How do you describe what a wave looks like when it's
rolling? Or an avalanche as it falls? How do you describe what an Andy Frasco
show is like, which I'm going to attempt to do now? Describing his music is just
one part of it. This five-piece band is really about movement. Moving on stage
in crazy, spasmodic ways to make you, the audience member, move your body and
hopefully your soul to a higher place.
Andy Frasco donned an LSU basketball jersey instead of a
Lakers jersey, which was immediately applauded, as he bounded on the stage along
with his equally energetic band. He pounded on the organ set in the middle of
the stage like a wild man. He eventually would stand on it, dance on it, pour
booze on it, and jump off of it. The speaker stacks on either side of the stage
also became a playground for Andy and his bassist Kyle Travers. Kyle also used
the organ to lean and lay on when he was really into it. It was like he needed
it to stay standing up because the playing was taking so much out of him.
Andy and his band absolutely blazed through their original
works, which were occasionally broken up with mash-ups. The show started with a
really raunchy 1970s funk with spicy saxophone added by Ernie Chang and cop
show guitar riffs by Shawn Eckels. There was a ton of room left for everyone to
have a solo seemingly during each song. Everything was so chaotic you couldn't
really tell when one song ended and another began, unless Andy stopped
performing to take a drink of Jameson or hit a joint handed to him by an
audience member. Being a fan of much older music, I really appreciated the
cover of "634-5789," which was sung by the drummer Andee Avila who had an AMAZING
voice.
As the band stomped, swirled, and rammed through the set, the
crowd was so astonished that they weren't even sure what to make of it. At
times, Andy was just vibrating like he was being possessed by the intense
groove.
