Biography
Jeffrey Evans deserves recognition not only for his own extensive musical output but also for bringing the White Stripes to Sympathy for the Record Industry and thereby exposing them broadly. He extended the same introduction to Mr. Airplane Man. Although the Boston duo initially issued their debut on their own, Sympathy managed all later releases. Even absent support from Evans, Long Gone John, or the late Mark Sandman of Morphine—who became an admirer after encountering the pair busking in 1998—MAM would still distinguish itself amid other acts. While groups such as the White Stripes share comparable longevity, MAM consists of two women, Margaret Garrett on guitar and vocals alongside Tara McManus on drums, yet diverges sharply from comparable female duos like the Softies. Their punk-blues hybrid instead aligns closely with the garage-inflected approach Detroit trio the Gories pursued during the 1990s. The band’s name further complicates perceptions, though it serves simply as homage to Howlin’ Wolf’s earlier composition “Mr. Airplane Man.”
A mutual fixation on Wolf, also known as Chester Burnett, prompted the group’s inception. Following a period residing on separate coasts, the two friends reconvened in Boston during 1995 and sequestered themselves in a basement for twelve months, immersing deeply in Delta blues traditions. They then took to public spaces, refining their skills through sidewalk performances in Cambridge for which Garrett employed an electric guitar and battery-powered amp while McManus relied on her dependable five-gallon drum. Sandman was hardly the sole local resident to register their presence; Boston Phoenix readers selected them as Best New Local Act in 1999.
Subsequently they toured alongside Sandman, who contributed to recording their debut album issued that same year and prompting additional road work. During a Memphis stopover, an impromptu meeting inside a local diner shaped their following project. Garrett had lately embraced the musical approach of Monsieur Evans’ ’68 Comeback. By happenstance they crossed paths with an individual acquainted with Evans, who facilitated an introduction. The Boston visitors connected readily with the Memphis contingent, establishing a partnership. After proceeding to New Orleans for a performance and returning, Evans prepared to handle studio duties. Their initial Sympathy offering arrived as the single “Johnny Johnny,” succeeded by a full-length album in March 2001. Red Lite functioned as a retrospective of MAM’s history, encompassing the Stooges’ “I Wanna Be Your Dog”—a fixture in their set lists since Central Square days—plus longstanding selections such as Jessie May Hemphill’s “Black Cat Bone.” They next toured with the White Stripes, opened for the Strokes, and shared stages with local outfits DMZ and the Lyres, each featuring the renowned Jeff “Monoman” Conolly.
Moanin’ was tracked in Detroit by Jim Diamond of the White Stripes and mixed in Memphis by Doug Easley together with Greg “Oblivian” Cartwright before appearing in September 2002, marking the point at which MAM attained their fullest realization. The well-regarded album, itself titled after a Wolf classic, featured the haunting spiritual “Jesus on the Mainline” and the blissful girl-group pop of “Not Livin’ at All,” the latter composed following repeated plays of the Lyres’ “Help You Ann.” Mr. Airplane Man subsequently carried their performances nationwide while testing fresh material intended for their next recording.
A mutual fixation on Wolf, also known as Chester Burnett, prompted the group’s inception. Following a period residing on separate coasts, the two friends reconvened in Boston during 1995 and sequestered themselves in a basement for twelve months, immersing deeply in Delta blues traditions. They then took to public spaces, refining their skills through sidewalk performances in Cambridge for which Garrett employed an electric guitar and battery-powered amp while McManus relied on her dependable five-gallon drum. Sandman was hardly the sole local resident to register their presence; Boston Phoenix readers selected them as Best New Local Act in 1999.
Subsequently they toured alongside Sandman, who contributed to recording their debut album issued that same year and prompting additional road work. During a Memphis stopover, an impromptu meeting inside a local diner shaped their following project. Garrett had lately embraced the musical approach of Monsieur Evans’ ’68 Comeback. By happenstance they crossed paths with an individual acquainted with Evans, who facilitated an introduction. The Boston visitors connected readily with the Memphis contingent, establishing a partnership. After proceeding to New Orleans for a performance and returning, Evans prepared to handle studio duties. Their initial Sympathy offering arrived as the single “Johnny Johnny,” succeeded by a full-length album in March 2001. Red Lite functioned as a retrospective of MAM’s history, encompassing the Stooges’ “I Wanna Be Your Dog”—a fixture in their set lists since Central Square days—plus longstanding selections such as Jessie May Hemphill’s “Black Cat Bone.” They next toured with the White Stripes, opened for the Strokes, and shared stages with local outfits DMZ and the Lyres, each featuring the renowned Jeff “Monoman” Conolly.
Moanin’ was tracked in Detroit by Jim Diamond of the White Stripes and mixed in Memphis by Doug Easley together with Greg “Oblivian” Cartwright before appearing in September 2002, marking the point at which MAM attained their fullest realization. The well-regarded album, itself titled after a Wolf classic, featured the haunting spiritual “Jesus on the Mainline” and the blissful girl-group pop of “Not Livin’ at All,” the latter composed following repeated plays of the Lyres’ “Help You Ann.” Mr. Airplane Man subsequently carried their performances nationwide while testing fresh material intended for their next recording.
Albums
