3 posts tagged “har mar superstar”

Parking in the college area known as "Dinkytown" in Minneapolis can be kind of hard, especially when the meters on 4^th Street runs until 10pm. I didn't mind walking a few blocks to the beautiful Varsity Theater as the weather was nothing less than perfect that Friday evening.

Opening up for Har Mar Superstar are three very different genre and acts. Starting with Koo Koo Kangeroo (official / myspace), whose music styling is that of hip hop - for toddlers. Their songs are dead simple, like "AOA" (sample lyrics: "aye oh aye oh aye") and "Cheh Cheh Chi" and "LMNOP", but they're catchy and easy to sing along. The highlight of their set was when they threw down a white tarp-like covering and the audience was dancing under it like a party fort.

Wow, Bang Bang Eche (myspace) are young. Someone told me that they're about 18 years old, but they certainly look much younger. Their music is very punk high-energy and reminds me a bit of Arctic Monkeys influenced. My easily favorite song from their set is "Fist Full of Dollars", perhaps a reference to Sergio Leone classic film? They ended their setlist with "Die Hippy Scum". Oh, also, it's worth noting that bassist T'Nealle sported a three keyboard cat moon t-shirt. Adorable.

The odd group on the bill was two-person group, Lookbook (myspace). The band is basically guitarist Grant Cutler, who plays guitars and handles the pre-recordings, with vocalist Maggie Morrison. Their music sounds like 80s pop, not exactly the "body-moving" type of music that you'd think Har Mar's audience would demand. Not really much to say, except I think Maggie looks really cute and I will be talking about them in further detail on my "book"-theme news on Sunday.

Har Mar Superstar ♥ Varsity Theater, Minneapolis (11/06/09)

Compared to the last time I saw Har Mar Superstar, which was basically a man and his undies and boombox - he now has a full band, all dressed in white with a red cross on the back. Also, the last time I saw him, he basically stripped down after the first few songs - this time, he started off very heavily dressed with an African cover, hat, etc.

After the first song, he took off his hat. After "DUI", he took off the overall to reveal a Prince "Purple Rain" shirt. He kept taking off articles of clothing as the night went on. From "EZ Pass", to "Girls Only", to "Creative Juices"... the audience was loving it all.

Har Mar and Melinda Park singing "Powerline"

By the time "Brothers & Sisters" was played, he inevitably took off his shirt. The pants disappeared with "Apple Sauce", followed by "Turn it Around". The finale song was "Tall Boy", which Zach, from Bang Bang, and some woman called Melinda Park (or was it Mindy Park?) joined on stage to help sing the song. Park would later turn up again to help sing one of the encore, "Powerline".

The very last song, Har Mar sang an a cappella version of Boyz II Men's "It's So Hard To Say Goodbye To Yesterday". He would pretend the song ended and everyone would clap... only he would continue to sing the refrain. After the third false ending and after he said "goodnight", he came back and sang some more.

Har Mar's latest album is Dark Touches, available from Dilettante Recordings. Read Andrew's review of the album, pick up a copy at amazon

There are a lot of opinions about Har Mar Superstar, but there is one observation that is universal: He’s comfortable in his skin. And if you’ve seen him perform, you’ve seen just about every inch of that skin and aren’t likely to forget it. The Minnesota-born musician (and more recently actor/writer) has most recently based himself in Los Angeles and can teach Southern California a great deal about confident self-body image. Dancing onstage in his tighty-whiteys, his sweaty jiggling Homer Simpson physique on full display, one can’t help but feel in awe of his presence. Also; more or less revolted.

Har Mar Superstar is Sean Tillman - long known in the Minneapolis-St Paul area for his work with bands Calvin Krime and Sean Na Na - who nearly a decade ago decided to test his R&B chops and began performing under his current moniker (named after St. Paul’s Har Mar Mall), to the simultaneous delight and disgust of crowds across the upper-Midwest.

There’s no doubt Har Mar has vocal talent. At times evoking Prince or Stevie Wonder, it’s easy to forget you’re listening to a chubby Minnesotan with a year-round February tan and hair that sticks out, well, everywhere. Audiences don’t always get it, admittedly. He’s garnered a love-hate relationship with crowds in recent years as an opening act for groups like the Strokes, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. I’ve witnessed nothing but warm reception in his appearances (in the Twin Cities), but can understand the average Australian Chili Peppers fan anticipating Anthony Kiedis dancing around in a diaper having difficulty welcoming a similar level of exposure from Har Mar Superstar. Thankfully, Har Mar is showing that you don’t have to be poster-perfect to make it in music - or in Hollywood. He made a cameo appearance as “Dancin’ Rick” in the otherwise forgettable Starsky and Hutch movie, and now appears in Drew Barrymore’s “Whip It”, where he befriended Juno’s Ellen Page and Arrested Development’s Alia Shawkat (the former told a story on the Tonight Show a few weeks ago about the three of them vacationing in Amsterdam and the latter appears in Har Mar’s video for “Tall Boy”). The three of them are apparently now developing an HBO comedy called “Stitch N’ Bitch.”

