Antoine Mcgrath
From two blocks away, music could be heard loud and clear coming from within Mother’s Tavern. It wasn’t the sound of a DJ or the sound of a rock band, but the sounds of the Bangin’ 58’s.
The self-proclaimed “hillbilly swing” band started by Mother’s Tavern owner Paul Brown will be playing on the main stage at Farmers’ Market at 7 p.m. tomorrow at the intersection of Nipomo and Higuera streets.
“We play a lot of upbeat music that makes you feel happy and have a good time,” Brown said.
The Bangin’ 58’s are a six-person band, with Brown as their organizer and singer. He is supported by guitarist Greg Timmons, fiddler Allan Dick, drummer Matt Gittelson, bassist Michael Dias and Bob Hamilton, who plays the pedal steel.
The band began practicing last summer and has been playing since August. Its music is influenced by musicians such as Bob Wills, Johnny Cash and Wayne Hancock.
They usually perform music written by other artists but have been working on original pieces and are planning to release a CD next year.
The Bangin’ 58’s typically play at 9 p.m. Thursday evenings at Mother’s Tavern and from 3 to 6 p.m. during months with a fifth Sunday. They will also be playing at various venues throughout California, including some in Santa Ynez and Santa Maria.
“This stuff is cool, and I think there’s a real market out there for it and people appreciate it,” Brown said.
The beat of their music is conducive to dancing, and couples gravitated toward the middle of the bar at Mother’s Tavern and danced a mix between a swing and country line dance.
Brown said the band also makes a point to celebrate birthdays while they are performing by singing “Happy Birthday” and recognizing people individually.
“When people come out to listen, it’s all about people drinking beer and just having a good time,” Brown said.
It took Brown a while to settle on the name the Bangin’ 58’s, as he had previous ideas that didn’t stick or fit with what he felt the theme of the band was.
He decided on “58’s” because the type of music the band plays reminded him of music that came on random radio stations while he was driving along Highway 58 in what seemed like the middle of nowhere.
Brown picked the word “bangin'” because he felt that it sounded right for the band.
“This band was built to party,” he said.
The Bangin’ 58’s can be visited online at www.Bangin58.com.