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One of the odder bands on the 80/35 roster is Man Man. The Philadelphia band is known for theatrical outfits, face paint and the hoarse voice of frontman Honus Honus (real name Ryan Kattner). The band last played Des Moines with Modest Mouse in 2007. Honus decided to mark their return by answering a few silly questions.
In Des Moines, Man Man has gone from playing small clubs to ballrooms, and now a big festival. Next time you come back, what type of venue do you hope to play? A coliseum, maybe?
The State Fair. I've never been there, but it seems like a good place to freak people out, though.
You've been playing a lot of outdoor festivals. Any tips on staying cool with a 10-pound mustache or comparable facial hair?
Well, you have to regulate your whole body. That's how my wearing shorts came about. We played our first outdoor festival, Pitchfork, several years ago. It was 102 degrees, so that was the first time I cut my pants into shorts.
You're playing right before G. Love, giving the festival a little Philadelphia section. Have you ever played with them before, and are there other Philly bands we should be on the lookout for?
I'm really excited to play with G. Love, actually. We've never done that before. On our last tour we actually listened to "Cold Beverage" a couple times on the ride. I don't know if they're still up and coming, but I really love that band Pissed Jeans. I'm sure they have another album due out at some point. (They do, "King Of Jeans," Aug. 18). I really enjoy that one Free Energy single that came out last month, "Dream City." It sounds like a straight-up '70s song, but it's spirited. A good shower song.
What's the music scene like in Philadelphia?
It's kind of all over the place. I was talking with a good friend of mine the other day, saying that's it's strange all these years later that we still don't really fit in to any sort of music scene in Philly. It's a lonely road, you know. We're kind of hard-pressed to find a music scene that we fit into anywhere.
At the same time that makes you stand out a bit too.
Yeah, but sometimes we want a hug.
Was your stage name inspired by fellow Pennsylvanian Honus Wagner?
Possibly. It's such a common name, Honus. You go anywhere in Pennsylvania and one out of three people are named Honus.
I'm curious about the video for "Rabbit Habits." You wrote the video's story about the star-crossed romance between a werewolf and a circus freak. I was wondering where that came from - is it possibly based on something from your own life?
"Teen Wolf" had a very profound effect on me when I was a youngster. Oh, and "Teen Wolf 2." I tried for years to catch a frisbee with my mouth, to no avail. Chipped teeth, black eyes, bloody noses. Lots of fun.
