THIS PAST TUESDAY, April 29, the Danny Godinez Band played the Pattenburg House. Danny, Todd, Farko and Joe Raven were back, filling that smoky little place with quality music much deserving of a larger venue. Since October, I had been anticipating their next East Coast tour. I was not disappointed by their show or by their friendship.

These boys are excellent musicians, top notch. Guitar work that is smooth, rich and versatile. Drumming that spares no talent and remains powerful and controlled from start to finish. Piano sounds that put their arms around you and lift you off your seat. Bass work that is astounding. It all blends together in their own unique sound. When you hear the Danny Godinez Band you know it is them.

Truly, they deserved a much larger crowd than the one that turned out on Tuesday. Tuesday night and rural Hunterdon County, New Jersey are not the proper combination to produce a thronging audience. A Friday or Saturday night would have been better. Even then, I think this band is worthy of greater exposure than the Pattenburg can offer. Here we were, a stone's throw from New York City and all those people were missing the show. It was almost an insult to the band that there was only a four dollar cover charge that night. These guys drove across the country from Seattle in order to share their music with people. We need to provide more people to hear it next time.

ANOTHER quality about this band is their personalities. Each of them is friendly. They are eager to play their music and just as eager to mingle with the crowd. They have a way of turning spectators into participants, fans into friends.

I appreciate this aspect of the band's interaction with the audience. I met them at the Pattenburg in October and drove to Connecticut to see them the following night. I've exchanged a few emails with some of the band members in the intervening months. When I arrived at the show an hour late on Tuesday, it was good to hear that they had been asking for me before I got there. During one of the breaks, one of the guys and I had a great conversation. It wasn't just a bar conversation about the girls who dumped us or the cars that broke down that week. It was a talk that friends engage in, the kind that leaves you with an interest in the other person's struggles and aspirations. It culminated in an open invite to hang out in Seattle. You can be sure that I will take up that offer.

I'm a fan. I'm a friend. I'm a promoter. Go see this band when they come around! They are worth it! Read more about them in one of my earlier entries HERE.

*Photo courtesy of APS.