Even though it's considered one of the dorkiest instruments of all time, Paul Meany plays the keytar-and proudly.
Sure, the frontman for electro alt-rock outfit Mute Math could just plant himself behind his Fender Rhodes piano instead of strapping on the guitar-shaped keyboard and careening about the stage every few songs. But as Meany puts it, "That thing is damn fun to play."
For Meany-who also likes taking a pair of drumsticks to an upturned drum throne and stroking a homemade electronic instrument called the Atari before tossing it into the crowd-limiting himself, or his band, to any one apparatus really isn't his style.
So when Warner Bros. decided to market Mute Math as a Christian rock band against the group's wishes, Meany and the boys refused to let the label pigeonhole their music.
Last year, Mute Math filed suit against the company and its Christian music division, Word Records, for breach of contract and negligent misrepresentation after an ongoing dispute about how the band should be advertised.
"It was going to force us to go into a world that we were trying to forge our way out of," said Meany, who grew up in a strict evangelical Christian home and played in a Christian band prior to forming Mute Math.
While Meany makes it clear that some of his lyrics carry spiritual undertones, he insists that the band never set out to be a Christian rock band.
"We want to have the freedom to say whatever it is we want to say at any given moment," he said. "I'm not about trying to overspiritualize any particular part of our music just to turn any particular world on."
After divorcing themselves from Warner, the band decided to release their eponymous album through their own independent label, Teleprompt. They hit the road last fall, thinking they would tour for a while, sell a few CDs at shows and probably record again sometime thereafter, Meany said.
Then something unexpected happened: Mute Math caught on. Partly due to an Internet presence that included a candid series of video blogs on their MySpace site, Mute Math accrued a growing legion of fans.
"Really, Mute Math was built using the Internet as a digital word of mouth," Meany said. After losing the vital media connections that came with being signed to a major label, the Internet became their lifeline.
Their sound-think modern-day, electrified Police-resonated with listeners. Add in energetic performances on high-profile stages such as Lollapalooza and Warped Tour, and suddenly Warner could no longer ignore a band who could clearly appeal to Christians and non-Christians alike.
"We really weren't a blip on their radar for a while," Meany said. "But the pieces of the puzzle came into what became a pretty intelligible picture for Warner Bros."
In August, the band settled their lawsuit with Warner. The label re-released Mute Math-sans Christian marketing-in conjunction with Teleprompt on Sept. 26.
"It's what we wanted all along," Meany said. "We just kinda had to take the scenic route."
Fresh off scoring iTunes "Single of the Week" last week, the members of Mute Math are currently on a 40-city club tour, hoping to build their growing fanbase (they currently have almost 100,000 MySpace friends) with their blistering live shows.
That is, if they can make it through the tour alive. Meany once split bassist Roy Mitchell-Cardenas' head open after running across the stage with the keytar and accidentally ramming him in the forehead.
"In the midst of the chaos, every now and then something's going to be a bit off calibration," Meany said.
Mitchell-Cardenas, unfazed, finished playing the song, but he wasn't happy. "He gave me a piece of his mind afterward," Meany said.
Mute Math plays at the Cat's Cradle, 300 E. Main St. in Carrboro, Saturday, Oct. 21 at 9:15 (doors 8:30). Tickets are $12.
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