Mixed Nuts Night || December 2, 2011 || Caravan Series

The name says it all. It was definitely a bag of mixed nuts last night at The Caravan. Then again this is the reason that we love this bar so much. And every once and a while those nuts taste so damn good...almost as good as the the vices that we were also there for.  It started out with a small chat and hello to bouncer Phil.  He is the one who inspired the headline.  "Hey, Phil!  How's it going?  Who is playing tonight?"  He appropriately replied, "Well it is kind of a mixed bag tonight."  He was sure right about that.

We paid our admission of one flash of the i.d. for a stamp and atmittence into the bar.  They had a decent early crowd with just a few regulars.  The first band was already playing.  My guess was that it was a newly formed band called  Bottle Kids.  They were competent enough.  The guitar player had a good tone and as many agree, not enough female singers out there in the scene, so it is always nice to see a women chiming through with her natural pipes, which sounded good.  Too many covers though.  They probably just need to spend more time writing and recording.  A good opening to the evening though.

Next up to the plate were the old time punks, Five Fingers of Death.  Now I don't know how long that these guys have been doing this, but it sounded like they had been at it quite a while from all the quirps and rips about being old and rumors of breakups and what not.  Let alone, their sound placed me smack dab right back in the 1985 punk scene.  They were tight, with the exception of the drummer, John Surrey.  I don't think that was his real name but it was last night.  The bass player was full of stage banter and classic punk ribbing that had me in tears I was laughing so hard.  A couple of the better rants were, "Hey we have a celebrity in the audience tonight.  Ladies and gentlemen may I introduce you to Roberta Gonzales of the Channel 5 News Team.  She is hiding right behind Rob Zombie."  It wasn't them, but damn near close. 
 
The two veterans up front really let the drummer have it.  He took the brunt of the humor, but they were damn right about the goofy look on his face as he played in time to the punk beat.  All three looked like they were having fun and they sure were entertaining.  Plus who cannot love such hits as "Lick my Balls", "Fat Bitch" and "The Drunk Side of the Moon".  I concur that I had not seen Five Fingers of Death before.  I would've remembered the schtick.  I will see them again.

Last, but not least, were the newcomers to the scene, Loose Cuts.  Don't have a clue what the name means....sometimes its better that way.  Shit, these kids came out blazing.  First off, I dig the young, hipster humor.  The drummer in cutoff red pants, headband and a Bob Marley shirt with a portrait of Hendrix on it.  Though they may be young they steal all of their swagger in the likes of Mick and the boys circa '64.  They are basically a tight blues band with a rippin' guitar sound.  The guitarist has some licks and it is easy to do when he had a great rhythm section backing him up.  The vocalist sounded very similar to Jeremy Powers of Red Planet and once he gets the confidence behind him and starts strutting like Howlin' Pelle Almqvist these guys will really become contenders.  Like I mentioned, they came out blazing however the set got a little weak toward the end.  Typical of a young band.  My only other constructive criticism would be for the guitarist to keep the Fender Blues Jr. in the bedroom and get a higher wattage amp for clubs.  The tone was fine, it just wasn't in balance with the rest of the band.  I will be on the lookout for these guys in the future.

Mixin' up the genre's.  All and all another great night of good bands all for the cost of some liquor at the Caravan.  If I am able to find any pictures from the show I will post too.