Let’s face it: If you could wear pajamas out on a Saturday night, you probably would. The only reason you don’t is because you don’t want to be the only person at the bar wearing flannels and a big, baggy t-shirt.
You’re not an outlier though. There’s a thriving community of pajama enthusiasts, as evident by the Subterranean‘s Pajamuary event at Saturday, January 16th, featuring local acts Bronson Rock, Mungion and EGI. It was $5 off for anyone wearing PJs. Just wearing flannels qualified for discounted admission, but a surprising number of people went above and beyond, sporting giant animal-themed onesies. It was very rock and roll.
Chicago act Mungion drew the largest, most comfortably dressed crowd of the night. The band immediately cranked up the tempo with driving math rock-style riffs, with keyboardist Joe Re adding texture reminiscent of prog-rock jam band Dopapod. Guitarist Justin Reckamp’s impressive playing almost blew the hoods off peoples’ panda-themed onesies, ripping quite a few memorable soaring, uplifting solos that left you grinning ear-to-ear.
Mungion cultivated great vibes within the crowd, not only with superb musicianship, but also with a light-hearted spirit on stage fitting for the crowd of pajama-clad people in front of them. Toward the end, the band debuted a new song about a “banana man” sung in a cappella. The main refrain went something like, “If you leave bananas in the pantry, they’re gonna get nasty.” It was hilarious, and based on first-hand experience, extremely true. The band also busted into a rockin’ tune shortly afterword with some improvised lyrics about anal beads. It feels strange to head bang and laugh at the same time. Try it some time.
Be on the lookout for upcoming Mungion shows in and around Chicago. The band is also releasing a new full-length album in March titled Scary Blankets.
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