Sam Elfanbaum went to college knowing he wanted to start a band. It wasn’t too much longer before he began rehearsing with some friends in a space he describes as no bigger than a closet. Just a few years later, Elfanbaum and his band, Post Sex Nachos, play shows with audiences of over 100 people.
Elfanbaum, lead singer and rhythm guitarist, and Chase Mueller, bassist, started playing together in Columbia in 2017. Eager to form a complete band, they began searching for a drummer, which led them to Hunter Pendleton.
The trio first played together in a garage, jamming to their adaptation of Childish Gambino’s famous song “Redbone.” This became the first of many jam sessions, taking place anywhere from a garage to a closet.
The group added Mitch Broddon, lead guitarist, in 2019, completing the current lineup for Post Sex Nachos.
With their passion for music, quirky relatability and strong social media presence, Post Sex Nachos has been able to make a name for themselves in the local music scene.
The band describes its music as “rollercoaster rock,” a term inspired by their ability to jump back and forth between moods in their songs.
“We like to add a lot of dynamics to our music,” Broddon said. “You can find yourself in one chill vibe one second, and then the next second you’re really nodding your head and it gets a little heavier … tapping your toes to the beat of the drums.”
The band cites inspiration anywhere from Broddon’s and Elfanbaum’s past experience in jazz bands to the catchy riffs of indie-rock giants The Strokes. Drawing from many influences, the group is able to create infectious indie-rock music, reminiscent of bands like Hippo Campus.
However, their attempts at genre-blending aren’t what Post Sex Nachos believes is its strongest or most unique quality as a band. Unlike many other bands, the members of Post Sex Nachos would hardly claim their music is great at all.
The group claims their true strength is their chemistry on stage and their ability to keep the crowd engaged with their banter.
“We don’t take ourselves too seriously, which I think is good,” Pendleton said. “It’s all about having fun and making somewhat okay music … just entertaining.”
At a Post Sex Nachos show, the crowd is constantly engaged. The audience members banter playfully with the band as they tune their instruments in between songs.
MU freshman Jacob Mallard, a lover of local music, believes the band’s charm and lighthearted manner make them different than other bands in Columbia. Mallard witnessed the band’s strong stage presence from the front row at their show at Eastside Tavern on Feb. 12.
“The energy was electric … I couldn’t stop moving. I couldn’t stop smiling,” Mallard said. “We were singing the whole time with them.”
While the band boasts that their strength is their ability to engage crowds, the members still have chemistry behind the scenes when they write and produce their songs.
Their latest single titled “Drive Home” started with a riff Broddon described as sounding like feelings of longing. Before even writing the lyrics, the band agreed on the title of the song.
“We knew we wanted to call it ‘Drive Home,’ like a drive home after a traumatic experience, like a breakup or something like that. It’s something you would jam to in sorrow,” Broddon said.
To their surprise, the band has witnessed a recent surge in listeners and followers in the past few months. The members attribute part of their success to Columbia’s college town atmosphere that gives new, small bands opportunities to find a place in the community.
While the group is very active in the local scene, their music has reached audiences beyond Columbia. Two fans at the “Lonely Heart’s Club” show on Feb. 12 drove four hours from Joplin, Missouri, to see Post Sex Nachos perform. The group brought the two fans onstage during their set and thanked them for coming to the show.
“It says something to go see a shitty band. It says something more to go see a shitty band in the snow,” Mueller said onstage.
Despite the band’s claim to mediocrity, roughly 160 people attended the show. The group plans to continue growing their fanbase with their quirky “rollercoaster rock” and charismatic performances.
Post Sex Nachos hopes to release a complete album by the end of the spring semester. For updates on new releases and shows, follow the band on social media @postsexnachos.
_Edited by Sophie Stephens | sstephens@themaneater.com_
