Young bloods drawing the crowds

Emerging music duo’s lively comedy performance proving a hit this winter at small Athens club

By Yiouli Eptakili - Kathimerini

Now 26 and 27 years of age, both grew up in the 80s to be shaped by similar experiences as well as a common – more or less – outlook on life and music. Giorgos Mylonas, born and raised in Athens, and Panos Mouzourakis, formerly of Thessaloniki, have become the talk of the town via the word-of-mouth publicity generated by their ongoing performances at a small music venue in the capital’s Nea Smyrni district, the X-Edra club.

Their show, featuring fresh, well-chosen and tightly executed songs, includes both original material and covers, Greek and foreign, by acts such as Johnny Cash, the White Stripes, Frank Sinatra, as well as the work of seasoned local artists Dionysis Savvopoulos, Jimmy Panousis and Yiannis Miliokas. The musical duo’s set, interspersed with witty remarks and backed by humorous videos, ultimately creates a homely feeling.

Compared to the lavish stage productions put on by glitzy Greek music clubs for mainstream acts, the duo’s show is imbued with a homemade feel. It would not be inaccurate to say that its cozier, more down-to-earth, honest and interesting atmosphere is winning back some territory.

Though they have come together as a stage act, Mylonas and Mouzourakis have worked separately in the studio. Mylonas has already put out a debut album, “Kalokairia pou geloun” (Laughing Summers), an appealing pop-oriented output, while Mouzourakis’s first album, “Mantepse poios” (Guess Who), is being prepared for release.

The duo’s initial bond was strengthened further when Mouzourakis, evicted by his landlady for not having the money to pay his rent, sought temporary shelter at Mylonas’s flat. At the time, they had already spent four years performing as part of a bigger team at the sizable Stavros tou Notou club, but felt the need for “something to wake us up, closer contact with audiences,” Mouzourakis told Kathimerini in an interview. “Things were a little mechanical. We would loosen up at the end. When the people had left, Panos and I would reach for our guitars and just jam on stage. That’s how we came up with the idea for what we’re doing this season.” Both grew up listening to the sounds of the 80s, a widely discredited musical era.

“The first CDs my parents bought for me were albums by Modern Talking and Michael Jackson,” admitted Mouzourakis, who lived in Zurich until the age of 8. “I gradually began discovering music when we settled in Thessaloniki, listening to Elvis Presley, Sam Cooke, hard rock, and, of course, Pavlos Sidiropoulos, Nikolas Asimos, Trypes, and that entire generation. Pavlos Sidiropoulos made me want to get involved with music and is the person responsible for the failure of my father’s dream of me becoming an accountant,” he added.

Mylonas said the first song he played on his guitar was a Bob Dylan track. But not long afterward, while studying at a musically oriented high school, Mylonas said he began to appreciate the work of Manos Loizos, Manos Hadjidakis and Savvopoulos.

The latter artist, who swiftly tuned into the musical pair’s talent, offered Mouzourakis and Mylonas a role in a revised performance of “Acharnes.” “I think no matter what we say about that experience, it would be inadequate,” noted Mylonas about their collaboration with the seasoned local music great. Despite the respect felt by the duo for key musical figures of the past, they also feel the need to press ahead. Alluding to the thought of progress, part of their show merges video footage of a Greek celebrity TV chef, Vefa, with the duo’s performance of an old 1950s love song called “Beba” (Baby), which they’ve transformed into “How Much You’ve Grown, Vefa.”

“It wouldn’t be a case of lack of respect if a platform was provided for younger artists,” said Mouzourakis. “I’m talking about my generation, which I believe is full of hidden surprises. They should be put under the spotlight, and if the promise isn’t proven true, the lights should simply be turned off.”