Dan Harris-Manier
Bassist - Action Buddie
Dan Harris-Manier was the engine under Action Buddie’s genre bending sound, the bassist who moved between rock, funk, and hip hop while keeping everything grounded. The band’s mix of styles needed a center of gravity, and Dan provided it, shaping how the songs moved rather than just supporting them.
Action Buddie thrived on collisions of style and personality, and Dan made those moments groove instead of fall apart. His playing gave the band weight, warmth, and momentum, locking everything together when things got chaotic.
Dan’s photo was taken at Gas Works Park. He said, “I was a gymnast in high school and I used to climb around and all over the structures at the park and watch the sunrise.”
Photo by Lance Mercer at Gas Works Park
Transcript
Well, let's see, it was like 18, not 18, let's start that again. I'm not a vampire. In 1987, I was just almost 21 and my roommate at the time, I was living at the Paramount, I was the popular guy, everybody wanted to come to the Paramount, there were a lot of shows there, I worked as an usher there.
But just before I turned 21, my roommate was trying to get me to come see this band, she raved about them, she loved them. So finally she snuck me in there and I went and watched the show and I was highly impressed, I just kept getting closer and closer, I became less of a wallflower watching these guys, I was very inspired by this guy's energy.
And I went to turn around, because someone tapped me on the shoulder, and when I turned back around, all I could see was just Waterfall, Cascade, and writing on my forehead, and all over my brand new polo jacket that I had just bought.
And I was so mad, I was so mad. And I wanted to kick this guy's ass, I didn't even know him. But as watching him, I just started to settle down because he just mesmerized me.
And after the show, he realized what he had done and ran out after me and apologized profusely, we talked for 45 minutes or so, we realized we were both Capricorns and artists and whatnot, of course I knew he was an artist because I was watching him. And then he just became a good friend of mine and introduced me to a world of people that I probably would never have been introduced to, thanks to this guy, and his name is Landry Wood, malfunction, mother love bone, inspired by life, for life. And I'll never forget the guy.