The band Perro Bravo brought a taste of its Southern California blend of surf-punk-ska music to Bar La Banana Saturday night, leaving an enthusiastic crowd wanting more. And with an impromptu show the next night at Guilded Iguana, that’s what they got.
Band leader and founder Michael “Miguel” Happoldt drew material from the period he was associated with the band Sublime as producer and guitarist, and his later work with the Long Beach Dub All Stars, including hits such as Scarlet Begonias.
The main event Saturday night was a full-powered mosh-pit-friendly set, with about 150 people, ready to party, although some were disappointed in the relatively short 45 minute set that started at midnight.
The Ojo De Buey band from San Jose got the crowd warmed up at La Banana with their energetic brand of Latin reggae-rock. The four-year-old band brought five of their seven members to the Banana venue and is set to release their first CD in January. Manager Michele Vanderputten said the band’s songs are inspired by positive vibrations with lyrics such as “No a la depresion” (no depression) and “no queremos polucion” (we don´t want pollution), in songs like “Soy Hombre de Otro Tiempo.”
At the Gilded Iguana. The unplanned follow-up gig was relaxed and perfectly captured Nosara’s chilled-out attitude. Many of the same faces showed up when they got word that Miguel and his bandmates were so impressed with Nosara’s friendly vibe that they wanted to give a free show at the Gilded Iguana.
Drummer Greg Lowther, a founding member of the seminal long beach punk band “Falling idols," demonstrated a range of talent over both nights, setting a nice pace Sunday night with nothing more than a guitar case.
On bass, the third member of the group is Long Beach local Mike Long, who splits his time between Perro Bravo and a long beach super group named “Warchurch,” which includes veterans of Sublime and the Long Beach Dub All Stars.
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