Snow in late March is usually the last thing anyone wants but it made for a magical night with Man on Man at Sleeping Village this past Thursday.
After releasing their debut record MAN ON MAN, I was instantly hooked onto their music and have been eager to see them for a while now. Joey Holman and Faith No More’s Roddy Bottum produced the album while in lockdown together which makes sense as you can tell how much hard work and love went into the record. They’re passionate lovers and talented musicians. You don’t get very many up and coming gay indie-rock duos nowadays that also happen to be boyfriends. The pair played Chicago’s Riot Fest last year and they have since been touring and playing shows across the country.
The two came on stage and intensely made out before the lights went on and as the hype built for their set. This is something they do quite often both in their music videos and for promos; it was definitely on brand for them and encouraged by such a queer friendly crowd of fans. They opened with a new song and incorporated new material throughout their set which is very thrilling news, since their current stuff is so solid, fans have been eager for more music from them.
They followed that up with “1983” and a personal favorite of mine “Stohner.” It’s a bit of shoegaze with distorted indie rock elements that encapsulates their passionate love for each other. On stage they exchanged glances every few seconds and you could tell how enamored they are with each other. The room was highly invested in the two, you could hear a pin drop in between songs.
Their songs are so intimate and entrancing that felt like I was alone in the room and had my own private Man on Man show to myself. One could easily get lost in their music, especially with the distortion of their guitars crashing into some incredibly catchy hooks. Man on Man is a band that I stumbled upon while mindlessly scrolling through the internet. I was online vinyl shopping when their album cover for MAN ON MAN came up and I was intrigued. Upon listening to just the few singles that they had out, I instantly purchased the record knowing it was going to be a good one. I’m eager to hear what they put out next; they have talent no doubt and are definitely on the up and up!