Review: Har Mar at the Brick bar

His music is part disco, part funk, part hip-hop, part pop and rock. Some of it is live; some is programmed and canned. His act is all camp, kitsch and processed cheese. It was all enough to attract about 100 fans to the Brick on Wednesday night for a short but  lively performance by the singer/songwriter/actor Sean Tillman, who performs as Har Mar Superstar.

He's the total package: dancer, singer, songwriter, rapper and amateur Chippendale.

If this show had any shred of a theme or message, it was: Take your fun seriously, but not yourself. Or: Laugh at yourself and people will  laugh with you (and like you for it).

Not long after a set by Kansas City's Beautiful Bodies (who introduced two good new songs), Har Mar came out covered in a garish tunic-like garment, wearing elbow length gloves studded with gold sequins. Reports of a strong facial resemblance to a young Ron Jeremy were confirmed. So were suggestions that he could be the next hefty-boy cast member on "Saturday Night Live" (he'd fit somewhere between Chris Farley and Horatio Sanz). 

He brought a three-piece band with him and machines to provide some canned background vocals and other sounds. The set lasted less than an hour. He sang "DUI," his funk-rap about drunk-dialing. He also did "Cut Me Up" and "Sunshine" and "Body Request" and "Creative Juices" and "Tall Boy," the single off his latest album and a song (supposedly) he'd written for Britney Spears. And though he announced at least twice that he was feeling ill ("I just slept 30 hours straight," he said), he also executed his b-boy one-arm handstand (I assume; I could only see his legs above the crowd up front).

As the show progressed, he began disrobing, shedding his tunic and then layers of shirts. One was a cutoff T-shirt from Prince's 1985 "Purple Rain" tour, which was appropriate. Har Mar's music borrows generously from that sound; it also bears some heavy resemblance to music from Beck on "Midnite Vultures" -- with some early Beastie Boys rap thrown in.

Some in the crowd of mostly 20- and 30-somethings were familiar with many of his songs; others looked like they figured it was worth $12 to quench their curiosity about this guy, his reputation and his campy, thoroughly unself-conscious ways. 

None of it was to be taken seriously; but neither was it a complete farce. Rather it was a means of escape and release, a submission to both the music and a frivolous and comic absurdity, the kind that encourages you to smile and dance along to a chubby, balding man singing earnestly and dancing around in nothing but his underwear -- not boxers, but briefs made for someone half his size.

| Timothy Finn, The Star

Comments

[Hot chick does not a good band make]

Beautiful Bodies actually has two good songs?? To each his/her own, but they are one of the worst local bands I have ever seen live and going back 25+ years, I've seen most of 'em.

[Bewlay]

Sounds like she would definitely contrast to Mr. Superstar.

[Eddie]

Last night's show was awesome. Har mar ruled, and the Beautiful Bodies ruled even more. I always forget how good the Beautiful Bodies' singer is. She's got an awesome voice and a bad ass stage presence. At first I was skeptical about paying the 12 bucks, but the show was totally worth it.

[Blah!]

"I always forget how good the Beautiful Bodies' singer is."

Wow. Your definition of good is suspect. Go out to youtube and check the band out. She's a horrendous vocalist. All "presence" and no talent is pretty much what you get with this band.

[getalife]

I always find anonymous crap talking to be rad. BBs rule.

[Sho' nuff]

Hey, if it's the TRUTH, it's not "crap-talking," whatever the hell THAT is.......Again, go to the tape (youtube). If you can convince ANYONE with a modicum of taste and even a rudimentary amount of musical knowledge that this girl's tuneless caterwauling is even remotely "GOOD," then you friend, have found someone so gullible that you can now unload that swampland in your backyard.