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Gil Mantera’s Party Dream turns 10 with Cedars show
YOUNGSTOWN — Gil Mantera's Party Dream will mark its 10th anniversary on Christmas eve with a show at Cedars, downtown.
It was a decade ago to the day — Christmas eve 1999 — when the Party Dream first took the stage. The place was the now-defunct Nyabinghi on the West Side.
What was originally conceived as a one-time affair led to more gigs, and the duo soon realized that they were on to something.
Ten years and a few albums later, Gil and Ultimate Donnie Mantera are still going strong. The synth-rock trio — they added drummer A.E. Paterra last year — is now entering its second decade, having played hundreds of shows across the country and garnering positive notices in the rock press.
The Vindicator caught up with Donnie to answer a few questions as the anniversary show nears.
Q. Gil Mantera’s Party Dream started as a gag, but a decade later it’s still going strong. What do you remember about that first gig in 1999 at the Nyabinghi? And did you even consider at the time that the band would come this far?
A. I don’t remember too many specifics concerning the first show. Memories of the first few shows all blend into one big mess. There was no pressure and not much care, either. We came up with the band name that night and had absolutely no plans for a second show. The fact that it became a career years later still blows my mind.
Q. The touring seems to be going nonstop, and by now GMPD must be a draw in many places. Other than Youngstown, Cleveland, etc., what cities have embraced the band the most?
A. Chicago might be our best spot currently. On our most recent tour, The Empty Bottle was completely sold out before any bands took the stage. Austin, New York City, Los Angeles, Orlando, Tampa and Jacksonville are consistently wild and fruitful. Philadelphia really came alive on the Dreamsport tour. Charleston, S.C., was a pleasant surprise. Lansing, Mich., and Rochester, N.Y., never disappoint. Ohio, in general, is very good to the Dream.
Q. The latest CD, “Dreamscape,” saw GMPD move toward a less offbeat, more nightclub style. What direction will the act take in its next CD? And what is the timetable on the next recording?
A. We want to continue in the direction we headed with “Dreamscape” while taking a step back into aspects of “Bloodsongs.” Dreamscape was somewhat conceptual, seeing purposely downplayed vocals both in the mix and performance. We’re going to kick out the pop jams on the new record and get a little more soulful and showy at times with the vocals. Also, all the songs for the new record were written with A.E. Paterra’s drums in mind, so he’ll be able to show off his skills a little more than on “Dreamscape.” It’s really hard to say what the finished product will be when we still have all vocals and guitar to record. We’re hoping to have a new record out in the fall, but we’re not going to be hasty this time. We’ll be shopping it to labels who can give this one the proper treatment.
Q. Regardless of how the music evolves, one thing never changes: the Mantera brothers like to make the audience go crazy. The music stands on its own, but yet it seems to flow from the performance — the movements, banter, costumes and antics. Does the genius of GMPD reside in its on-stage persona? And how do you make music grow out of this mind-set?
A. The Party Dream is all of those things. If you take one away, you have a different band. We don’t write songs with the show in mind. When it comes to writing, good songs is priority No. 1. When someone sees us live and buys a CD, we want them to be really happy when they pop it in the player.
Q. Those who were at GMPD’s show outdoors at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland this summer say it was an electric atmosphere. How does the honor of being asked to play at the Rock Hall compare to other noteworthy shows GMPD had played, such as South by Southwest (SXSW)?
A. It was a great honor and so much fun. SXSW is a blast, but the process is usually that you submit in hopes of getting accepted. Thousands of bands play it each year. The Rock Hall invited us to play. How could we decline?