Karmahitlist, Mento Buru heat up a Bakersfield night…
I had been looking forward to the
Karmahitlist,
Mento Buru show at Fishlips all week last week. I couldn’t wait for Friday to get here… I even had to work overtime on Friday and I didn’t care because I knew that in a couple of hours I would be engulfed in some of the best music Bakersfield has to offer. I wasn’t even worried about a
haunted Fishlips or the ghosts that linger there. Karmahitlist and Mento Buru could chase away any ghosts I might run into.
I said hello to Punk-Rock-God Seantastic of Karmahitlist who was hanging out by the pool tables when I arrived at Fishlips. He informed me that they were going to play two sets: one electric and the other acoustic. Two times as much Karmahitlist; (I had been waiting all week to hear what Karmahitlist sounded like acoustic) what more could a girl who loves music ask for!
I joined my girlfriend,
NL and
JR at a table where we talked about music and life and waited anxiously for a show to start that would be historic on a hot Bakersfield night.
Karmahitlist plugged in and took the stage in all their rock and roll glory playing to a packed house. Cesareo, Jim, Tim and Seantastic put on a great performance! Every song was a musical rock and roll piece of art carefully crafted, spun and electrified. Seantastic heated up the stage, and an already stifling room cooled only by a swamp cooler, with his trademark Punk-Rock-God moves. He sang, he jumped, he pranced, he danced, he strutted across tabletops, and he was wonderfully energetic and entertaining to watch as always.
Mento Buru took the stage with Cesareo on the drums in a reunion set as Cesareo used to play with Mento Buru back in the 1990’s. Matt Munoz and Mento Buru had the entire crowd on their feet dancing to their fun-loving feel-good music. My girlfriend and I swayed our hips in time with ska percussion beats in song after incredible song. Mento Buru heated up the crowd and didn’t stop their amazing Latin style ska musical performance until we were all spent.
And just when we all thought the night’s music couldn’t get any better…
Karmahitlist took the stage and unplugged. They sat on bar stools. Cesareo beat a congo drum, Jim strummed an acoustic guitar, Tim quietly played his bass and Seantastic closed his eyes and softly crooned rock and roll songs with such intensity I felt as if I had been invited inside their personal thoughts. Karmahitlist was amazing acoustic and I fell even more
in love with them than I already was.
“You guys were so great acoustic!” I told Seantastic after they finished their set.
“Thanks.” He said smiling.
“Sorry I didn’t wear any makeup for you. It’s just too damn hot tonight!” Seantastic explained. He knows how much
I envy his punk makeup look.
“It’s ok.” I said. “You’re still hot!”
Mento Buru came back on stage and heated up the crowd again… everyone danced the night away as this great Bakersfield beloved ensemble Latin style ska band played their hearts out.
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