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The Bad Man rip it up on The Local Show

Peter Memorich performs with The Bad Man at The Current.
Peter Memorich performs with The Bad Man at The Current.Mary Mathis/MPR
  Play Now [15:26]

by Andrea Swensson

January 14, 2020

The Bad Man - Hairdresser from Mars
by MPR
The Bad Man - Black and White TV
by MPR
The Bad Man - Wally the Beer Man
by MPR

"Late nights, early mornings, and expensive bar tabs."

That's how frontman Peter Memorich describes the lifestyle of Minneapolis rock 'n' rollers The Bad Man. Formed in 2016, The Bad Man have quickly garnered a reputation for rowdy and adrenaline-fueled live shows. They brought their energy into The Current studio to play a few songs and have a conversation with Local Show host Andrea Swensson. Between songs, frontman Peter Memorich noted the incredible synergy of the group and emphasized how much the band enjoy spending time together. The irrepressible spirit of each performance comes naturally, said Memorich. "The moment that everybody steps on stage, we can all feel it."

Upon the band's formation in 2016, they wrote their first album, Ain't Clean, within three months. They quickly developed a ska-tinged pub rock sound and have since honed their live show by playing in Northeast Minneapolis dive bars, which The Bad Man claim as their roots. Swensson noted that their sound "could have easily come out of the Longhorn in the late 1970s just as much as the Northeast dive bar scene in the 2010s."

When asked about whether listeners can hear Northeast Minneapolis in their sound, Memorich responded, "Well, you better."

Since the band's formation, they have been recognized as one of First Avenue's Best New Bands of 2017 and were picked to click by City Pages voters in 2018. The Bad Man will be performing at The Current's 15th Anniversary Party at First Avenue with Black Pumas, Seratones, MaLLy, and 26 BATS! on Saturday, Jan. 18.

Songs performed

"Hairdresser From Mars"
"Black and White TV"
"Wally the Beer Man"

Hosted by Andrea Swensson
Produced by Jesse Wiza
Engineered by Michael DeMark
Visuals by Mary Mathis
Web feature by Sylvia Jennings

More video

The Bad Man - official site