Amongst 130+ other bands, 30,000 crazy, fun-loving festival-freaks and enough sun and sweat to kill lesser beings, a hidden Wakarusa gem of 2011 by the name of Vagabond Swing pushed its ugly face up to the surface to say, Hi, I'm freaky too. Let's get down.
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| Vagabond Swing at the Backwoods Stage (photo by Ben Papps) |
Complex rhythms and jazzy leads aplenty, Vagabond Swing rocked out the backwoods stage, an intimate, shady grove with a small dirt patch in front of the stage to dance and hammocks strung between trees in the back. They're a six-man, off-the-wall, hodgepodge collection of a mandolin, a singing drummer, a melodica, guitars, an upright bass and trumpets out of Lafayette, Louisiana. Their crazy, eclectic sound comes from band members' musical backgrounds in jazz, afro-beat, ragtime, gypsy swing, folk, latin rhythms and ska, and with influences from all over the spectrum, its no wonder the finished product is so infectiously eccentric. Playful leads on trumpet, melodica and guitar wind and unwind again like the last loose strands of in unravelling mind while untraditional, syncopated drumbeats and rhythms drive each jam home. Some songs toy with lyrics, but the band truly excels when given the opportunity to collectively show their improvisational chops on the instrumentals. Think: the jazzy side of Tom Waits meets afro-beat, and you've got Vagabond Swing.
The group finds themselves touring locally and out to Colorado and Nebraska recently, and they hit Ruta Maya here in Austin on Friday, July 1st with Black Irish Texas and Sideshow Tramps. Doors are at 9:00pm and tickets are only $7. More info on Vagabond Swing's site. Don't miss it.
