First off, any encounter with Two Man Advantage is sure to have interesting results. This surmise pertains to an interview setting as well. Yet when taking into consideration where the interview was conducted – we spoke on the infamous Bowery before one of the band’s early-February gigs at the legendary CBGB’s – the chaotic and unscripted feel was exacerbated at least twofold (one “fold” for each random bum who accosted us). To wit, one man named Chaz, who for obvious reasons was deemed Drunk Guy by Two Man’s lead vocalist Drunk Bastard (adding a Scary to Chaz’s moniker would be even more appropriate, however…), saw the guys’ Two Man jackets, he felt the need to profess his love for the band. The man was genuine, it must be noted, but still it was a bit unsettling (though his passion for FEAR was quite charming…!). And then later on during our conversation we were offered Ecstasy from some unsavory soul. Therefore, just the atmosphere itself added much to the experience of speaking with possibly the craziest band around, definitely making it one of the most memorable interviews I’ve done to date. And that’s saying much.
No, but in actuality, as scary a thought as this is, Two Man Advantage may be unruly (a bit of an understatement!) onstage, but it is clear upon talking to them they are a bit more serious and level-headed than one would think. Take, for instance, the fact that they are all business when practicing and composing their material. As Captain, one half of the brutal guitar assault says, “We take the songwriting part of the band very seriously,” revealing, “We don’t practice in the jerseys or whatever.” But of course, then, as happened so many times, one of the guys goes and jokes about it. This time, it’s bassist Snapshot, quipping, “And we work pretty hard – till the mickeys start flying.” Ah, but Snapshot, the truth has been divulged!
But that’s what’s great about this Long Island band. They take their songwriting to heart and it shows. Captain supports this idea, saying, “There are a lot of novelty acts out there who I think they last maybe a year if [they’re] really clever, but you don’t wanna listen to the songs.” Two Man, on the other hand have been around for an impressive six years, celebrating the occasion at their show at The Continental on Halloween with Murphy’s Law. And to back up his belief, he says, “It’s a good band, it’s a good show, it’s good songs, and I think it comes from a very genuine place. And I think that’s what people really pick up on. I think a lot of the young kids really appreciate it when they see a bunch of guys who are in their early 30’s to mid-30’s [and one in his 20’s]…really still be genuine about it.”
And their conviction to the band is deeply rooted in friendship. They keep at it basically because, according to MYK, the backing metal vocalist, “We all have busy lives…and it’s the best way – it’s the best commitment – to make sure we stay close.” Drunk Bastard maintains that “the love of music” sustains their drive. Plus, “we just love being with each other and it’s just fun to be in a band. I would never wanna be in a band that’s not fun…I just wanna have fun with these guys.”
Still, the guys balance this sentimental, behind-the-scenes aspect of the band with the absolute insanity of their gigs. To see these masterful showmen live, often through the requisite haze of alcohol and sweat, is an experience like no other. Surely more than a few people who’ve observed the Two Man in their natural habitat, tearing shit up live, have been scarred for life. Need even more of an incentive to come out to see these guys? Drunk Bastard makes a devastatingly good case: “Partying,” continuing in a more somber tone, “You’re feeling down, your job’s got you really stressed out, you need to get away, instead of going home and turning on that TV and watching some really bad reality TV show, come on down to a Two Man show, I’m sure I’ll throw a beer at you!”
Sure, he hints at one of the main focuses of the band: beer, the other being hockey, but as Captain says, “You don’t even have to like hockey” to enjoy the Two Man. Nor must you be a raging alcoholic. Drunk Bastard, clad in a Minor Threat sweatshirt while drinking a beer and smoking a cigarette, proclaims, “Some of our biggest fans are straight edge.” That’s a good point. If people who don’t even believe in the things a band sings about can totally “get it” and rock out at the show, that’s saying something about the sheer quality of the music. But still this phenomenon is odd when considering WHY they formed the band in the first place. About Two Man’s inception, the frontman relates, “We really wanted to piss off people, ‘cause at the time there was a lot of straight edge bands and really like hip little kids running around…there were just so many…whiney little kids who preached about being straight edge. And I was totally against it, my friends were totally against it, so we just said, ‘Well fuck it. We’re gonna be obnoxious,’ and we were. And now we’re just grumpy old men playing punk rock.” Likewise, as MYK is quick to point out, they play with many political acts. “We end up with a lot of ABC No Rio-type bands,” such as Leftover Crack and Go Kart labelmates Toxic Narcotic, to name a few.
There are a couple reasons why Two Man Advantage don’t sing about politics, most notably that the guys in the band – though all politically-minded – have varying views. Similarly, Snapshot says, “You wanna separate your fun and your politics. You come to a Two Man show to have fun, let some energy out. We don’t wanna get preached to or anything, and then when you do that, you start narrowing your audience.”
And now the band is ready to unleash another full-length on its unsuspecting audience. The album, tentatively called ‘Dynasty’, will be their third and will once again be released on Go Kart. The guys recorded it at guitarist Skate’s recording studio over the winter, and it will most likely be released around June, so either late spring or early summer. At the time of our interview, they said they had more songs than will be used on the actual record, so they still have to decide what to cut. So just what can be expected? Surely more high-quality old school punk rock as always with endearingly light-hearted subject manner. Drunk Bastard supports this inference: “Musically, they’re great and they’re fun, and lyrically, they’re silly and total Two Man, but I think we’re all gonna be really proud of the record when it’s done because it’s been a long process in the making.” He reveals the album has been written for a year, but they were “kinda lazy about doing anything about it.” Some songs they’re rather certain will see the light of day are “Quebec’s Gonna Riot”, “Hockey Night in Canada”, “I Got the Puck”, and “69 Pack”. You get the idea. Already, they are playing some live.
The lyrics are the result of Skate’s desire to put vocal lines to the freshly-written music, so they wrote “filler” lyrics that were just intended to be temporary, and these, for various reasons, became the “actual” lyrics. Captain divulges that the band simply never get around to changing them, so it’ll be interesting to hear what they are. He has a request as well: “If anyone reading this can – when they get the lyrics – figure out what the hell they mean, please write us and tell us what our own lyrics mean ‘cause we have NO idea!” Classic.
The band will no doubt tour this year as well, heading out on some dates with The Hudson Falcons, a band to which Captain (on bass) and Coach (drums) lend their musical prowess. Two Man will be playing more than had first been expected, hitting the East Coast as well as out West. They feel that this new record will “spark” their interest in touring again. After all, like Snapshot says, they’ve been touring on the same record, ‘Don’t Label Us’, for about two-and-a-half years. “It gets kinda old…You’re playing the same songs every night, so now with the new record, who knows what’ll happen.” Indeed, who knows…but one thing is for sure: Two Man’s future looks bright. We can expect some great things from this band in 2004.
To find out more about the Two Man, go to www.twomanadvantage.com. To get in touch with ‘em, email TwoManAdvantage@yahoo.com, or write:
Two Man Advantage
P.O. Box 425
Merrick, NY 11566-0425