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| photo by Laura Lynch |
Keep the Party Dancing
Sure, Ventura isn’t technically Santa Barbara, what with the
whole 25 miles that seperates our cities (too far for a Santa Barbarian). But
Spencer the Gardener is Santa Barbara grown, so it counts!
I ventured down to Ventura as I often do when Spencer The
Gardener plays there to “get out of town.” Plus, they are pretty much my
favorite party band, and I just couldn’t bare to go out on St. Patty’s day this
year, what with it being a Sunday and all. So I had to get my party band on a
day early.
And they delivered.
Amigos is a little cantina on Main Street. Good food, cheap
drinks. They also have ample area for a band to play and people to dance. This
is required at a STG show! With dueling brass, funky guitars, and a mariachi
meets polka sound, your body just starts moving in all sorts of ways. Part
salsa, part interpretive dance. Literally, my friend had an interpretive dance
for most songs. Which is easy to have for Spencer’s fun, animated lyrics.
The set was a nice montage of new and old, playing songs off
their new album Breaking My Own Heart.
The new album is a bit somber with songs like “There She Goes” and “Bye Baby,”
but still has their trademark danceable tunes, with heavy horns and grooving
guitars. Perhaps an evolution of the band?
All in all, STG always keeps the party dancing!