Gil Mantera’s Party Dream: Circuits Ablaze
Words: James Ferreira
Photo: Ben Mistak

Appearing:
December 7, 2007
Club TSI, Jacksonville

December 8, 2007
Crowbar, Ybor City

December 9, 2007
BackBooth, Orlando

It must be difficult to shop for spandex. Having never done so, I was naturally curious as to which type Gil Mantera, the enigmatic mastermind behind the Party Dream which bears his name, prefers. “The 95 polyester, 5 spandex blend does the trick. You know, we don't always wear spandex,” he informed me. Interestingly enough, that is true. In fact, the last time we talked I was pleasantly surprised to hear just how seriously Mr. Mantera takes his music. After all, you don’t generate the type of support he and his brother, Ultimate Donny (the second and final piece of his Party Dream) have on the national scene by simply wearing leotards. “It seems like the cities we've hit a lot over the years are turning into very comfortable places to play... we feel pretty comfortable in NYC, Chicago, Cleveland, and Columbus. Although we haven't been to Austin all that much, those people have been mighty sweet to us. It's the definitive rock town.  LA could quickly become a great spot in the future as well. On the other hand, there are still plenty of places where we're low on the totem pole of must-see traveling acts. Our touring experience is not without ups and downs, but even if we were much higher up in the business, I doubt we could ever be content.”

The Party Dream’s uniquely refreshing take on electro-pop has taken Tampa by storm over the past 18 months. Hailing from Youngstown, Ohio, I wondered what his feelings were on the warm receptions they have received around Central Florida. “A very psyched crowd, preferably large in number, is a part of the dream. It makes it easier for us to do what we do and enjoy it that much more. I believe in feeding off people's energy, whether it is good or bad, and using it in some way interesting or entertaining. That is the live experience. They feed off you and you feed off them. If they don't give shit, then you have to completely entertain yourself, so you're not faking the funk,” Gil said.

That’s not to say their last trip to Tampa was totally copasetic. Ultimate Donny’s electric guitar broke, causing him to rely on the only strings left at the Crowbar that night, which were attached to an acoustic, and not really fitting for their style of music. “We were able to roll with the punches and make the best of the situation. That guitar had a history of breaking in the same spot, so I was irritated that a different guitar wasn't being used in the first place. I also remember having to explain to my drunken asshole of a brother that it was broke and it couldn't stay in tune. That really sucked for me. Oh well, I guess I've had equipment go haywire on my end though, so I will say Donny saved the day a number of times by keeping the crowd's interest with some of his bullshit stories. In fact, one time we played to a sold-out audience in NYC opening for Art Brut at the Bowery Ballroom and my gear was messing up bad.  People seemed to think it was a part of the show, which I'll credit to Donny again. We're getting our shit together little by little, so there shouldn't be any problems this time around,” Gil explained. All that said; I’ve heard numerous accounts of that show still being the highlight of some people’s year.

Their 2005 release, Bloodsongs, has left countless fans thirsting for more, and their return to Florida seems to happening at just the right the time. I asked Gil what was going on with the new record. “All the music is written. We'll be fleshing out a lot of new material on this tour, which is real exciting. I think we record in February. Currently we're planning on putting it out ourselves, which has its advantages and drawbacks. If a sweet deal was to fall into our lap, that would be ideal, but I feel that we have a responsibility to put out a new record sooner than later. Hopefully, the new GMPD will be out by late spring. It's tentatively titled Dreamscape.”

The Party Dream has been able to entertain fans of the indie/post-punk revival scene for sometime nationally now by taking a decidedly different approach from their peers. I asked Gil how he felt about the current state of independent music and whether or not recent rends over the past ten years have affected his band at all. “I guess I'm not too concerned with working in or around the ever-changing operation of becoming a success by modern standards. When I was in high school, there wasn't so much information in the way of telling kids how to be cool and what they should like or not like. Nowadays, people read certain magazines and blogs and shit like instruction manuals. I like being exposed to fashion, art, literature, music, and the whole shebang too, but the context in which I find it is important. I don't like shit being dictated to me by some assholes with no credibility, and I'd rather let the music or art speak for itself. That being said, I guess I feel ‘they’ have turned the idea of indie rock into fashion, which is as profitable as it is disposable,” he informed me.

For any person who hasn’t experienced the joy of seeing their frenetic performance live, attendance of their upcoming shows should be given the highest priority. Options in attire range from spandex to thongs. With that in mind, I thought it best to go to the expert for his take on the subject. “Thongs make your dick look bigger; spandex makes your dick look smaller. Sometimes you need both,” he told me. Good to know man, good to know. Please choose accordingly.

Gil Mantera's Party Dream Official Site