Adios Pantalones! at ECSU

UConn's No. 1 party band had a killer performance at Eastern Connecticut State University on Saturday night. Adios Pantalones welcomed in the first week of classes for ECSU students who packed into Blarney's Pub off Main Street in downtown Willimantic Saturday, Sept. 8 to a full house.

For those who are unfamiliar with the funky beat of Adios Pantalones, these six musically inclined boys have been laying down the groove since the fall of 1997. What began as a "one-night-stand party band," according to their web site, has turned into an almost full-time job. Of the six members, five have studied in UConn's music program and all have performed "with notable ensembles of varied genres." The band's members are Jonny B (sax, flute, vocals), Drawz (trombone, vocals), Chip (sax, vocals), Floyd (bass, vocals), Metcalf (drums), and Leonard (guitar) and they have performed many venues and festivals, ranging from the slopes of Vermont to the beaches of Maryland, and places in between.

Adios Pantalones has won the Hartford Advocate's annual Grand Band Slam contest for the past three years, most recently in the category of Best Funk and have maintained control of their title of "No. 1 Party Band" in the Daily Campus' Best of Storrs poll for just as long. Anyone who has been in attendance of one of their shows can verify that it is never anything less than a party.

Saturday's show was no exception. Playing a healthy mix of covers as well as original music, the Pants lit it up UConn style to a cheering crowd of fans tightly packed into Blarney's, a popular off campus bar. From covers such as "Jungle Boogie" to "Land Down Under" and into originals like "Tattoo" and "Superbeing", the energy level was through the roof all night. "Blarney's is always a guaranteed good time," Metcalf said. "The crowd is always appreciative and lively. We look forward to our shows there."

The night was finalized by two songs off their self-titled debut album, "Time Machine" and "Le Sol." The album is available at shows and through their web site. These boys know music and what sounds good, combining funk with rock and mixing in a little original "stank." The result is a slamming album with tunes that make you groove, hypnotizing the listener with 45 minutes of mouth-watering, groovilicious morsels of musical delight. The seven-song disc is all original Pants music, the final song a rhythm section instrumental.

Adios Pantalones will be hitting up Husky Blues on December 7. For a more complete list of upcoming shows, check out their web site at www.adiospantalones.com.