There are two things on my mind right now: sex and candy.
It’s Halloween, so hooray for candy. Ok… to be honest, candy is the only thing on my mind. However, OC Music News heard from Marcy Playground bassist Dylan Keefe this weekend, so yea, THAT “Sex and Candy” is on my mind too. It’s one of those songs that EVERYONE knows because it was a massive part of 1997 and continues to remain a classic.
Keefe – who is a big fan of Halloween – checked in from his Manhattan home to let us know the band will be hitting our area soon. In fact, Marcy Playground will notch several CA dates next month and Keefe told us, “We’re so looking forward to it. In fact, we’ve only played one other show in the last two years because we had a bunch scheduled this summer, and the Delta variant just sort of took over our world. We’re really looking forward to actually getting to play. It’s not our only bit of livelihood. We do this because we love it. We’re really happy to play in Southern California again.”
Even in the age of the COVID, in-person concerts are re-emerging. Live music is the link to our past, present and future. Not even a virus like this can crush the human experience so that it permanently darkens our hearts. Seeing bands like Marcy Playground is food for our soul and we are the better for it.
Jimmy Alvarez | TNN RADIO
The band’s origin story works in a very-very cool cloak and dagger kinda way. The band’s name did come from the playground of the school Woz attended back in Minneapolis as a kid, that’s absolutely true. But both Woz and Keefe call New York home these days. Being a New York-based band does sound cool for a band with their rich history.
Marcy Playground today has captured the hearts and sonic souls of many fans with that signature sound of theirs. The band features Woz (John Wozniak) on lead vocals and guitar, Dylan Keefe slaps the bass while Shlomi Lavie is on drums.
We noticed immediately the band’s wiki page was right, for most part. It says Keefe is known for being the shy yet funny guy in Marcy Playground. So we asked him about the band’s wiki page and mentioned the page says the band’s influences include Bowie, Paul Simon, Neil Young, Van Morrison, Jimi Hendrix, Syd Barrett of Pink Floyd, Nirvana and wait for it… Wham!
Keefe gave it the good old college try, but couldn’t hold in his laughter. He said he has no idea where the Wham reference came from. Although we suspect it may be a Woz inside joke.
TO CHECK OUT MARCY PLAYGROUND ‘S WIKI
MARCY PLAYGROUND WIKI
Our takeaway from the chat was that the entire band is very happy to be going back on the road. That past two years have been a challenge for everyone and bands like Marcy Playground have the ability to make so many people smile and forget about life for a while.
MARCY PLAYGROUND INVADES THE OC
Since the guys are back at it, check them out and try not to smile when you see them. That will be your challenge because these guys are entertaining and fun. We can’t have enough of that. Go out and see Marcy Playground, and try some “Sex and Candy,” just not simultaneously while at their shows.
The CA Marcy Playground dates are:
NOV 11: Whisky A Go Go
NOV 12: The Canyon (Montclair)
NOV 13: Gallagher’s Pub HB
NOV 14: The Canyon (Agoura Hills)
The band is already booking dates in 2022, so if you can’t catch them here, get them elsewhere.
