On the warm evening of September 20 I ventured to the south part of Seattle to an intimate little club called Clock-Out Lounge. The headliner was a Phoenix band called Playboy Manbaby. I saw PBM at Punk Rock Bowling last year and was very impressed so when I learned they were playing in Seattle I thought I’d check them out again. As impressed as I was at their PRB show, they wowed me even more this time.
PBM is fronted by the very dynamic Robbie Pfeffer who looks like a cross between a 1970s Elton John & John Denver, complete with John Denver spectacles. He also drips with charisma. He was all over the stage, barely standing still for more than two seconds as he growled and howled into the mic.
The guitar player was no slouch in the high energy department either. When he wasn’t flipping his long hair about, he was doing fancy footwork that almost resembled a ballet.
PBM was great at getting the audience involved with the show. Before they finished their set, Robbie told everyone that instead of shouting out, one more song, instead chant, Jerry! Jerry! In honor of Jerry Springer. And everyone complied. The band left the stage and everyone called out, Jerry! Jerry! Until they returned. Playboy Manbaby is a great band with songs that are part power pop, part screamo, and part comedy. I can’t wait for them to play here again. I had a lot of fun.
Forty Feet Tall played prior to Playboy Manbaby and holy guacamole these guys were amazing. Hailing from Portland, OR, they are fronted by the zany and energetic Cole Gann (lead singer/guitar), he was all over the stage and all over the dance floor as he grunted and growled into his mic. Part way through the show they tossed a sack full of inflated balloons and styrofoam noodles into the crowd and told everyone to slow mo attack each other with the noodles. It was a sight to see as he stood by and watched the audience do his bidding. He wore what looked like pink striped pajamas with cartoonish tigers all over them and pink Nikes. Jack Sehres on guitar was also all over the stage as was bass player Brett Marquette who with drummer Ian Kelley formed a formidable rhythm section. The whole band was wild and loads of fun.
Opening the evening was Steaksauce Mustache. These guys have no bio that I could find so I know nothing about them. Their lead singer reminded me of a young Paul Weller (from the Jam) while the guitar player looked like Pete Townshend but with Roger Daltrey’s hair. Their bass player looked like he walked out of Fleetwood Mac from their hey days. They played with a lot of jangly power cords that harkened me back to the early days of punk.
All three bands were fantastic and I had a totally fun time.
