event, the venue was literally giving tickets away. So I signed up for free tickets and then couldn’t get anyone to go with me. Oh well. [The band did sell out venues in Florida, so it’s not like no one goes to see them].
Of the three bands, Playboy Manbaby was the one I was least interested in. But in the end, they were the band I enjoyed the most.
Playboy Manbaby is from Phoenix. Okilly Dokilly is also from Phoenix (and PM used most of Okilly Dokilly’s gear).
They usually have horns, but for this show (and tour?) they were a four piece: Robbie Pfeffer on vocals, TJ Friga on guitar, Chris Hudson on bass, [with a Big Gay Ice Cream shirt on] and Chad Dennis on drums. Unlike the other two bands, this band didn’t have a gimmick, they were just a kind of goofy, fun punk rock band.
Lead singer Robbie is clearly the center of attention. He walks around the stage like it’s a nervous tic, singing in a barely discernible scream most of the time. But it was his between-song and sometimes between-verse banter that won me over.
He told us the last time they played New Jersey they were in the Meatlocker (also in Montclair). That whole venue was the size of the stage at the Wellmont. He told us they had no right being at tonight’s venue because… The Wiggles were playing there soon (next week) and PM were not anywhere near the same league as The Wiggles.
He also had some fun things to say (in defense of) New Jersey. During the biting and acerbic “Thoughts and Prayers” there were pauses between verses where he would chat. So he told us that he appreciated us for taking all of the abuse that is heaped on the state. In his experience New Jersey has always been a nice place. And besides, we all know that Connecticut is the real hole. He also took a well-deserved swipe at the dreadful show Jersey Shore by telling us that it had been exported to Japan where it had been translated so that when translated back to English it was now “Macaroni Rascals.”
Overall, the evening was actually pretty family friendly…except for Playboy Manbaby who cursed up a storm. He even had us sing along to the chorus of “Cadillac Car”:
I want a Cadillac Car (Cadillac Car)
I want a new hairdo (new hairdo)
I want to go to work and tell my boss fuck you!
During the middle of “You Can Be a Fascist Too,” he climbed down from the stage and came into the middle of the audience for some participation. He had two guys enact out a competition to determine which Apple was the one true Apple–the one which creates an online music database that steals all your songs or the one which puts out records by The Beatles. It was decided by Rock Paper Scissors and….the ITunes one won.
He couldn’t get back on stage after that song (there was a metal railing in the way) so he finished the final song, “Falafel Panyhose” from the floor.
They were very funny and very good-natured and I found their songs to be very catchy. The lyrics are if not funny at least appropriately punk. And after listening to their album I really can’t get enough of it. So, I’ll have to check out more from them.
SETLIST
- Mermaid Pterodactyl
- Confrontation
- Thoughts & Prayers
- Cadillac Car
- You Can Be A Fascist Too
- Falafel Pantyhose
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