Man Man is an experimental band from Philadelphia incorporating unique sounds and lively performance acts on stage.
Staff writer Marcela Guimaraes talked to front man Ryan Kattner (Honus Honus) about the band’s new album On Oni Pond, his craziest moment on tour and how he felt about being featured on Anderson Cooper’s RidicuList.
DIVERSIONS: You guys are originally from Philly, how did you guys know each other and form the band?
HONUS HONUS: We all went to summer camp together. We all had silly nicknames and that’s how we first met. Actually, I wasn’t a very strong swimmer when I was younger and I almost drowned at Lake Canohagan and fortunately Chris was there but he wasn’t a very strong swimmer either so he went in to get me and he also almost drowned in Lake Canohagan. Fortunately there was a camp counselor, camp counselor Eddy, and he pulled us out. And because of that Chris named his dog camp counselor Eddy.
DIVE: Were you guys going for something a little bit different than previous albums with On Oni Pond?
HH: We’ve been trying to do something different every album and I think it’s the first time people have noticed. It’s really nice.
I feel like we’re the ugly duckling that grew up to be an ugly duck. And people just noticed, finally. Because we laid golden eggs, golden Cadbury cream eggs.
DIVE: Have you had any crazy moments on tour so far?
HH: Yeah, I got a black eye in San Diego when someone over zealously tried to hug me and they accidentally head butted me in the face prior to the first song on our set. So then I got to experience the sensation of playing an entire set, and some additional songs after the set, with my eye swollen shut. That was fun.
It was cool, I wasn’t mad or anything. I looked pretty badass for the week and after that week I looked like I had eye shadow in one eye so then I just looked confused.
DIVE: So I have to ask about the Wolf Blitzer tunic, Anderson Cooper said he wanted to steal it, how did you react to that?
HH: First off, I’d like to go on the record in Tar Heel nation and say that I think Anderson Cooper is a wonderful man. He is a glorious man, he is a handsome man, he is a beautiful man. Second, he made guarding that tunic very difficult. And thirdly, Anderson Cooper is a gift to mankind. And so is Wolf Blitzer.
DIVE: Did Wolf Blitzer say anything to you about that?
HH: Did you see? He took over the RidicuList. A week later he took over Anderson Cooper’s RidicuList and did an entire segment on it. It’s epic, it’s even more epic than the original one and it made me want to retire because I think everything after that is downhill. Yeah Wolf’s amazing. I can’t believe it.
diversions@dailytarheel.com
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