Mad Caddies a Skankin’ Good Time

How anyone could be that agro at a Mad Caddies gig is beyond me.  Perhaps it was the somewhat late (11:15) start that gave everyone in the house plenty of time to get drunk, or the extra-special attention by the army of bouncers at the Venue who set the tone for the night.  Or maybe I just had the immaculate timing/placing to meet the only meatheads in the house.  To be fair, I did meet a few quality people and really had a blast.  There is something about the Mad Caddies' music that just makes you want to drink your face off (if that's your thing), and dance around like an idiot.

I admit, I only own two of their albums (for now):"Keep It Going", and "Quality Soft Core" and didn't recognize many of the songs, but it's ska-punk, with elements of polka, jazz, psychobilly, and reggae.   You know it's gonna kick your ass all night, even if you don't know the songs.  With songs as frantic as "Tired Bones" and "Villains", the pit seemed on the verge of turning into a riot, with crowd surfers unintentionally flying onto the stage and nearly taking out the band members and monitors.  Tonight may have been a good night for a barricade.  I'm not sure what the Venue's (formerly the Plaza) plans are for the room, or that 50-foot "PLAZA" sign outside, but it really is a fantastic venue with great sound, and is perhaps one of the best rock rooms in the city. A barricade might be a good investment.  Or maybe I'm just being selfish: it was tough to get decent shots while arguing with drunk concertgoers and navigating through crowds of moshing or immovable drunk people.

Although every member of the band has great energy and are obviously enjoying themselves, trombonist Ed Hernandez put on a highlight show (in my opinion), with dramatic sweeps of his trombone over the crowd (someone grabbed it at one point), foot on the monitor, jamming on that thing like a total rock star.  Well, I guess he is a total rock star, but you know what I mean.  Guitarist Sascha Lazor was another personal favorite: dude's got some serious chops and a great stage presence.  Every single one of these guys looks like they really love what they do, and their enthusiasm is contagious, and amplified by the crowd.

With a few less frantic tunes like "Backyard", "Lay Your Head Down", and "Reflections", the Caddies kept the floor hopping, the bodies flying, and the beer flowing.  Even as a relative newcomer to the band, I really enjoyed every song, and wished I was a little familiar with their music.  I also wish I knew how to Spockpinch drunk agro douchebags.

Visit Mad Caddies here: http://www.madcaddies.com/

Mad Caddies tour dates can be found here: http://www.myspace.com/mad_caddies