8
Clackamas Print
ArtsX
Wednesday, March 7, 2007
Dan Band brings laughs, ‘girl’ son
Tayo Stalnaker
A&E Editor
“Total Eclipse of the Heart,”
“No Scrubs,” “Shoop” and
“Genie in a Bottle” used to bring
back memories of growing up
in the ‘80s and ‘90s. Now, after
seeing The Dan Band, they con
jure up images of a man dressed
as an auto mechanic, and his two
friends wearing business suits,
pole dancing and rubbing their
nipples.
They recently performed at
the Roseland Theater in Portland
and, I must say, it was quite
an experience. I’m not usually
a fan of cover bands, but the
Dan Band is more than that:
They’re a comedy cover band.
Their gimmick is singing songs
by popular female singers with
their own twist. It’s not only
funny; it works and makes for a
highly entertaining evening.
The Dan Band is fronted by
former Stomp cast member Dan
Finnerty. He received notoriety
in Los Angeles for singing “girl”
songs in karaoke bars and, unbe
knownst to him, formed a band
in the process.
“I had no intention of forming
a band when I moved to L.A.,”
Finnerty said in an after-concert
interview with The Clackamas
Print. “[...] I sang ‘I Am
Woman’ drunk at karaoke, and I
opened for my friend’s band, and
this booker for The Viper Room
came up and was like, ‘If you
add a few songs to your set, I’ll
book you at The Viper Room,’
and I was, like, ‘Okay.’ He was,
like, ‘Do you have a flyer?’ and I
was all, ‘For what?’ and he goes,
‘When’s your next show?’ and I
was all, ‘Fuckin’ never!’”
“I’m really an actor. This
whole thing started to promote
my lame acting career,” Finnerty
continued. “A Couple years ago,
we did a pilot for ABC, and it
was a sit-com ... there was a lot
of ‘sit’ and no ‘com.’”
It’s worked well for him.
Since then, his band has been in
two movies (Starsky and Hutch,
Old School), filmed a concert
special on the Bravo network and
performed on daytime and night
time television talk shows. He’s
also working with Tenacious D’s
Kyle Gass on a film entitled
Parental Guidance Suggested.
“It’s like a porno musical,”
Finnerty said when describing
the film.
All photos by Jeff Sorensen Clackamas!
Finnerty belts out another classic pop-tune originally performed by a female artist at The Dan Band’s
Feb. 22 show at the Roseland Theater. Portland was one of their last stops on their West Coast Tour.
“[The Bravo special] was sup
posed to come out on DVD, but
Finnerty freak dances behind his back-up singers during their cover of TLC’s “No Scrubs.”
This was one of the many humorous, homo-erotic moments that took place during the show.
there was all these problems ... full of piss and vinegar as t
so we’re just gonna re-shoot it,” original albeit, more sexual th
Finnerty said. “That was a really the original ~if that’s even pc
sible.
slick special,
Besides
th
and this one
songs, the othi
we’re gonna
highlights of th
re-shoot at a
“This whole
show were th
women’s pris
thing started
onstage
antic
on ... it’ll be
to promote my
between Finnert
this show, but
and his backu
at a women’s
lame acting
prison.”
singers. Finnert;
career.
”
using his hat
Some
of
their crowd
wit, was coi
favorite songs
stantly goofing o
theyperformed
people in the aud
included an F-
ence. His backu
Dan Finnerty
bomb-riddled
The Dan Band
guys
engage
version
of
in dry-humpin
“Total Eclipse
each other, pol
of the Heart”
dancing, jumj
by
Bonnie
ing through hul
Tyler, a rendition of Christina hoops during a Britney Speai
Aguilera’s “Genie in a Bottle” cover, and one of them wore
that changed the song’s meaning pair of an audience member
to be about mutual masturba panties on his head.
tion and their staple encore song
“Basically, the band wa
“You Oughta Know” by Alanis a giant mistake,”- Finiiert
Morrisette, which was just as concluded.
LEFT: The Dan Band appears from behind a white curtain
to a crowd of cheering Portlanders, singing a medley of
En Vogue’s “Free Your Mind” and Helen Reddy’s “I Am
Woman.”
ABOVE: Back-up singer John Kozeluh shares a touching mo
ment with the other back-up singer, Gene Reed, by placing
a Dan Band sticker on his bare chest and then rubbing his
nipple;
.
„
RIGHT: Gene Reed pole dances while singing the back-up
vocals for Eryka Badu’s “Tyrone.”
k
I