Written by Aaron Christopher Gilliam
The Columbus crowd turned out strong to A&R Music Bar on a rainy Thursday night for the little Frenchman Marc “The Loop Daddy” Rebillet. As he took the stage, stopping to dap up everyone within arm’s reach, the energy from the crowd erupted in chants of his name. With a cartoonish smile extending ear to ear Marc scanned the crowd looking for inspiration. One audience member in particular stuck out above all else: a man in a banana suit. An even larger grin overcame the Loop Daddy himself and the crowd as the banana man was brought into the spotlight. The artist began his work. The laughter and excitement was barely containable as Marc free formed a song with the simple theme of “peeling my banana.” Crowd interaction at the most intimate level, no other artist I’ve ever even attempted this kind of improv before. Not only were the lyrics to his “newest” song utterly hilarious, but his beats were tight and compact, leaving every foot in the room at least tapping to his beat. As I took a second to soak in the opening moments the room was filled with laughter, something I don’t usually find at concerts. It just felt so right, this was organic comedy mashed with improvisational jams and in that moment it couldn’t get any better than that.
Once Marc had finally finished peeling his banana, he engaged the crowd in conversation thanking them for turning out, not on a dirty Wednesday, but a beautiful Thursday night. With just a mention of Tuesday on stage, an audience member took it upon himself to express his feelings belting out, “Fuck Tuesday!” Catching Marc’s attention quickly, he came back at the man, “Yea, Fuck Tuesdays! But don’t even get me started on Mondays!” This sent the crowd into a frenzy of boos against what may very well be the worst day of the week, or so says the Loop Daddy. Whether he knew it or not, the “Fuck Tuesdays” guy had just set Marc’s newest creation into motion.
The crowd fueled the first part of the jam with a constant chant of “Fuck Mondays” as Marc went to town on his keyboard and looper creating a well-rounded groove to set the mood for what he had up his sleeve. A dialogue between Barbara, an apparent office manager, and an employee of hers was performed through use of his normal voice and a voice synthesizer. The conversation began with Barbara recommending that her employee come into work a couple hours early, on a Monday. It was something anybody could relate to and sent waves of laughter through the venue. It’s impossible to contain yourself from at the least a giggle when the Loop Daddy is on stage doing what he does best. The back and forth continued as the employee fought for his right to not come in to work early asking if this was, “a requirement or recommendation.” The crowd seemed to control every song as they ended the jam with a new chant, “Fuck Barbara!”
The show had now induced the most enjoyable pain in everyone’s side, the laughter was contagious and it just kept coming. Marc seized the energy of the crowd and decided to harness it into a love song. A total change in vibe but it felt so welcomed. This was a moment for Marc to showcase his amazing talent as a musician over his humor. With a voice fit for the Rat-Pack, Mr. Rebillet serenaded the crowd as lovers gazed deeply into each other’s eyes. It was simply amazing how much control he had over the emotions of his audience. The Loop Daddy continued to dazzle on his keys touching on multiple different genres including a house-type jam that had people bumping and absolutely locked in to every moment on stage. The laughter, the smiles, the love, it was almost tangibly thick in the air and it was all emanating from the little man on stage. The crowd was fluid that night moving as one to the beat of the Loop Daddy.
It had now come full circle when it was once again the banana man’s time to shine. The man offered up his now legendary suit to Marc who gracefully accepted and took the stage once again as a banana. From start to finish the crowd was the focal point of this show, they were the centerpiece of the art Marc was painting with his music. He admitted, to the dismay of the crowd, that this night was nearing its conclusion. However, he still had a little left in the chamber and polled the audience for which of his songs published on his popular YouTube channel (currently at 189K subscribers) should end the show. “Look At That Ass,” a song near and dear to my heart, received the most hoots and hollers to the delight of Mr. Rebillet. It was a sight to behold as the Loop Daddy completely let loose on the track, even indulging in an extended dance flailing his arms aimlessly in his banana suit right into the drop. It could not get any better than this, freedom at its finest.
Before attending a Marc Rebillet show, prepare to get loose and lose yourself in the energy that flows between crowd and artist fueling one of the best experiences everyone should have the pleasure of seeing. As unique as it is amazing, this is an act that you could see a hundred times and it will still seem fresh. The improvisation is unmatched when it comes to music and humor. A master of his craft, Marc Rebillet is a niche artist that you won’t find another of. Life is blessed with moments and people that make it special. This was one of those moments, and everybody in attendance was one of those people. This wasn’t just about seeing Marc Rebillet live in concert. It was becoming part of a mass human connection through the humor and talent of one man. The crowd reflected everything Marc was putting off while he was just playing exactly what the audience gave him, a cyclical flow of energy and passion that could not sustain without one another.
Loop Daddy: Freedom at its Finest
