Sonny Mao
Sometimes like Miles Davis meets Pere Ubu at other times a very bad exerience with illegal substances.
1
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190
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What So What So
Hi, this is Sonny Mao and I lead a band of revolutionary tricksters called Sonny Mao & MAO. MAO is a rotating group of individuals that happpen to be in the studio or on stage at any given time.Band/artist history
The Story So Far:
MAO began with James Mao searching for his long lost Dad, Sonny Mao, a casualty of the late 70's Rock'n'Roll excesses. James an accomplished Skamunist and star crooner with Day Old Brutus, James felt a need to connect to his Rock'n'Roll past. All James knew was that his father had mysteriously disappeared after leaving the stage at the Court Street club King's Corner, complaining of a bad hangnail. After following one bad lead after another, James finally found Sonny living in Vermillion, South Dakota under an assumed name. Sonny's main accomplishment, in the years that followed his disappearance, that he had managed to achieve, in his stay in Vermillion, was to become known to many as John and to another distinct group, as Herb. Nobody knew his last name, only that he just seemed to appear when the fun was going on. Rumor and legend surrounded Sonny. One of the popular of the rumors was that Sonny claimed, in one of his many disappearances, to have traveled to Berlin, Germany to search for the birthplace of his soul. That one had cracked up the locals, and still they had no clue that a R'nR legend was in their mists. Only after months of trying to pin Sonny down did James finally convinced Sonny to jam with him. James talked Sonny into the idea of making music, and that led to returning to the studio and in the process MAO was born.
Sonny and James felt the sound had a few holes in it, and they needed filling. Thus, James and Sonny began to haunt the clubs and coffeehouses searching for the right individuals to join that revolutionary cadre, MAO.
One late night, Sonny stumbled onto the vocal stylings of a fellow, going under the name of D.B. After D.B. finished his set with the T-Man, Sonny cornered him and made him an offer. D.B to this day, has never revealed just what that offer was. Three weeks later, D.B Mao faced his first audience as the voice of MAO. James and Sonny soon pleasantly found the hidden talents of D.B. That he could play bass in a funky style and produced a bonechillin slide while slinging a guitar. And, he has been known on various occasions to channel Jim Morrison.
In the mean time, a few other individuals came and went. Sonny was being so picky in finding the right people. After many months of trial and error, Mao had finally jelled as a trio. After a very interesting Halloween show, MAO took a step in a new direction. The beat boxes began to beg for attention. James Mao and D.B. Mao in a foray to spread MAOs revolutionary fervor, and open a second and third front, stepped out of the fold. James moved away and formed the dub groove of Griot in the Falls and D.B went solo and into the studio with Sonny producing.
To be continued
r. Mao
Minister of Disinformation
MAO Ministry of TruthHave you performed in front of an audience?Sonny & the Mao have played many times to confused individuals under the influence. Our first show got us banned from our local watering hole as "being to weird for words". I will always thank M for her kind words.
Your musical influences
Expect the unexpected. Everything I have ever heard is an influence.Anything else?
Where's the sushi?Contact
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