Soon after my son moved to Boston, we decided to go to the movies, and the only place showing Colman Domingo’s Sing Sing was a short drive away in Somerville, MA. We found ourselves in a charming downtown, complete with an old-school movie theater and great choices for coffee and ice cream. After watching the powerful film and enjoying some coffee and treats, we vowed to return to Somerville.
Little did we know that beneath the town’s idyllic surface, horrors were lurking. Right there in the local Market Basket, you could be accosted by a horrific figure with the body of a man and the head of a lemon who would then bend you and your friends to his citric will. At least that’s the vision presented in The Lemon Man, the fourth and final single from Fortuna 500’s debut album, Two For Flinching, which will be released on August 21st.
“The Lemon Man came to me on a sleepless night. A rush, all at once. It was the worst night of my life.” - Cole Triedman, lead vocalist and producer
The nightmare begins with Morricone-esque barbed-wire guitars from Cole Triedman, Ryan DiLello, and Harley Spring, creating a dark atmosphere enhanced by picks scraping on tightly wound nickel-plated steel. After nearly a full spine-tingling minute, the rhythm section emerges from the shadows, “Farmer” Dave Levine’s bass and Julian Snyder’s drums creating an implacable forward motion.
As guitars drone and twang, Triedman relates his tale of woe, almost dispassionately at first (“Hanging out in the oil aisle/Sun is setting, but I’ll stay awhile/Act cool in the shelf my friend/Here comes the Lemon Man.”) Directed by Triedman with local artists Zoe Hopper and Lizzy McEleney, the video, even with liberal use of a fisheye lens, takes some of this quite literally, showing the song’s narrator (played by Colin McLevy of the Brighton, MA band School) in the supermarket, and then the Lemon Man’s menacing gloved hand caressing the many varieties of olive oil. Next we see Triedman biking through the streets of Boston to meet a friend in a cul-de-sac.
At this point, the tension breaks and Triedman hits the kicker at full volume: “STAY AWAY FROM THE FUCKING LEMON MAN!” Fortuna 500’s three-guitar lineup meets the moment with furious power chords, before the song subsides into a chant and we see the Lemon Man for the first time, a wraith-like figure in a blue suit played by Lena Warnke of local band/art collective sidebody with an enormous papier-mâché lemon for a head. You may chuckle, but it will be a nervous chuckle.
There’s more glorious noise, with grinding guitars and tense bass riffs, before Triedman goes on to detail how his life “went to fuckery” due to The Lemon Man’s wrath. It’s an overwrought and hilarious fantasy, but the musical core of the song is the real deal. The band is quick to note that, although The Lemon Man is their most-requested song in concert, it’s a piece apart from their typical “sunny-leaning garage country.” They have a point, but many of the songs on Two For Flinching have a wide dynamic range and don’t, er, flinch from hitting a stride on the backs of wailing guitars and tightly constructed solos. So, don’t be frightened off by The Lemon Man. Fortuna 500’s debut album shows a band with humor, heart, and the musical chops to make us care about their concerns, even the ones that give them nightmares.
To make sure you’re fully prepared for the album, listen to the earlier singles on Spotify and Bandcamp, where you can also find a fun live EP. Fortuna 500 has concert dates planned, including at The Broadway in Brooklyn on August 21st and others in Somerville and Providence. Sidebody will be appearing at Somverville’s annual Rat****** Fest on August 22 and 23rd. Try as he might, The Lemon Man can’t stop the Somerville scene!
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