Photos and Review: Jeff Lasich
After years of endless touring and a must-see live show, Mac Sabbath has made a name for themselves. This summer they are on the road with Playboy Manbaby and Okilly Dokilly for the American Cheese tour. They made a stop at the Crafthouse, just outside of Pittsburgh, to play a sold out show on August 28. The opening band were local Pittsburgh punks, Cumplete Basturd. The set started with the band on the stage and singer on the floor. The singer was wearing a wig and nightgown and was accompanied by a “priest” and a “nun” who performed an exorcism during the first song. After that, they stripped out of their outfits, played with fake blood and used real staples to attach pages of the bible to each other. It actually got a little crazier from there. I will leave it to your imagination. They have that sleaze-punk vibe that reminds me of GG Allin, Dwarves or the Mentors.
Next up was Playboy Manbaby. I knew nothing about this band going into the show. It was not really my thing. The singer did work the crowd pretty well and some of the people there were really into them. To my amateur ears, their sound was reminiscent of the Bloodhound Gang.
Okilly Dokilly was third. They are a Ned Flanders (The Simpsons) themed band. I was looking forward to seeing them since my friend is always playing their video for “White Wine Spritzer.” Five variations of Ned Flanders filled the stage. Head Ned was incredible in between songs. His Flanders’ impression was on point. They played for a little over a half hour. The set was loaded with references to Simpson’s episodes. Ned (lead singer) talked about the band being in the credits of an episode of The Simpsons and the loss of their van, Ned Vanders. Fear not, Hi Diddly Silver has replaced Ned Vanders.
The stage was bustling as the crew set up for the headliner of the night, Mac Sabbath. The curtain dropped to show Grimlice, Slayer Macheeze and Cat Burglar on stage playing the intro. From the shadows, a straightjacketed Ronald Osbourne appeared and went right into “Organic Funeral.” Ronald has Ozzy’s voice and mannerisms down to a science. He walks, smiles and claps just like Ozzy. A few songs in, The Lizard made an appearance. The set was jam-packed with puns and songs warning us about the dangers of fast food. A Mac Sabbath set is chockfull of props and humor and is a visual cornucopia of colors, beef, smoke and rubber chickens. Do not write Mac Sabbath off as a parody band. They take what they do seriously and it shows from the elaborate stage setup, the band’s talent and their merch booth.
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