Modern Man, which consists of David Buskin, George Wurzbach and Rob Carlson, might
best be characterized as a folk-comedy trio (their bio mentions “a vocal blend
that has not been heard since Ella and F. Scott Fitzgerald went their separate
ways”). I had seen them do a short set at a multi-artist show several years
ago, and so when their performance at one of the monthly World Folk Music Association showcases was announced, the opportunity seemed too good to pass
up.
The
restaurant was packed, and the guys put on a great show, starting with “Don’t
You Hate It” when folkies make the audience sing along (a personal pet peeve of
mine), and continuing with a number of their other classics, including “Jews
Don’t Camp”, “Eggs Like These” (a parody of Springsteen’s “Born to Run”),
“Channel Surfin’,” and “Folk Music in the Nude.” I was especially pleased that
they performed one of my personal favorites, the rap-folk “Assisted Living.”
This is
the first WFMA showcase we had attended since they had revived the series at El Golfo, a Latin American restaurant in Silver Spring MD – nice place, and the
food we had got thumbs-up all around (fajitas, Salmon Pacifico, Masitas de
Puerco). Due to the overwhelming demand for the show, the logistics were
somewhat chaotic – the restaurant parking lot was full, and they had lost our
dinner reservations. Fortunately we were able to get seats, and everything
ended well.
If you’re
looking for some Modern Man music in iTunes, be warned that there is more than
one act with that name. Look for something from their albums (Assisted Living, Modern Immaturity, The Wide
Album – Live at the Bottom Line) and you won’t go wrong.
