Photos by Brittany Woolsey.
It’s been too long since the Santa Barbara-bred band, the Mad Caddies, performed in Long Beach.
Nearly 10 years later, the Caddies are ready to kick off their end of the tour party in the LBC with their jazz-infused, reggae-dosed punk tracks in celebration of their latest release Dirty Rice.
The seven-piece band kicked off their musical endeavors in the mid-90s, performing at a band member’s high schools and eventually landing local club gigs throughout their hometown. A few years down the line, they added trombonist Ed Hernandez into the mix, who would later contribute to the band’s mix of musical styles.
The Mad Caddies eventually signed with NOFX’s Fat Mike’s record label, Fat Wreck Chords. The band has since then put out six albums and toured extensively throughout the US, Europe, South America, Asia, Japan, and others.
While most fans refer to the Caddies as a ska-punk band, the band’s discography illustrate a far more complex band than typical OC ska scene bands. Tracks like “Goleta” or “Mary Melody” lean toward a ska-punk sound but songs like “Drinking for 11” and “Backyard” showcase the band’s talent of avoiding being pigeonholed into one sole genre.
“Ska became a dirty word and it’s something we’ll never get away from,” vocalist Chuck Robertson said. “But we always felt like we were always more… When people ask me what our band sound like, I say we’re a rock band that plays reggae, jazz and punk.”
Dirty Rice encompasses more of a rhythm based record that has a consistent groove throughout while still including a few fast-paced tracks. The Caddies took their time to hone their craft at the band’s home recording studio before releasing it.
With the band’s extensive catalogue, Robertson said he guarantees fans that they will perform at least one song off of each album. Most fans have also been receptive to songs off their latest release.
“The response has been really good [with the new album],” Robertson said. “We’ve got fans that are following the band since the beginning and then we have fans that come out and are just getting turned onto the band, looking for more positive music, so it’s good to see.”
The Mad Caddies kicked off their tour in early September and are closing out in Santa Barbara and Long Beach. Robertson said after performing in Washington and Canada, the band is looking forward in returning to sunny Southern California.
For fans both new fans and hardcore heading to the Long Beach gig, Robertson promises it will be a party that any music fan wouldn’t want to miss.
“I always say if you don’t show up with a smile on your face, you’ll be leaving with one because it’ll be a good time,” Robertson said. “It’s what the Caddies have always been about—we’re definitely party music.”
The Mad Caddies will perform at the Gaslamp, located at 6251 E Pacific Coast Hwy., on October 26. Advanced tickets are $15 and tickets at the door are $20. Doors open at 8PM and the show starts at 8:30PM.
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