At first, you think it’s just shtick. We get it; a fat, balding, completely unsexy white guy crooning lascivious, funky R&B while stripping down to his tighty-whities is funny. That much is undeniable. Then it sinks in — you’re actually really digging it, maybe even kinda turned on. It’s a bit like laughing at some fajita-stuffed-beignet-double-cheeseburger monstrosity on thisiswhyyourefat.com, then realizing that it’s making you really, really hungry. Of course, it’s not your fault. Har Mar actually knows what he’s doing, and he’s pretty damn good at it. Underneath all that nasty is a talented songwriter and damn decent voice. That’s when you start wondering exactly what Har Mar intends for you to get out of his twisted striptease revue. It’s at once a mocking send-up of some of the more ridiculous elements of modern R&B, and a celebration of the more elemental, which makes Har Mar’s relationship to his chosen medium a bit difficult. It’s probably safe to say that he wouldn’t do it without a deep affection for the music, but couldn’t do it without the madness. It is his blessing, and it is his curse. Fortunately for his audience, both sides are enjoyable.
This article appears in Oct 15-21, 2009.
