What’s in a bar? Reasonable pricing? Good company? Strohs on tap?
Maybe it’s the band. You know, the guys that walk off the plant floors and out of the offices into the bar on Friday nights once or twice a month. With names like the Tiger Muskies, Shotgun Wedding and Love Burger, they usually restrict access to the front door and play the best music mix of the ’80s, ’90s and today.
House bands. They’re your buddies. They take requests!
We’re Only In It For The Dobro showcases Las Vegas newgrass act The Pickadillos in their native habitat: some joint named the Freakin’ Frog. The desert six-piece contorts 19 contemporary classics into twangy jolts worthy of a moonshine toast, fulfilling the self-proclamation “mutant bluegrass that rocks.”
These are all covers as far as I can tell; with bona fide traditional classics like “Man Of Constant Sorrow” sitting comfortably alongside barefoot overhauls of “Stop In The Name Of Love” (Supremes), “Cum On Feel The Noize” (Quiet Riot) and “Watching The Detectives” (Elvis Costello). Hell, I even heard some Bloodhound Gang lyrics during the unlikely segue way between “Stuck In The Middle” (Stealers Wheel) and “I’m Down” (Beatles).
The handful of fans obviously enjoys the proficient picking, plucking, strumming, sliding and stomping. Unfortunately the mike-propped-up-on-a-guitar-case sound quality of the recording and lack of lager fail to put me there.
This second-hand experience takes away from the band’s strong jamming capabilities and fun cover choices like the surf-rock classic “Pipeline.” This is the souvenir CD you get on the way out the door after you’ve spent all night shaking honky ass to the band at your favorite watering hole.
It’s a great primer for the studio album of original material The Pickadillos are working on, but the true essence of house bands lies in the intoxicating sights, sounds and smells of the bar scene. Good effort, but I’d rather pay the cover and grab some pints.
