The Two Man Gentlemen Band – Raleigh, NC – 06/08/2008
It’s always a treat when one of your favorite bands pulls into town quite frequently. This is already the 2nd time I’ve seen The Two Man Gentlemen Band this year and I’m already looking forward to their NEXT trip here! The gents really pulled out all the stops on this show and was probably the best I have seen them play yet.
They were booked into the Berkeley Cafe in Raleigh and I was really looking forward to this show. So lemme explain how the Berkeley Cafe is set up. First you walk in and it’s like a lil greasy spoon bar and grill. You walk through to the back and through a door into a large room w/ a large pa, tables, chairs, etc. When we got there, we were told that opener Ian Thomas was running late and that the show was going to be running a lil late. We made our way to the back room and the heat was treacherous. They let us know that the AC was broken and being the kinda band the gents are, they said, “We’ll just set up out front at the end of the bar on the lil platform. Most bands would’ve complained and just made a stink but the gents actually used this to their advantage, placing themselves in one of their truest elements, busking for the people. No mics, no PA just them, their instruments and talents stripped down to the rawest you could get it.
Lead singer/banjoist Andy Bean announced that since they had no mic stand to hold their signature triangle (a strike of which motions the audience to clap at the end ofd each song), he was going to pass it to the audience and we were each giving one turn at the triangle. One false ring of the triangle and you’ve lost your turn. I knew we were in for one humdinger of a show when Andy counted off with a stop of his feat “When Your Lips Are Playing My Kazoo”. The audience, small but VERY receptive clapped and laughed along with Mr. Bean and the Councilman as they just ripped right through the song.
Going right into the “Great Calamities” track “Prime Numbers” got a real hoot and holler from the crowd and the new song “You Make Me Swoon” had us all in stitches. The following song “Fancy Beer” came complete with history lesson Pabst Blue Ribbon and a drunken sing along where we all tried to yell back “Fancy Beer” and in time. We struggled with this one causing Andy to crack a few smiles and really lost it as Andy and the Councilmen sang “I aint gonna eat your meat without no, dippin’ sauce” from their “Heavy Pettin’” song “Dipping Sauce”. It was like a comedy set that was so full of laughter that I was having to catch my breath.
The Two Man Gentlemen Band – Raleigh, NC – 06/08/2008
When Your Lips Are Playing My Kazoo
Prime Numbers
You Make Me Swoon
Fancy Beer
I’ve Been Drinking
Sloppy Drunk
Ladies Love A Gentleman
Summertime
China Town
Stuff Your Ballot Box
Heavy Pettin’
Smack Your Shuttlecock
Dipping Sauce
They Can’t Prohibit Love
My Baby’s Off The Market And So Am I
Ghostbusters
William Howard Taft
Encore:
When The Saints Go Marching In
The set was chock full of great moments and great songs. The gents did a version of “Summertime” that sounded so traditional and so full of heart that the heat in the room actually seemed to intensify. Andy took this as an opportunity to serenade the audience and walk through the audience with his banjo, only to go to the bar and ask a man that was just drinking “Care for a banjo solo?”. The man says “No” in which Andy replies “Well, you’re going to get one anyway” after which the audience roared w/ approval as he went into an Eddie Van Halen style solo that had us dying.
Offering up a fair share of new numbers such as “China Town”, and “Smack Your Shuttlecock” (about badminton), the songs from their newest release “Heavy Pettin” really displayed a level of growth just since the release. Maybe it’s because they have been playing them for a while on the road but for being such new material, they just pull it off with such ease as if they’ve been around for years. The new songs show that the gents have really settled well into their sound and their songwriting style just comes across as so natural and yet traditional.
Closing out the show they launched into a hilrious take on the Ray Parker Jr. hit “Ghostbusters” which Andy directed us to yell “I Aint fraid of no ghost”. Lemme tell ya, there’s something absolutely hilarious about a man in a derby had and suspenders yelling “Bustin’ makes me feeeeeel goooood!”. We just rolled and then the band went right into a barn burning version of their “Heavy Pettin’” single “William Howard Taft”. We all screamed for an encore in which they brought up opener Ian Thomas to close out with a great second lining version of “When The Saints Go Marching In” and march they did… right out of the front door!
It was so great to see these guys. My buddy who went with me stated that he couldn’t believe that he ONLY paid 8 bucks to see them. I had to totally echo his exclamation. We chatted with Andy after the show and this guy is a true gentlemen (as always) and a good friend to share a beer with. He truly loves what they’re doing and it shows. Part of me really wishes that they would get get exposure they truly deserve. I feel they could be bigger than Old Crow Medicine Show but another part of me loves having them as my own lil secret. Whatever the future holds for the gents, just rest assure that when you see a Two Man Gentlemen Band show, you are seeing the best show of the year… every time!
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