When it comes to experimental sister/brother art-rock duo the Fiery Furnaces, the unexpected has become expected. So it came as no surprise when Eleanor and Matthew Friedberger decided to ditch the keyboards while touring in support of their latest album, the keyboard-heavy Bitter Tea. Nor was it a surprise that Philly’s own exuberant and equally unpredictable Man Man would wield its pots and pans, flutes, keyboards, trumpets, xylophones and—perhaps most important—mustaches and mullets to delight with the opening performance. But while Man Man effectively complemented the siblings’ offbeat sound, the Furnaces own musical choices fell short.

Relative to 2005’s exciting but hardly euphonious Rehearsing My Choir (on which Eleanor and the Friedbergers’ 83-year-old grandmother trade vocals), Bitter Tea is an enjoyable and more accessible example of the Furnaces’ creativity, and it would’ve been nice to see this same vivacious performance live. By taking away some of the more playful aspects that keyboards bring to their recorded sound, the Furnaces have affected a simpler and—God forbid—more ordinary rock sound. And for the Friedbergers, this more typical, guitar-driven rock just doesn’t deliver the same balance to Eleanor’s harsh, sometimes monotonous voice as do the bouncier, brighter sounds of the keyboard; even with former Sebadoh bassist Jason Lowenstein and tour drummer Bob D’Amico helping out.

Certain gems, such as crowd favorite “Crystal Clear” from 2003 debut Gallowsbird’s Bark, are intricate and solid enough to work without the flights of kooky electronic noise. The same can be said about the zippy “Police Sweater Blood Vow.” The rest of the Bitter Tea-heavy set fell pretty flat, and while the crowd still managed to dance, the duo doesn’t have much to offer as a guitar-focused rock band. On past tours, the Furnaces remained spontaneous and strayed from their recorded sound by performing epic mash-ups of many songs, with only snippets from various tunes remaining identifiable. This reworking of their recorded sound fared much better than ditching one of their signature instruments.

It was quirky openers Man Man that made the night worth every dollar. As if its music isn’t theatrical and full-bodied enough in and of itself, the band’s live performance was just as impressive. Huddled together around their instruments in the center of the stage, the five men—each dressed fully in white and wearing sweatbands—banged and blasted their instruments with the fervor of circus performers or an enthusiastic, wildly talented jazz band fresh out of the mental hospital. Honus Honus’ deep, full voice, which has been widely compared to that of Tom Waits, is the perfect complement to the band’s flamboyant instrumentation. Playing largely from recent album Six Demon Bag, the solid performance conjured equal memories of D.C.’s Q And Not U and of a ’40s swing band. “Engrish Bwudd” could’ve just as well have been played by the performers at a romantic Italian dinner as it could be an ancient Anglo-Saxon warrior’s battle song. “Black Mission Goggles” and “Ice Dogs,” two of the most enjoyable songs of the night, clearly represent Man Man’s original sound without recalling any other musical references. Man Man left the stage cementing its image as mad musical geniuses for the already converted while surely winning over a few new fans. Too bad the same can’t be said of the Furnaces.

—Jessica Parker