Norfolk, Mento Buru in a haunted downtown building
Last Friday night I went downtown to Fishlips to see Norfolk and Mento Buru play. I must tell you that I went to Fishlips only because I love Norfolk and Mento Buru. If it hadn’t been for these two great bands… I would have avoided that haunted downtown building. Haunted? Fishlips? Yes, haunted. Fishlips is not haunted to the general public… but it is definitely a building that is haunted and full of ghosts for me.

I armed myself for the night… I wore the skinniest pair of pants I own and platform sandals. A little extra height is always a good thing when facing ghosts. I walked through Fishlips door and headed to the bar to get a drink, remembering the moment when the swing of that door and a confrontation at that bar had changed my life. The bartender was one of my students from my past life. We talked for a few minutes, asking each other the obligatory ‘how are you doing’ questions before I went and sat with my friends. I couldn’t decide-- was he a ghost? Or had I really taught him his trade and given him a career?

And then Norfolk took the stage and I forgot about ghosts in the melody of their sweet alt country sound. I was sitting to the side of the stage and had a great view of Norfolk’s drummer Pablo Alaniz. I got caught up in his energy as I watched him play the drums barefoot while lead singer/guitarist James Ratliff crooned songs to a packed house. The more I hear Norfolk, the more I like them, and the more I’m convinced Norfolk is the kind of sound that should be coming out of Bakersfield. And then Norfolk changed things around, changed their sound, and changed their look. Lead singer/guitarist James and drummer extraordinaire Pablo changed places. James had told me a few weeks ago that Pablo was probably the best guitarist in their band, that he was one of those rare musicians that played several instruments extremely well. Norfolk was showcasing a little bit of their hidden talents as guitarist Peter Prevost sang three great Tom Petty songs with Pablo on guitar and back up vocals. It was almost like a completely different band had taken the stage and yet they were still Norfolk. Peter and Pablo have great stage presence together. Peter with his long hair hanging in his eyes and his beard; Pablo with his dark hair spiked in just the right places and tattooed arms both with voices that blended together just right… they were a lot of fun to watch. I think they were having fun as well.

On my way to the bathroom I saw the ghost that haunts this downtown building whose evolution has been Sharky’s, Panama Jack’s and now Fishlips. The ghost of a blonde-bitch dancing and whirling through the crowd mocking me. The ghost I was hoping wouldn’t appear tonight. She followed me into the bathroom and spun lies around my head treating me with disdain. I held onto the bathroom counter, and splashed some cool water on my face. Could I really stay in the same building with the blonde-bitch’s ghost? I wondered.

Mento Buru took the stage after Norfolk’s great set and made it their own. Mento Buru reached out their hands through their unique blend of Latin and Ska music that borders on Salsa music at times and connected with the crowd. People got up and danced. I stood with my friends in front of the stage and watched as Matt Munoz played saxophone, percussion and sang song after incredible song with an ensemble of great musicians that just blew me away. Mento Buru has such a great musical history in Bakersfield. People love this band. People come out and watch this band. And I can understand why. Mento Buru’s wealth of musical talent and abundance of feel-good music makes for band-longevity and great entertainment. Mento Buru rocked the house for hours, playing a couple of fantastic sets. It was a good time for all.

In a break between Mento Buru sets I made my way outside. I needed some fresh air. I needed to escape the blonde-bitch ghost that flitted, whirled and twirled with smiling contempt. I stood against the brick wall of the building outside. Was I holding the wall up, or was it holding me? My friends came outside to see if I was ok. I told them I was, let them go and then made my way to my car. I turned around for one last look at the haunted downtown building. The blonde-bitch ghost was standing in the window staring after me as I walked down the street. She belonged to that haunted downtown building and the past, not the life I was walking toward or lived…  posted by Matildakay at 11:18 PM