Intergalactic Surf-Punk Band Returns To Bay Area

By Dave Pehling

BERKELEY (CBS SF) -- One of the most entertaining, theatrical sci-fi garage-surf bands to emerge during the '90s, Man Or Astro-Man? returns to the Bay Area for this show at the Cornerstone in Berkeley Thursday night.

The futuristic surf unit was started in Auburn, Alabama, in 1992 by principle members Star Crunch (aka Brian Causey) and Dr. Deleto (Jeff Goodwin) on guitar, Birdstuff (aka Brian Teasley) on drums and Coco the Electronic Monkey Wizard (born Robert DelBueno) on bass guitar and electronics. Inspired by both the classic surf-guitar sounds of Dick Dale and the Ventures as well as the groundbreaking synth punk and subversive humor of Devo, the groups peppered its blistering instrumentals with space-age sound effects and dialog samples from a host of science fiction films from the '50s and '60s.

Man or Astro-man? would issue an avalanche of 7-inch singles and EPs for a variety of labels, but put out their initial albums through noted surf/garage rock imprint Estrus Records. Their early classics
Is It... Man Or Astro-Man? and Destroy All Astro-Men!! -- along with the group's eye-popping, high-energy stage show featuring the members jumping around in space suits, projections of sci-fie movies and a growing array of oscillators and primitive electronics like a theremin and Tesla coil -- helped build a loyal fanbase as they toured both sides of the Atlantic heavily.

The band would move to independent punk label Touch And Go Records, having already worked with the imprint's de facto house engineer Steve Albini on their third Estrus album Project Infinity, starting with their 1996 effort Experiment Zero. While Causey would depart the band in 1998, Man Or Astro-Man? would soldier on, releasing several more albums and -- at one point -- sending out what it called "clone bands" of different musicians touring and performing their music.

The band went on an extended hiatus in 2001, but reunited the original line-up for the Touch and Go 25th anniversary celebration. The group has returned to regular if more sporadic activity, touring every few years and releasing their first album of new material in over a decade, Defcon 5...4...3...2...1, in 2013. The new album added Causey's gruff vocals and a grungier approach, but the Man Or Astro-Man? formula remained essentially unchanged. The band (now featuring second guitarist Avona Nova, aka Samantha Erin Paulsen) returns to the Bay Area for the first time in six years for this show at the Cornerstone in Berkeley Thursday night. Self-described "no-punk post-wave" band Human Beat opens the show.

Man Or Astro-Man?
Thursday, Aug. 22, 8 p.m. $20
The Cornerstone