Fun Fun Fun Fest 2014 Sunday Reviews
By Richard Whittaker, Fri., Nov. 7, 2014
Har Mar Superstar
Bye Bye 17 (Cult Records)"Lady, you shot me!" Sam Cooke's final words when Bertha Franklin unloaded the fatal rounds into his chest are the opening sob of Minneapolis' second least likely sex symbol. Tagged too long as a novelty act – just because he sometimes tucks his chubby physique into a thong – now Sean Tillman deliciously and shamelessly embraces his Motown passions. Label boss Julian Casablancas lends fellow Stroke Fabrizio Moretti to add an NYC disco rat-a-tat to "Prisoner," then "Everywhere I'm Local" creates psychedelic doo-wop, its cosmic keys and boop-beeps swirling over Archies-style teen pain. Lovesick "WWW" could pass as a deep cut from the Animal House soundtrack – another soul homage created by tubby white boys – and it's where Har Mar becomes the new John Belushi. "Power Lunch," from 2002's You Can Feel Me, remains a sleazegrind Har Mar classic, his samurai delicatessen sketch of pure perverted perfection. Here, as when Jake Blues takes his shades off, you'll fall for his soulful charms. (2:35pm, Yellow stage; FFF Nites: Sat., 12:15am, Hotel Vegas)