by rick grant rickgrant01@comcast.net
WHAT: Two Man Gentlemen Band and Christabel & the Jons
WHERE: Ocean 60 (60 Ocean Blvd, Atlantic Beach)
WHEN: February 21-23
Andy Bean and his partner in music, Fuller Condon, started their professional music career as an old-time duo on the Streets of New York City. The pair wrote original music in the style of the 20s and 30s Americana, dressed in suits and ties. Now, the Two Man Gentlemen Band is touring nationally, bringing its zany antics, music and kazoos to the masses.
Last week EU chatted with Andy Bean about his Two Man project. He is looking forward to traveling to Atlantic Beach.
“We are definitely the most well dressed duo anyone will ever see.”
Andy plays a 4-string banjo, lead vocals and kazoo. Fuller plays upright bass, vocals and tenor kazoo. The group’s website (two-man-gentlemen-band.com) has links to videos and MP3s of their songs.
“We started out playing the streets of New York City and then in Central Park on the weekends. It was great training for pleasing audiences. We specialize in audience participation and give out kazoos to everyone to join in our songs.”
A kazoo company sponsors the act. At every gig Andy and Fuller pass kazoos out to the entire audience. The two well-dressed men encourage their audience to sing along and play their kazoos. It’s a unique act that is catching on across the country.
“We banter with the audience and have a witty repartee. Everywhere we go, people love us and think our act is really different. We write songs that sound like they come from the 20s and 30s era but with modern references. Our whole show is interactive and people have a great time.
“Gigging on the streets and in Central Park was a real learning experience. We decided to dress in suits and ties no matter what the weather was like. That gave us our stage persona. It’s difficult in the summer months to play outside in a suit, but we toughed it out and it helped people to remember us. As to our music, it’s banjo and bass with kazoos, which is a new sound to most young people.”
The TMGB are featured in the movie 27 Dresses and they have a wildly popular video on YouTube. Their song ‘Let’s Make a Sandwich’ was featured on an episode of NPR’s Splendid Table.
“We are looking forward to playing Florida, which is new for us. The Southern wing of our tour takes us to Alabama, Georgia and Florida. We like the smaller venues and clubs in which we can communicate intimately with our audiences. Our success on the streets of New York gave us confidence that we could take this odd act to the rest of the country and be accepted. And so far, it’s working out wonderfully well. Audiences love us and enthusiastically participate in our show. And, that is our goal–to entertain our audiences with our music,” Andy said.
Yes, Andy’s words rang true. He was easy to talk with and a funny guy. After listening to the TMGB’s music I was uplifted by the duo’s light-hearted spirit. Let the good times roll and check out these two wild and crazy guys along with Christabel & the Jons at Ocean 60 Restaurant, Wine and Martini Bar February 21, 22 and 23. Call (904)-247-0060 or visit oceansixty.com for more details. Oh yeah, the audience members get to keep the kazoos. Hey, I’m in!
Article Published in the 2-14-08 Issue of EU Jacksonville
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