A rock band and the parking lot at Keene Mill Center go together like spaghetti and chocolate, but Saturday, July 19, proved that any combination can work if the mix is right. Celebrating the success of Preferred Travel's 14th year, the agency hosted the funky sounds of "Midnight Spaghetti and the Chocolate G-Strings" outside the front door.
Preferred Travel owner Gerald Peter liked the odd combo.
"We've heard this band play, and they sounded a little different," he said.
Burke resident Mike Deavers stopped by to check things out.
"It's good to see bands that aren't playing punk rock or popular music," Deavers said.
With a horn section and energetic singer Seth Casana from Springfield, the group's sound was anything but average, although the "Average White Band" was one of its influences. Stevie Wonder and Funky Meters were other influential artists.
"We do a variety of covers and originals. Our shows are always fun and ridiculous," Casana said.
Casana was joined by Eric Petit of Gaithersburg, Md., on trombone; Kristoffer Wright from McLean on the saxophone; Mikael Glago of Springfield on lead guitar; Alexandria's Josh Jarvis on bass; and Steven Harris from Chesapeake, Va., on drums. Rachelle Lacroix of Yorktown, Va., occasionally sang, as well. They all have roots at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Va., where they kicked off their musical stint on the college circuit last February. In this area, they frequently play in PJ Skidoo’s in Fairfax.
In the parking lot, a crowd gathered as they opened up with an original, "Cut Chemist Sweet," and then rolled into a big AWB hit "Cut the Cake," from the mid 1970s. Lacroix stood aside the first few songs while Casana, decked out in black rain boots, didn't hesitate to include stage antics with his vocals.
"I'm the girl with eight boys," Lacroix said. "It's not a bad gig to play with these guys."
Blues singer Susan Tedeschi was more of an influence to Lacroix than Avril Lavigne.
"I sing some songs that are made for men," she said.
IN BETWEEN songs, the band asked the audience some travel trivia, handing out knickknacks from Preferred for correct answers.
Katherine Diefenbach, 17, was walking through with her brother, Eugene.
"I think it adds to the setting, makes it more social," she said.
Whole Foods took advantage of the impromptu concert and set up a grill, serving blackened catfish as part of its Saturday samples. Community liaison Francine Cabral, from Vienna, liked the combination.
"It's a funk band," she said. "They wanted to do a joint thing."
The rest of the summer is wide open for the band. On July 24, it plays again at PJ Skidoo’s, and possibly once in August before the members go back to school. They are also trying to line something up at Iota in Arlington, and then a benefit concert, The Spaghetti Fest near Harrisonburg in October.
"Spaghetti Fest is our big thing," Glago said.