Though named for red ball organ virtuoso Max Rebo (born Siiruulian Phantele on the planet Orto), this legendary combo was actually controlled behind the scenes by Pa’lowick singer Sy Snootles. The band escaped a poorly negotiated lifetime contract with Jabba the Hutt after Luke Skywalker destroyed the gangster’s Sail Barge and fled to safety on a pack of stolen banthas. Rebo became a successful Coruscant restaurateur with his Max’s Flanth House chain; Snootles died a spice junkie after a series of failed Outer Rim tours.
Avey Tare: There was definitely one VHS tape that just got played over and over and over again — all three Star Wars. Like, for me when I was growing up, my cousins and I watched it endlessly. The band on the Jabba the Hutt scene…I just think we liked the groovy-ness of it. And it does seem kind of off and weird and alien. It’s done really well. So I think that that kind of atmosphere and that kind of mindset is something that we talked about when we were writing new stuff. I mean, the Star Wars soundtrack was one of the first records I had growing up so I remember going back to actually really loving that Cantina Band song too. It just being this really corny, kind of Disney record. I felt like it was Disney disco. It just had some absurd songs on it and I was kind of into it for that reason. Like, weirded out by it, too, you know?
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