Natalie Wouldn’t Headline at the Skylark West With the Bandulus and the Drove Bringing Rock n Roll, Rock Steady, Ska and Lots of Dancing, by Holly Homan
On Friday night March 29, I trekked out to West Seattle to see Natalie Wouldn’t. It’s been about 18 months since I last saw them. For some reason I kept finding out about their gigs after the fact. The last time I remember seeing them was Halloween Eve 2017 and I left a bit early because I wasn’t feeling well. The fact that I did get out despite not feeling great is a testament to how much I love this band.
Singer/guitarist Rick Dybvad now sported a long Santa Clause beard and no longer resembled Pete Townshend. His voice was in fine form though. And unlike his doppelganger he has a strong gutsy voice that resonated throughout the tiny club beautifully.
As usual, horn players (Ric Pentilla -trumpet and Mike Ayer on trombone) performed lively dances when not tooting their respective horns. Mike still plays barefoot. Bass player David Trump played in his striped socks.
Natalie Wouldn’t has brought on an additional guitar player (Liam Barksdale who also played guitar for supporting band the Drove). At one point during the show he switched instruments with Rick Pentilla. Guest musicians came and joined the band at various times, many of whom had graced the stage earlier. Drummer Michael Fanning and saxophonist Shawn Brockman rounded out the Natalie Wouldn’t ska/rock steady sound. By the end of their set there wasn’t a still body on that dance floor.
Words cannot describe how wonderful it was to see Natalie Wouldn’t again.
Playing prior to Natalie Wouldn’t was Portland’s Bandulus. The Bandulus have played Seattle a number of times and you won’t hear me complain about that. The Bandulus are fronted by the very charismatic Jeremy Pena but he’s nearly upstaged in the charisma department by the two female singers (Emma Bitter and Leah Farmer), both of whom can sing like angels one minute and then belt out songs with gusto the next. When they weren’t performing vocal duties they danced about the stage. The Bandulus opened with a cover of Chubby Checker’s The Twist, which they totally did justice to. At the end of their set the horn section from Natalie Wouldn’t joined them and there were ten people on one tiny stage. The sound that rang forth was impeccable. The remaining Bandulus who made that impeccable sound are, ,Curtis Irie – Bass, Morgan Smith – Drums, Anthony Cotham – Keys and Blake Hoshibata – Guitar. The Bandulus are a must see for any ska/rock steady fans out there.
Opening the night was The Drove from Seattle. They played a stripped down, pure and unadulterated rock and roll with very powerful guitar licks and vocals. They hit the stage running and never waned. The Drove are an amazing band and I will definitely keep my eyes out for any upcoming performances from them.
And thus, another night of ska in Seattle has come to pass.
– All photos property of Holly Homan, all rights reserved.
On Friday night March 29, I trekked out to West Seattle to see Natalie Wouldn’t. It’s been about 18 months since I last saw them. For some reason I kept finding out about their gigs after the fact. The last time I remember seeing them was Halloween Eve 2017 and I left a bit early because I wasn’t feeling well. The fact that I did get out despite not feeling great is a testament to how much I love this band.
