Murderer’s Row: Green Parrot Style

Posted On: September 26, 2011

When I looked at the October Entertainment Calendar today, even though I knew for months what was coming, I was blown away by what we had on deck.

It’s Murderer’s Row, but instead of Gehrig and Ruth it’s Spiritual Rez and The Hot 8.

It’s The Heavy Pets and The Lee Boys.

It’s Eric Lindell and Entrain.

Then throw in Rockin’ Jake, Motor City Josh, Amandala Tunesmith and Ukulele Night.

What I’m getting at is that if you plan on checking out the music at the parrot this month you’d better pack a lunch.

Here’s the calendar and starting with Spiritual Rez, here’s kind of a thumbnail of the acts coming up to whet your appetite:

Spiritual Rez: The Boston-based, Berklee-schooled, six-piece “reggae horn funk party” who’ve been capitalizing on positivity, smiling attitudes and never-ending tours and bring on the party like late-80s Red Hot Chili Peppers, Parliament Funkadelic and the Wailers combined.

The Hot 8 Brass Band: What I called “First-Rate Second-Liners” from New Orleans.

Be prepared when they bring their thunderous brass attack to the Parrot stage for two days of pure horn muscle on Sunday October 2, with shows at 5:30 and 10 p.m. and Monday, October 3, at 10 p.m.

Green Parrot Ukulele Association’s Monthly “Uke Out”:

What started as a test, turned into a lark and is becoming a movement.

The Lee Boys: massive-toned, tear-it-up versions of gospel standards,

The Lee Boys’ “Sacred Steel” sound developed its roots in the House of God
church and is the hottest movement on the music scene these days.
Their church served as the foundation from which the Lee Boys
developed and perfected their style, talents, and skills. There are
six members who are brothers and nephews. Each member began making
music in the church when they were 7 or 8 years old, and they have not
stopped playing since.

Motor City Josh had Parrot fans swinging from the rafters at his

last Parrot show brings his
barn-burning, take-no-prisoners approach to Blues/Rock back to The Parrot
stage on

The Heavy Pets: I‘ll let other people say it: ““The Pets just might be a perfect jamband” says Dennis Cook, of Jambase.com

“…The greatest jamband to come out of Florida since, well, ever…” “They are an arena ready band without the arena. At its best the band is a living, breathing, force of nature-a whale.” said Dan Sweeney of Relix Magazine

Rockin’ Jake: Award-winnning NOLA harmonica player is a long-time Parrot favorite. “It ain’t nothin’ but a party!“

AmandalaTunesmith: 9-piece, blasting the bay area with their brand of African pop and soukous since 1992, fronted by Zakayo Mutsache, “The Hardest Working Kenyan in Show Business”, a pastiche of rhumba, Cuban, and reggae-esque rhythms; Caribbean consonant color; and an Afro-beat instrumentation similar to much of Paul Simon’s album Graceland, Goombay weekend.

Entrain: The drum-driven World-Pop sensation from Martha’s Vineyard, merging funk, rock, reggae, swamp and worldbeat rhythm into a sweaty good time make its long-awaited return to The Green Parrot.

Eric Lindell: California-born, New Orleans-schooled Eric Lindell Brings Blue-eyed Soul, Dive-Bar Credibility and Romping New Orleans R & B to The Parrot stage. Listed as one of the top acts to see a tNew Orleans Jazz festival, the New Orleans Times Picayune said “Lindell.…recalls Van Morrison in his more sublime moments of blue-eyed soul, blues and boogie…” not to be missed.