The aforementioned “Tall Boy” track was originally written by Har Mar for Brittany Spears, but, perhaps not shockingly, it was rejected by her handlers. Presumably, they didn’t care for her being associated with blue collar drinking metaphors. Because, you know, she’s such a classy lady. Instead, Har Mar performs it himself, lyrically unaltered, as the first single from his Dark Touches album. The song is actually pretty impressive, I thoroughly enjoy the rhythmic can-opening noises which cause me to feel a strange (and otherwise unprecedented) desire to crack a 24 oz. PBR. The video is quite entertaining as well, featuring Eva Mendes and a sort of Daft Punk-reminiscent space-suited android Har Mar Superstar displaying just a hint of his ample robo-gut.

Dark Touches - his fourth full-length release and first in five years - is overall a pleasant surprise. There’s a certain something on offer here that was perhaps lacking in his previous releases. Maybe it takes a turn toward mainstream pop, but more than that I would say it possesses a certain level of consistent listenability that had always been sadly missing. And while I would have long classified myself as a fan, I would say that only now has he released an album that will enable him to cross the line from novelty act to legitimate entertainment. His trademark absurd (and invariably sexually explicit) lyrical turns of phrase are evident as always - my favorite is “Game Night” (featuring P.O.S and Adam Green) an electro-hip-hop ditty which rattles off various family board games and associated thuggish taunts “Gonna slay your crew in a game of Taboo” and “I got all the railroads. Crushing you.” And the title of the seventh track; “Gangsters Want to Cuddle Me” I think says it all.

Regardless of your feelings about lewd under-groomed chubby Minnesota R&B personalities who are gifted with buttery smooth voices, flawless dance moves and astronomical self-esteem, you’re going to be seeing a lot more of Har Mar Superstar. For those not faint of heart, search him on YouTube and sample his appearances in the “Crappy Holidays” short videos or check him out on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon October 26th. There's nothing quite like seeing him live, however, in all his glistening near-nude splendor. I recommend practicing your "horrified delight" expression in the mirror beforehand.

Tall Boy (feat. P.O.S and Adam Green)

Here's some music news that's come across news.weheartmusic.com. Are you interested in having your press release/announcements published there? Please email me for our contact information. If I find a music-related new interesting, I will compile them in my weekly news roundup here.

Har Mar Superstar's "Dark Touches"
harmarsuperstar.com ♥ myspace.com/harmarstar

Har Mar Mall - I mean Superstar - is back, after five years of absent since 2004's The Handler... Which did extremely well in the UK (check out the free track, "DUI", from The Handler album).

Even though he's been gone, he's actually been doing behind the scene sort of thing by writing music for other people: The Cheetah Girls, Jennifer Lopez, Kelly Osbourne, and Ben Adams. When one of his song, "Tall Boy" was rejected by Britney Spears' management, he decided record and release it under his own album.

Vu and Har Mar Superstar, circa 2000

So, Dark Touches will be out October 13^th on Dilettante Recordings. I am happy to let you know we have a review copy in house, and I will be making sure it gets reviewed prior to the release date.

In the meantime, here is a drawing of the first time I saw this 90% naked man on stage, sweating, crying, thrusting his pelvis in my direction.

PS, I have here also that Har Mar will be in a Hollywood movie starring Ellen Page (Juno) and Ali Shawkat called Whip It, directed by Drew Barrymore (who also happened to produce one of my favorite movie called Donnie Darko).

Nico Vega - Cocaine Cooked the Brain (guns n bombs remix) Nico Vega Discography [2006] Choose your words poorly [2007] Cocaine Cooked the Brain [2007] No Child Left Behind [2009] Nico Vega

Nico Vega to Tour with Placebo
nicovega.com ♥ myspace.com/nicovega

I saw Nico Vega near the end of 2007. They were first of three bands, which I wrote was "the best (performance-wise)", simply because they had such energy and showmanship. Particularly impressed with Aja's leotard outfit and her barefooted-ness.

I knew they were going to be special, but who would figure they will be doing so much (and so well!)? The latest report I have is that they are going to be opening up for Placebo, plus on top of that, their song "Beast" featured in the horror movie called "The Collector" (I hope it's not based on the book by John Fowles I read when I was younger).

Tour Dates

Tour Dates 08/29/09 Nebraska State Fair Lincoln, NE 08/30/09 Paramount Theater Denver, CO 09/02/09 Nokia Theater Los Angeles, CA 09/04/09 Mountain Winery Saratoga, CA 09/05/09 Mountain Winery Saratoga, CA 09/07/09 Rodney Strong Vineyard, CA 09/09/09 Dodge Theatre Phoenix, AZ 09/11/09 Morongo Casino & Resort, CA * as Hall & Oates Daryl Hall Discography [1980] Sacred Songs [1986] 3 Hearts in the Happy Ending Machine [1993] Soul Alone [2003] Can't Stop Dreaming [2004] Live in Philadelphia

Daryl Hall and Smokey Robinson
livefromdarylshouse.com ♥ smokeyrobinson.com

I took a look at Hall's website, he's really got this "internet thing" down to an art. I just subscribed to his podcast and generally really impressed he's producing such great content.

So, with the 22^nd episode of Live from Daryl's House, Daryl Hall (you know of Hall & Oates) teams up with Smokey Robinson to play a nine-song set. Some of the song listed will be “Sara Smile,” “Tears of a Clown” and “Ooh, Baby Baby.” Not really that much to add here, I guess be sure to catch the pair on August 15^th, that's this Saturday, at www.livefromdarylshouse.com.

Hey Daryl, they're watching you, they see your every move...