Har Mar Superstar at the Raccoon Motel -- April 27.
Sunday, April 27, 2 p.m.
Raccoon Motel, 315 East Second Street, Davenport IA
With his most recent album Roseville lauded by Tinnitist as "a career-defining culmination of life and musical experiences," indie-rock singer/songwriter Sean Tillmann – a.k.a. Har Mar Superstar – performs a special afternoon concert at Davenport's Raccoon Motel on April 27, the Minnesota artist's additional credits including roles in Pitch Perfect and TV's Broad City, and serving as the lead character of the "Skeleton Crew" band for Netflix's revival of Mystery Science Theater 3000.
Har Mar Superstar, as stated at AllMusic.com, "is one of the many performing monikers of American singer, songwriter, and actor Sean Tillmann, who also operates under the names Sean Na Na, Calvin Krime, and Heart Bones. Known for his effusive and sweaty live performances, Har Mar is an R&B, contemporary pop, and retro-soul singer who is as talented as he is occasionally over-the-top. Since debuting in 2000, he has shared stages with the Strokes, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Sia, Lizzo, and the Afghan Whigs, and has issued a string of well-received singles, EPs, and albums, including The Handler (2004), Bye Bye 17 (2013), and Roseville (2021).
"Tillmann first emerged as a recording artist in the St. Paul band Calvin Krime in the late '90s; his self-titled debut as Har Mar Superstar was released in 2000 on Kill Rock Stars. The 2002 follow-up, You Can Feel Me, while still dabbling in irony, turned out to be a more fully realized, well-produced, and downright funky release. The project forced many to recognize that despite his outrageous persona and theatrical stage outfits, Tillmann is a first-class soul crooner. In fact, Rolling Stone magazine featured Har Mar Superstar as one of its 'new faces' of 2002. Though Warner Bros. dropped Har Mar Superstar from their main roster in 2003, Tillmann was back the following year with a new album, Handler, on Record Collection, one of the label's boutique imprints.
"After a five-year gap, Har Mar returned in 2009 with the more disco-oriented Dark Touches, before eventually transitioning to a more classic soul/R&B sound in 2013 with his fifth album, Bye Bye 17. A year later, Tillmann kept busy collaborating with actor/singer Macaulay Culkin in the satirical covers band the Pizza Underground. In 2016, he delivered his sixth Har Mar Superstar album, Best Summer Ever. Conceived as a fake compilation album featuring Har Mar Superstar's best cuts from '1950 to 1985,' the album included a cover of the Strokes vocalist Julian Casablancas' song 'Youth Without Love' and appeared on Casablancas' own Cult Records. Returning in 2021 with a seven-piece band, he released Roseville, which served as a love letter to his hometown of St. Paul."
Har Mar Superstar plays his headlining engagement in Davenport on April 27, and the 2 p.m. concert is followed by an individual, 7 p.m. concert with Normal Bias, Ronnie Stone, E.T., and Drugwarp. Admission to the afternoon event is $26.45, and more information and tickets are available by visiting TheRaccoonMotel.com.
