Trees was buzzing with energy last night as the mighty Mac Sabbath brought their talented sideshow-looking act and a gang of friends back to Deep Ellum.
Playboy Manbaby, a quirky quartet based out of Phoenix, Arizona, kicked the evening off around 8:20. Robbie Pfeffer instantly commanded the attention of the room and controlled it extraordinarily well. The entire set was high energy with big moments of audience participation. “Cadillac Car” was the song of the set and got the whole crowd singing, “Cadillac Car! A new hair do! I wanna go to work and tell my boss FUCK YOU!” These guys were a fantastic opening band and were entertaining as hell!
Fresh off the release of Howdilly Twodilly, Okilly Dokilly gave us a full blown “Reneducation” and the crowd had a damn dokilly good time. Heavy as the sins of the world, this group is brilliant. Complete Ned Flanders look and a stage setup that appeals to even the most casual Simpsons fan. Musically, they are extremely well rehearsed. Frontman Head Ned hits both lows and highs beautifully and has the Flanders bit down pat! Common interchanges all carried the Flanders spin, and even normal words had been Flanderized to fit the schtick. This band is catching momentum rapidly and is touring more; they also recently had a song featured in a Simpsons episode, and I would just like to say congratulations, guys! Take the time to see them if you are into the Simpsons and the heavier side of music.
Mac Sabbath brought the assault on GMO’s to Deep Ellum. I mean…how can you go wrong when there are clowns with friggin laser beams for eyes?!? They are exactly what you’d picture if a major fast food chain and Black Sabbath had a one night stand in a shady pay-per-hour motel – and it’s beautiful. Ronald Osborne nails the Ozzy-esque stage demeanor. The instrumentals are on par with Sabbath and the overall feel and pace sticks throughout. The ability that Slayer MacCheeze and Grimalice show by playing this music in those costumes is impressive to say the least. They handled instrument changes smoothly and quickly in those bulky costumes, all while navigating the intimate Trees stage. The Catburglar, tucked in the back behind the drum kit, kept popping up and interacting with other members. This set was props galore, complete with buckets of chicken, a mechanics light, and a giant straw that was used as a beer bong. These dudes rip and are not just a concert, it is a whole production that holds you from start to finish. Lyrics such as “Everybody wants it, turn this grease into gold, excluding the veggies, trimming the cheese of mold” to the tune of “Iron Man,” and “More Ribs” to the tune of “War Pigs,” were as hilariously delivered as they were cleverly written. The fast food revolution is here and Mac Sabbath is leading the way! Plus, clowns with friggin laser beams for eyes!
– Brently Kirksey
– click to enlarge photos –
