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Photos by Brittany Woolsey.

From sodomy baskets to Pokemon to Disney, Tartar Control covered all the bases in their short 30-minute set at the Gaslamp Restaurant & Bar on Saturday evening.

tc8The sarcastic comedy duo, featuring Robert Selander (vocals) and Sean Hart (guitar), approached the stage in front of about 30 people who knew what to expect. Tartar Control, dressed in the traditional Mormon clothes of black-and-white garb, introduced themselves.

“This first song is about having good morals,” Selander announced.

“About being an upstanding citizen,” Hart chimed in.

“But most importantly, it’s about Jesus,” Selander continued. “This song is called ‘Jesus is Love.'”

From there, the set exploded into a frenzy of screaming from Selander on stage and a mosh pit in the crowd, which Selander frequently jumped into.

To say that a Tartar Control show is fun would be a complete understatement. These two men completely captivate a room, not just because of their loud sound, but also because no one is really quite sure what the hell is going on.

Hart may have appeared caring and with morals when he asked the crowd if anyone was having a bad day, but his suggestion of a remedy was less than holy.

“We hear smoking crack can really help you have a good time,” he said.

The band then ignited into “Smoking Crack,” which included a sing-along chorus. These aren’t your everyday Mormons.

Although Tartar Control’s set was filled with adult topics like smoking crack, participating in sodomy and encountering child molesters, three children in the front of the crowd appeared to smile as Selander approached them and joked around with them.

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While most songs (hopefully) went over the kids’ heads, Tartar Control also covered themes that were appropriate for all ages, like its song, “Gotta Catch Em All,” which names all first generation Pokemon.

But don’t let the band’s encore song, a rendition of “A Whole New World” from Disney’s Aladdin, fool you.

As Robot, an actual robot playing beats that acted as the band’s rhythm section, played the background music, Selander swayed and split harmonies with Hart. As soon as the chorus kicked in, however, Hart kicked in with a fast guitar and Selander’s once sweet voice turned into a scream similar to what people would hear in a death metal song. These elements of surprise and comedy are exactly what make Tartar Control shows worthwhile, no matter how short the set.

Still, fans were left wanting more as the house lights went on and they continued to chant for the band, which was essentially forced off the stage due to time constraints.