By: Jen Paulson
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MC Chris - Photo by Jen Paulson
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It was a cold-ass Friday night, but instead of staying in, I threw on my t-shirt, appropriately emblazoned with the phrase “Talk Nerdy to Me,” and made my way to the East Bank with my super nerd MC Chris super-fan of a boyfriend.
As we arrived, The Men Who Control the Weather were already into their set. Their sound is an amalgam of metal and good ol’ Minnesota garage rock, and is manically sung by their frontman Johnny Boom Boom. I couldn’t help but agree with the boyfriend when he mentioned that The Whole looked like something straight out of rock band (everything comes back to rock band when you tend to play it regularly for five hours at a time.) These guys have a little something extra, that when reigned in and honed, could really be a force to be reckoned with, but right now they still need a little. Boom Boom has got the frontman thing down, but at times it seems like they might be trying just a little too hard for now. When they find that ease that comes with seasoned talent, watch out. Guard your face.
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| MC Chris - Photo by Jen Paulson |
MC Chris, pseudonym of Chris Ward – superstar of the Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim set, is part nerd-core rapper and part comedian. If he were in stand-up, he would be just as popular, if not more so. He has an easygoing stage presence as he connects with his crowd, who, in a way, flat out worship him for his knowledge of all things nerd and his talent for ridiculous snappy wordplay, blippity arcade bits and bass-heavy sampling. Or maybe it’s the weirdly charming, high-pitched whine of his unique voice.
It was just the man and his laptop. Some might know MC more for his moment as MC Pee Pants and his song “I Want Candy” from the popular episode of Aqua Teen Hunger Force, a show for which he was once a writer and voice talent. He did not play that song this night, but he did not deny the audience of the favorite “Fett’s Vette” – a rap telling of Star Wars mercenary Boba Fett’s cruiser that is definitely required listening for any Star Wars fan, myself including. The show itself highlighted a handful of songs old and new, and was heavy on his conversational stand-up style of speaking, as he joked with the largely collegiate audience, but still included its fans outside of the campus.
Look for MC Chris to come back this summer as he will be on this year’s roster for Vans Warped Tour, which makes it’s stop here in August. Or maybe, just maybe, as you’re waiting in line to buy Super Smash Brothers for the Nintendo Wii at it’s midnight release. Game on.
Location Info:
The Whole
Artist Info: Dance Band, MC Chris, The Men Who Control the Weather
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