The Da(m)n Band

The Dan Band should not perform at an actual wedding ceremony. Dan Finnerty did it once, just after the beginning of his band dedicated to playing goofy, schlocky, gloriously profane versions of pop songs.

There was a grandmother sitting up front during that wedding. Finnerty swore, and she looked shocked. Finnerty recalls being nervous at the wedding, which meant he pulled off one of his nervous tick dance moves -- the crotch-grab, a la Michael Jackson. That only elicited shrieking, which only elicited more crotch grabs, because he was now feeling it. Sorry for the double entendre.

FAQ

The Dan Band

WHEN — 9 p.m. today

WHERE — Walton Arts Center in Fayetteville

COST — $18-$38

INFO — 443-5600 or waltonartscenter.org

The original script of Todd Phillips' 2003 buddy comedy "Old School" had a line calling for a wedding band to play a wedding song, Finnerty says by phone from his home in New York City. But Phillips saw a show by Finnerty, who started as a one-man band. Phillips asked him to fill the role. He obliged, performing a curse-words-added version of Bonnie Tyler's "Total Eclipse of the Heart." An elderly woman in the movie reacts much as the one did in real life -- with wide-eyed shock.

But there was more to The Dan Band than costumes and curse words. There's an actual band, with actual choreography. The Dan Band has released two albums, with a third on the way, and the group also tours. The band's current outing will bring them to the Walton Arts Center in Fayetteville tonight.

Fittingly, The Dan Band started as a joke. After a karaoke party where Finnerty sang Helen Reddy's "I Am Woman," a friend asked Finnerty to take the act to stage so it looked like she had an opening band. A booking agent in attendance at that initial gig asked Finnerty if he could extend the act into a 30-minute set. It began a career that evolved into appearances on late-night television and in movies such as "Old School," "Starsky & Hutch" and "The Hangover."

"I make a living swearing, which is horrifying to my mother," Finnerty says.

It also takes a tremendous amount of work. Joined by backup singers Gene Reed and John Kozeluh, the Dan Band -- which includes a rotating cast of musicians -- works hard to give each song the proper treatment. The three vocalists often work with a choreographer friend of Finnerty's. After hearing the directions, Finnerty says his normal response is a version of this -- "No thanks. We'll just sway."

But that doesn't give the musicians enough credit. The three vocalists spent a total of 21 hours learning the exact, complicated movement to Beyonce's famous "Single Ladies" music video. They also worked with a circus trainer to parody Pink's "Glitter in the Air," which she performed at the Grammy ceremony while spinning above the stage courtesy of aerial silks.

Presentation matters to Finnerty, and he says the live shows are much more comedy oriented than they are concert oriented. He also works the audience into improvised segments, which he calls his favorite part of the night.

During the course of the evening, the band will play several favorites, including "Total Eclipse of the Heart" and Christina Aguilera's "Genie in a Bottle." Expect some new tracks, too, such as a take on Nicki Minaj's "Anaconda."

Finnerty says he's also at work on a new album, due for a June release on Comedy Central Records. Called "The Wedding Album," it imagines the songs Finnerty's character might want on his wedding day playlist. It includes a duet with The Pussycat Dolls' Nicole Scherzinger on Air Supply's "Making Love Out of Nothing at All" and another with Matchbox 20 frontman Rob Thomas.

NAN What's Up on 11/21/2014

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