Search - Dan Band :: Dan Band Live

Boys will be girls

Daly Mavorneen | Los Angeles, CA | 05/14/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Dan Finnerty (husband of famed comic actress Kathy Najimy!) has taken a gimmic (boys singing girl songs without changing the pronouns) and played it straight, much to the audience's benefit.



He doesn't try to channel Laura Brannigan, Abba or Britney Spears, he sings like a macho guy (and quite well) trying to do these songs justice in the conviction department. The result is hilarious. Throw in a few F-words and you will rolling on the ground!



If you like Wm. Shatner's "Has Been," any of Richard Cheese's lounge covers, or the equally wacky band Nouveau Vague, you will eat this S**T up with a spoon.



What makes this band hip is that Finnerty doesn't just serve up feminist anthemics like "I Am Woman," but also current radio faves like Kelis's "Milkshake." Also, the many medleys offered her are inspired, like the Wilsons' "Hold on" mixed with Suzanne Vega's "Luka," turning the originals' sappiness into rock-n-roll happiness!



"

An Illuminating Novely

WrtnWrd | Northridge, CA USA | 04/29/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Not that any of you out there might care, but the Dan Band is an L.A. institution. The result of drunken karaoke with friends, Dan Finnerty formed the Dan Band to cover female written-and-identified songs from the pop firmament. He dresses like a gas station attendant, and is flanked by two back-up males in full Blues Brothers suits. They perform songs like "Genie in a Bottle" and "You Oughta Know" with their gender-specific pronouns, and play off the audience's disbelief that here's a straight man in thrall to songs that are mainly about female sexuality and man troubles. Funny it is -a novelty, in fact - yet Finnerty is also a fine singer, and his exaggerations illuminate the gender wars while italicizing them. Live! is recorded evidence enough of their stage prowess, though I suppose it helps to know the visual aspect of the group, too. But I've played this for friends who've never seen them, and their reactions where the same as mine: wonder, laughter, enjoyment. So, world, it's your choice. Who knows - if their CD does well enough, you might get to see them for yourself, where they will no doubt perform their brilliant version of the worst song ever written, "Muskrat Love", not included here due to licensing problems (or the humorlessness of its originators)."

Surprisingly Funny

John Lemut | 05/02/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I just heard this on Saturday on the way to a bachelor party. I had no idea what it was going to be, but I was struck at both how funny and how good these songs were. "Total Eclipse of the Heart"'s live version is probably the best, but "Tryone" is right up there as well.



The last two tracks are studio-recorded songs, the rest is a live set and The Dan Band sounds great live. Check it out."