surf ♦ soul ♦ spy ♦ spaghetti western
CD
Review in NY Waste MagazineNY Waste
Otto's Review 2/6/2010
By Carene Lydia Lopez
I was looking for a way to extend the great feeling from my gig the night before but also to decompress a bit. I gave my friend Cary several suggestions and he chose going to see my friends TarantinosNYC at Otto’s. Cary had wanted to check out the drinks there anyway. I’d never seen anyone order one of their tiki drinks before but that night the glasses were lit in different colors, straw umbrellas were sticking out, and bowls of fruity punches with very long straws were aflame. It was indeed a magical night.
We got there when Ralph and the Rattlers were just starting. There weren’t many seats inside the small room in the back so we opted to stand outside by the bar and listen. The band was new and played most of the surf hits and were very good. I was worried that they were playing some songs from the TarantinosNYC’s set but Patty Tarantino told me that their set was going to focus on Booker T and the MGs. This was going to be an interesting night.
We found seats inside to see The TarantinosNYC with Patty on bass, Paul Tarantino on guitar, Brian Tarantino on keys and rhythm guitar, and Joey Tarantino on drums. They play surf, spy, soul, and spaghetti western music and we heard it all. We also got to hear some of their originals like “Naked in Tahiti (with Marlon Brando)” from their new cd. The band was having a lot of fun and playing the best I’ve ever heard. And even better? Brooklynbaby Doll was dancing for them in a black fringed bikini, fishnets, heels, black opera gloves, Bettie Page hair without the bangs, and the biggest false eyelashes and reddest lips you ever saw. She was a burlesque dream and a real woman with a real woman’s body. I have no idea how she had that much energy.
9th Wave and their hot rod surf sound had to follow and they did so brilliantly despite (or maybe because of) the guitarist Mike “Staccato” Rosado’s impending shoulder surgery. He had fallen and torn several ligaments and was in tremendous pain but you’d never know it from the way he played. At one point he broke a string and told us what he would have played right then. Ralph lent his guitar to Rosado and the show continued with Negative Ed on bass, Phearsome Phred Rawles on drums and the totally totally awesome Sandy “Oceana” Rosado on flute, sax, Farfisa organ, and rhythm guitar. She also helped out a few songs for the next act.
And the next act was the much anticipated reunion of Mister Neutron and their surf and instrumental rock. This three-piece band rocked the roof off the joint. Guitarist Damian Fanelli is one of those brilliant players who knows his way around a guitar like no one else. At one point one of his strings broke and Paul lent his guitar to Fanelli. Afterwards Paul expressed surprise that his guitar didn’t explode – no one had ever played it that way before. Fanelli is fast and thorough with never an unnecessary note. He also stuck in a few blues riffs – I’m told he plays great blues rock. Fanelli and bassist Tony Fanelli and drummer Drew Paradine looked like they were thrilled to be back together after 18 months apart and every moment of joy came through in their performance.
Brooklynbaby Doll and Unsteady Freddie:
Rodeo Bar Review
By Unsteady Freddie:
Don Hill's Review
By Blue Stingraye:
I had a chance to catch a surf band this weekend called the TarantinosNYC (,www.tarantinosnyc.com) an off-shoot of the band After One and members of NESMA (www.nesmasurf.org). They kicked it a multi band event at Don Hills in lower Manhattan. It was my first time seeing the TarantinosNYC and Don Hills (www.donhills.com/). Don Hills is a wonderful venue, with a killer sound system and full stage complete with riser for the drum kit. It's also conveniently located off the West Side Highway with plenty of available street parking. But for those who are vehicularly-challenged, you can still take a subway there.
I arrived early enough to able to catch the opening punk band, Jersey Mayhem, in the multi-band line up. The club was full, I'd say 50 people minimum, but more were added before the Tarantinos took the stage at 9:45 pm. As the opening band was a young punk band the average age of the patron was about 21-25 yrs. old. And these kids loved the Tarantinos.
The Tarantinos are a high intensity band with a sensual sound that got the audience grooving on the dance floor before the end of the first tune. They opened with the little known Bullwinkle before shoving the set into 5th gear with the classic Out of Limits. Brian Tarantino put down his rhythm git and picked up the keyboard for some haunting harmonies in Out of Limits. But nothing could have prepared me for the they way they blasted out the Los Straightjackets Rockula. They did play one original, Fistful of Reverb, a spaghetti western with tango beat. I anxiously await more originals after getting just a small appe-teaser like this one.
And when was the last time any of you had the pleasure of taking part in a mosh pit?? Well you should have been at the show on Saturday because when the Tarantinos broke into Miserlou thats what broke out in front of the stage. And speaking of breaking, as the band closed with the Theme from the Good, the Bad and the Ugly, several patrons decided to break dance on the dance floor in front of the band.
My only complaint is that the set was waaaay to short, just 30 mins., but I am hoping that they get to play longer on December 3 when they appear at the Surf Shindig at Otto's Shunken Head (http://www.ottosshrunkenhead.com/).
Aloha, mahalo
Blue StingRaye
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