According to most, disco died back in 1979, but apparently no one told the members of New York City band Men Women and Children.
The disco-rock revivalists will be performing tonight at LiT Lounge in Bricktown. The band, which features ex-Glassjaw guitarist Todd Weinstock, ex-Reunion Show drummer David Sullivan-Kaplan, vocalist TJ Penzone, bassist Ricky Penzone, guitarist Christopher Wrigley, and keyboardist Nick Concellor, is known for its energetic live show complete with crazy lights, bubbles, and tons of crowd interaction.
“Men Women and Children are a disco inferno, but not in a tacky way,” said University College sophomore Dylan Nagode. “They pull it off with style and grace. Last time I saw them was one of the best shows I have ever been to, just because it was so much fun.”
The band took the summer off and is now on its way to California to record a new album, but is making a few stops on the way to play some shows.
“For the past three and a half years we have lived this band 24 hours a day,” said keyboardist Nick Concellor. “We decided to take a break over the summer and remember what ‘normal’ life was. We have all been writing on our own, and it’s been a great way to prepare for what we are going to do next.”
Also this summer, the band parted with ways with its label, Warner/Reprise Records. According to the band’s MySpace Web site, the split was mostly due to the poor distribution and promotion of their debut self-titled record.
“We are very lucky for this freedom to explore the right options for us, since most contractually obligated bands can end up crippled by a lack of both passion and resources,” the band said on its MySpace blog. “We have been hoping for this for quite some time now, and for it to finally be the reality of our situation is both liberating and motivating.”
Because of the band’s lack of a record label, and the rapidly changing face of the music industry, Concellor isn’t sure how or when the band’s new material will be released.
“Personally I think the concept of a full length is on the way out right now,” Concellor said. “I would rather deliver music quicker and maybe in more controlled bursts. No sense in making music and waiting five months before people hear what you do.”
While performing in Detroit last fall, the band’s van and trailer were stolen, along with all of the band’s gear and much of the members’ personal belongings. The theft, coupled with the poor distribution and promotion of their debut, has led some to say the band is cursed or jinxed.
“We’ve just had a streak of bad luck,” Concellor said. “Unfortunately, bands are easy targets on tour for organized crime.
“As far as our label situation, there were many things to be desired, but at the end of the day we got to make a record, go on some great tours and really position ourselves to succeed on the record we are about to make. All we want to do is be a band for a long time, not a flash in the pan. The only time in my life when felt jinxed was when I had a desk job and woke up at 8 a.m. everyday.”
