Sauntering into Cholmondeley's on a weekend night before the party begins is usually pretty awkward: the lights are still on, bands take their time setting up and the crowd trickles in at a markedly slow rate until 10 p.m.. This Saturday night, I made sure to get to Chum's early for the heavily advertised Har Mar Superstar concert, sponsored by WBRS-and was greeted by an empty room, instead of the crowded dance pit that the event's hype had led me to expect.

The opening band was positioning their instruments on stage when one of my friends asked, "Doesn't the drummer look like Phil from Phil of the Future?" You know, that Disney channel series about a time-traveling family that we all loved when we were 11? Indeed it was Phil, whose name is actually Ricky Ullman, and who has since transitioned from actor to musician. Ullman and his bandmates, the alternative group His Orchestra, played half a dozen songs to an excited audience, quickly filling up the house as Har Mar Superstar's set time neared. His Orchestra's harmonic music strikes an enviable balance between a danceable beat, rich and engaging vocals and flawless instrumentals. By the time the group dismantled their set, they had the audience dancing with abandon and thoroughly psyched for Har Mar Superstar.

By about 10:30 p.m., everyone who had headed outside for some air had packed back inside of Chum's, forming an even denser crowd. I was moving towards the stage when a man wearing a black hooded poncho with tribal print all over it dashed by me and jumped up on the newly set stage, yelling out some salutation to the crowd. It was Har Mar Superstar, and he wasted no time with introductions-or with removing his hood-and started right in on a danceable pop song. Accompanied by a drummer and an electric guitarist, his brand of music is a mix between the most upbeat sonic elements of pop and R&B, with a startlingly mainstream feel for a performer as eccentric as Har Mar Superstar is. 

The stage personality "Har Mar Superstar" is actually an alter ego character invention of Sean Tillmann, the performer's given name. Har Mar Superstar is very much a manifestation of Tillmann's thoughts about sexual freedom and virility, as the performer has created an image that physically resembles Ron Jeremy, an adult film star who holds a Guinness World Record for acting in the greatest number of adult films. And indeed, Tillmann brought his characteristic "macho man" act to Chum's stage on Saturday, shedding layer after layer of clothing (I counted three) until he finished up his performance in only a pair of orange skinny jeans. He danced around the stage while he sang in a goofy, upbeat way, jumping around and encouraging the crowd to yell lyrics back to him. If nothing else, his bizarre stage presence made the audience all feel comfortable in their own skins, and the crowd really let loose dancing to the poppy singer-songwriter's hits. 

Tillman has been performing as Har Mar Superstar since 2000, and his show at Chum's incorporated a dozen or so songs that span the past 13 years of his music career. The crowd really got going after a few songs when he bust out the 2004 hit "D.U.I." from his third album, The Handler. The bubbly pop song about partying too hard and dialing under the influence, with plucky, tropical-sounding electric guitar throughout, had the crowd singing along to lyrics like: "I made 'bout a million D.U.I.'s / That's how I always win the prize." 

Towards the end of the show, he moved toward newer songs, like "Prisoner," a collaboration with singer and Cape Fear actress Juliette Lewis, that was released this April on his latest album, Bye Bye 17. Har Mar Superstar's music has, across the span of four albums, retained a glossy, almost disco quality, featuring big band instruments like trumpets, alongside groovy guitar tracks. Ending the night with one of his characteristic headstands, he kept the audience jumping and dancing whimsically throughout the entirety of his high-energy performance. As far as Chum's concerts go, His Orchestra and Har Mar Superstar were a winning combination, and made for an awesome Saturday night.