Gil Mantera's Party Dream

Gil Mantera's Party Dream was an American electronic synthpop party band hailing originally from Youngstown, Ohio, United States, with Gil Mantera living in Columbus, Ohio as well as Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Donny has always lived in Youngstown. Consisting of self-proclaimed brothers Gil Mantera and Ultimate Donny, the Party Dream are known for their over-the-top live shows and updated channeling of 1980s synthpop à la Tears for Fears. Their music blends synth-heavy electronic dance music with heavy basslines, distorted guitar, and even a few progressive rock influences.

Gil Mantera's Party Dream
Gil Mantera and Ultimate Donny
Background information
OriginYoungstown, Ohio, United States
GenresSynthpop, Electronica
Years active1999–2010, 2013
LabelsFat Possum Records
Audio Eagle Records
Psychic Dog Records
Websitewww.partydream.com
MembersGil Mantera
Ultimate Donny
AE Paterra

They toured several times with successful artists as varied as Grand Buffet, An Albatross, GWAR, and Art Brut, and most notably were invited several times to play New York City with The Rapture. In 2008 they toured across the country with the Van's Warped Tour. Originally a regional phenomenon, the Party Dream signed to Fat Possum Records, a primarily blues label that is also the home of The Black Keys and The Fiery Furnaces, and have begun extensive national touring. In mid-2006, they were invited to play the SXSW concert series in Austin, Texas, garnering enough attention at their three garish live shows to warrant a "Best Show [SXSW]" award from the Village Voice. They were also featured by Spin magazine as a Spin.com band of the day and warranted a recommendation on Timothy McSweeney's publishing house website.

The Party Dream is well known among their fans for their pseudo-performance art approach to playing live, with sets that include not only musical performance, but also improvised stage banter, dance, and at times even elements of striptease. Driven by Gil's synthesizer arrangements and Donny's wildly over-emotive vocal stylings, the Party Dream produces danceable, electronic music with recognizable hooks that are often performed by Gil, who sings exclusively through a vocoder. After originally focusing on improvised performance, the Party Dream has now matured into a dance band with recorded musical offerings that while not directly comparable with their frenetic live shows, has placed them in a position to expand on their regional success and join the indie/post-punk revival from a decidedly different angle than their peers.

Biography

Gil Mantera's Party Dream spawned from a three-man act called "Party Talk" that played a one night show in August 1998 in Youngstown, Ohio at Cedars Lounge. The act consisted of Richard Elmsworth (Ultimate Donny), Glen Whiteweather (Gil Mantera), and Brian Gage (Tartron). Ultimate Donny described the band as, "A joke band called Party Talk, playing retro '80s-style dance music and pretty much making jackasses of ourselves."[1]

The group disbanded after Brian moved to California. With Gil and Donny, Party Talk regrouped a few months later to play a CD release show at the club, despite the fact they had no CD in the works. With the departure of their third member, Party Talk evolved into Gil Mantera's Party Dream, and the duo gained a reputation for their anything-goes live shows.[2]

2010 through 2012

The group is currently on a hiatus as of June 5, 2010. Little is known on the status of the band, or if they have any plans of reforming. Gil Mantera has remained quiet about the situation, however Ultimate Donny has hinted online that the band is over and that there are no plans in the foreseeable future.

2013 through 2015

A rumor started in late 2012 quoted the band as saying "As long as the Mayans are wrong." they would tour in 2013. A source closest to the band has stated that there is no truth to it what so ever and that the band is done for good. Another source close to the band says that Gil has changed his mind and wants to revive the band one day.

Ultimate Donny is now playing in Sam Goodwill, a funk rock band based in Youngstown Ohio. Ultimate Donny also hosts a "nutzoid" weekly karaoke night in Youngstown, Ohio.

Discography
  • Best Friends – 2000, self-released CDEP, out of print
  • Once Triangular – 2004, self-released CDLP, out of print
  • Bloodsongs – 2005, Audio Eagle CDLP
  • Ballerina EP – 2008, digital self-release
  • Dreamscape – 2009, digital self-release and CDLP; Psychic Dog Records
  • Bloodbrothers – TBA, TBA CDLP

References
  2. "Answers – The Most Trusted Place for Answering Life's Questions". Answers.com.
  3. "Gil Mantera's Party Dream". Spin.com. February 27, 2006.
  4. "Gil Mantera's Party Dream". The Columbus Dispatch. Archived from the original on January 19, 2013.
  5. Kasten, Kristyn Pomranz, Roy. "B-Sides is in a Party Dream, chillin' with José González". Riverfront Times.
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