The Corporation Came to Atlanta
I knew it was going to be a different kind of night before I even walked into The Drunken Unicorn. As I pulled into the parking lot, the first person I saw was Robbie Pfeffer standing outside using the side mirror of the band’s tour vehicle to put in his contacts. I walked over, introduced myself, asked for a quick selfie, and told him how excited I was for the show. He couldn’t have been nicer.
That’s The Drunken Unicorn.
It’s an amazing venue in Atlanta because it’s so small that moments like that just happen. There isn’t much separation between the bands and the crowd. Everyone is just there because they love live music.
SPACEMAN BOB kicked off the night, and I’m still not sure I can fully explain what I watched. He was awkward, weird, funny, and completely committed to the bit. At one point, Nelly’s “Hot in Herre” started playing while he casually stripped out of a jumpsuit into jogging shorts and a tiny workout top. It caught the whole room off guard and had everyone laughing. SPACEMAN BOB definitely isn’t for everyone. Then again, isn’t that kind of the point of alternative music? The artists that stick with you usually aren’t trying to appeal to everyone in the room. Whether you loved it or spent the set wondering what was happening, he made people react, and that’s a win in my book.
Spaceman Bob
SMALL was up next and immediately got big laughs before even playing a song. The singer looked out at the crowd and asked, “Who here hasn’t been in the band SMALL yet?” Knowing the band’s history with lineup changes, it landed perfectly. The joke may have been self-deprecating, but the performance wasn’t. They sounded great and had the crowd completely engaged by the end of their set. A solid performance, but I hear all members besides the singer are leaving after this show. While I want to review their performance, that’s incredibly hard when it sounds like it’s now a solo performance.
Small
I’ve had Violence (the album) on repeat for the last few months. It’s become one of those albums that somehow always ends up playing on my Bandcamp during long drives, grocery runs, or random trips across town. What I love most is that the songs seem to change depending on what’s going on in my own life. Some days, “Good Times” is the one that sticks with me. Other days it’s “Shitshow” or “Mental Breakdown.” It depends on the week.
So when Playboy Manbaby finally took the stage, I already knew I loved the album. What I didn’t know was how much fun these songs would be live.
Robbie Pfeffer is impossible to ignore. The whole “corporation” gimmick could have easily turned into a one-note joke (believe me, they tried), but instead it felt like performance art mixed with a really strange office meeting. More than once, I caught myself thinking, “Why does this feel like I’m trapped in a mandatory work presentation?” Somehow, that’s exactly what made it work.
Then the music would hit.
Playboy Manbaby
That’s the part that surprised me most. Underneath all the satire, awkward humour, and corporate nonsense is a band with serious punk roots. One minute I was laughing, and the next I was yelling lyrics back with everyone else. Somehow, they manage to bounce between comedy, frustration, and genuine emotion without any of it feeling forced.
It was also great seeing TJ Friga back on stage after his recent medical emergency. If you’ve been following the band at all, seeing him back performing felt like a victory before the first song was even over.
The moments I’ll probably remember most, though, weren’t even the songs themselves. The band stopped to celebrate one member’s sobriety, someone from the venue took a trust fall into the crowd, and they even invited an audience member on stage to sing. Those aren’t things you expect to see at every concert, but they perfectly summed up the atmosphere. It never felt like the band was performing for the crowd. It felt like everyone in the room—band, venue staff, and audience alike—was part of the same experience.
I walked into The Drunken Unicorn expecting to hear one of my favourite albums of the year live.
I walked out appreciating Violence even more.
Over the last few months, those songs have been the soundtrack to everyday life—work, errands, long drives, and everything in between. After seeing them come to life in a room full of complete strangers laughing, singing, and forgetting about the outside world for a couple of hours, I know they’ll never quite sound the same again.
And honestly, I think that’s the best compliment I can give any live band.
Playboy Manbaby
Small
Spaceman Bob
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