Have Gun Will Travel
A beautiful brisk night in Tampa; the beginning of winter…what’s a good way to enjoy it? How about going to a small, splendidly rustic outdoor venue to listen to some Folk music and an Irish Celtic Rock band. Well that is precisely what I did last night. The venue I speak of is Skippers Smokehouse, a charming outdoor concert haunt and the bands for the evening, Have Gun Will Travel and The Prodigals.
The first band to take the stage was, Have Gun Will Travel, a native Florida Folk Rock band. This band’s music also has strong ties to other genres such as country and bluegrass. I am not very familiar with this band’s music, so I cannot really offer much in regards to specific songs and or characters in the band, however, I can say that I fully enjoyed their sound. Have Gun Will Travel seems to be compiled of talented individuals that basically like playing music. Their music had a very laid back persona which added a friendly vibe to the atmosphere. There were some rough edges, such as forgetting some lyrics, but I don’t think the crowd minded much at all, nobody booed or threw a bottle…most people were just grinning and tapping their feet. The lead singer certainly stood out to me as he played multiple instruments, such as the harmonica and guitar without losing a beat. Overall, Have Gun Will Travel put me in a lighthearted mood…and I dug it. Plus there was lap steel…come on, how can I not be intrigued.
The Prodigals
Next up to take the stage was The Prodigals, a band whose members are predominantly from Ireland, so don’t let their New York residence fool you. I would describe their music as Celtic Folk Rock but I heard somebody refer to them as Jig Punk. My first thought was, wow no fiddle or violin…odd, oh and I was totally fascinated with the tiny accordion. When The Prodigals got into an instrumental groove my ears were definitely drawn in because the various elements meshed swimmingly. Their songs rolled out and built up along the way but at times this process seemed a bit drawn out and my attention began to wander. However, The Prodigals delivered tempting swells because slowly but steadily people flocked towards the wooden dance floor to try out their new Michael Flatley impression. Overall, the music for me was OK. If you are looking for some traditional yet non-traditional Irish music, The Prodigals are a viable option. I can’t place my finger on what was missing, but I can say, the break half way through the set was way too long. Maybe it is customary to take over a 30 minute intermission while performing at an intimate venue…I don’t know, it is the first time I have seen it.
The Prodigals MySpace and Have Gun Will Travel MySpace
