MC Paul Barman And Whirlwind Heat - Clark University (11.01,02)
Posted by Adam Wallis on 11.05.2002
Well, it's not the Porn Utopia or Cornucopia of Warm Fallopia Barman promised in "Cockmobster," but it was a damn good show. It just goes to show you that MC Paul Barman is truly the joy of our world.
For the past few weeks, I've been psyched beyond all belief to see Paul Barman play. See, I'm part of the committee that books the indie acts that play at my school on random nights (as part of the University's completely unsuccessful anti-drinking program), so I'm privy to such advance information. And does Paul Barman ever rock my world, let me tell you.
For those of you not familiar with my favorite white rapper (better than Vanilla Ice, folks, if you can believe that), Paul Barman is a lot like Eminem. Assuming, of course, that Eminem was really nice, Jewish, and overeducated. Okay, maybe that doesn't work so well. Try imagining a highbrow but lewd Weird Al that raps. Okay, maybe that doesn't work so well either. Point is, MC PB's hilarious and a welcome breath of fresh air into the increasingly vapid modern rap scene. Barman's got more than Ivy League credentials, though - he's been taken under Prince Paul's wing, and appeared on the Deltron 3030 album (he spouted a few lines about dreadlocks on the "Meet Cleofis Randolph" song). So you might be able to place him, but sadly, most people aren't actually familiar with his work. But with songs like "The Joy Of Your World (Is Paul Barman)," "I'm Fricking Awesome," and "Salvation Barmy," you should be. No, I'm really serious; if you already don't know the guy, go buy his albums. He's got two EPs (It's Very Stimulating and Cockmobster) and a full length (Paullelujah), so you should have no trouble finding his material. And always remember, record stores WILL special order things for you at no extra charge.
Since I had actually been at the venue (an abandoned coffee shop in the basement of the University Center) setting up the stage and doing other miscellaneous chores for the performers (mostly getting food) for about 4 hours before, I was kinda tired when Whirlwind Heat, the opening band, started. That lasted all of about four seconds, as I was just totally blown away by their energy. Whirlwind Heat was a three piece combo, featuring a drummer, a bassist, and a vocalist that would occasionally play synth. Their sound was rooted in post-punk, but was at the same time straight out the garage of the most boring town in the Midwest. I later found out they're from Grand Rapids, Michigan, so I guess that assessment's not too far off (BURN!). The vocals, on the other hand, were an arty, deadpan monotone bordering on spoken word, but worked pretty well with the music. I absolutely loved them, but at the same time, I can see how a lot of people would wonder what the hell was going on. I talked to the bass player after the show and he said they would have an album due out around February on Jack White's Third Man Records imprint, so look for that in a few months if you want a better idea of what they sound like. Or you could go to their website ( www.whirlwindheat.com) and see if they're playing your area anytime soon. I don't know what the hell they were doing supporting Paul Barman, but it was a great set nonetheless.
After a short break, Paul Barman took the stage. I should probably mention, at this point, that there were no more than 30 people at this show (despite it being free and awesome), and most everyone was sitting on the couches that were set up about 10 feet or so from the stage. So at first, Barman stepped off the stage, and started rapping on the floor. Then he asked everyone to stand up and come up to the front row, which of course we all did because you don't say "No" to Paul Barman. Then, when he realized how few people were actually at the show, he invited everyone to come up onto the stage with him, and we all stood around onstage while he sat on a barstool. To put this in perspective, I was six inches at eye level from the guy for most of the show.
The other thing you need to know about MC PB is that he's got some of the cleverest rhymes in the business. He's up there with Kool Keith and Biz Marke as far as humor goes, and he's more intelligent than practically the whole Anticon crew combined. He also makes great use of internal rhyme, so his lyrics sound like they've been meticulously crafted. Which, when coupled with the fact that he raps about things like celebrities he's pretending he's slept with (for about five minutes after he finished the song "Cockmobster," which is about exactly that, Barman had us shout out the names of female celebrities while he freestyled about having sex with them) or how much he rules, just makes him even funnier. Seriously, I can't go on enough about how great this guy is. He even came off better live than he does on record, which is a pretty rare thing for rappers these days. Throughout the show he had "DJ Anna" (who was more than likely just one of his friends, since she had absolutely no DJ skills other than being able to cue up a record to the appropriate section) spinning beats on the "ones and twos," but for an encore he brought out an acoustic guitar and played a song called "The Ballad Of Punxsutawney Phil And Staten Island Chuck," which was, not surprisingly, about what would happen if the two Groundhog Day mascots got into a fight over who was really better at predicting the end of winter. As a means of introduction, Barman called Phil the "O.G. Groundhog" - does this guy rule or what?
The 411: So, in conclusion, great show (so good that I'm seeing the two acts again when they hit Rhode Island in December), good times, look for the Whirlwind Heat album in February, and the joy of my world is Paul Barman. Rock on y'alls.
