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Back in December, I very briefly saw Lucas K & The Cool Hand Saints at the Sheeley House. They were playing wildly. There was an electric fiddle in the band. And, I was impressed. Sadly, we couldn't stay. But I have been hoping to get back there and see them ever since. Finally this week schedules lined up and I was there. Sipping a Rush River beer. It was a good experience. It is near bluegrass levels energy, focused at funky rock and roll. I was happy to see Lucas K & The Cool Hand Saints for the full show.
I really like their playing style. I am always a sucker for any band playing an electric violin to rock and roll music. This band throws in an accordion as well, which surprisingly in this context, has a similar sound.
Musical highpoints were Land Down Under, and also I feel like there was some real hard rocking song. Like an AC/DC song, or something like that. I meant to shoot a clip of it but must have hit the wrong button on the camera. Of course I can't remember. Duh, it was a bar…. Those two were particularly good songs with the band and the audience having a good time.
 At one point, they had a walk-on-stage harmonica player who did a pretty good job on a bluesy number. I caught it on video down below. It was a fun number. Well played. If you watch the video close enough you can watch a familiar face to these pages park his bicycle in the background.
I can't say that I totally loved every single song though. I wasn't really into their funk stuff. Those sometimes got kind of long. Most of what the band plays has a funk overtone to it. But when the continuum gets too close to the exclusive end, I started not liking it as much. They were good, but I feel like the band plays its best when they are wild, almost out of control. I understand you can't really be that way every song of the whole night. But, I'm just not sure the funk thing was doing it for me.
A moment of music levity was provided in the form of a surprise cover, _Speak Softly Love_ better known as the Love Theme from _The Godfather_. They didn't play the whole thing, but what they did play was quite fun. Almost falling into this category, but performed much more seriously, _Rocky's Theme_. Could have been campy, but wasn't.
The bar was filled to near capacity the entire night. The crowd was lively and tuned into the music. Many of the songs the crowd recognized from the first notes. So they know the music well. The crowd was all having a good time. It was like family night at the center table of the Sheeley House. Friends and fans.
I work part time as a tour guide at a local museum. They like me there at the museum because I can work days on fairly short notice. So, if some group calls at 2pm on Wednesday and wants a tour the next day I can usually hour-shift my real job for the short time it takes and go give a tour. This week it was the Model A Ford club of Northern Wisconsin. A group of twenty making a 250 mile trek in their old cars. One of their stops was our museum.
I emailed this to a friend with a couple of pictures. He replied, that as he arrived back in Chippewa Falls earlier in the day, he had seen this string of cars coming into town as well. He went on to write; "A relative of mine has a 1931 Model A sedan. It took him almost 20 years from when he started to when it was actually driveable. When we were out there for a visit a couple of years ago, I got the chance to drive it. It was probably the most miserable driving experience I had ever had and I'd pass on all future chances to drive a Model A. To me, the Model A's and T's are just too primitive; barely more than horse-drawn wagons with an engine replacing the horse."
And then a couple of days later, it all sort of tied to the bar, when I ran into Drewby, at the Sheeley House. Drewby had been riding his Harley by the museum, looking at the cars when I finished giving my tour. At the bar, he introduced me to Adam who had coincidentally gotten stuck behind the troop of cars as they left the Chippewa Falls and were heading down Hwy H. "They were only going 15mph!" he raved, "I was stuck behind them forever! I flipp'd 'em off when I went by!" I am thinking the Model A drivers had seen it all before.
But, I enjoy this life. In a town where you get the opportunity to know so many people. And, I just think its interesting, how this string of ten Model A Fords have tied us four people together. One event and our shared story line. A very short segment, of a life thread where it crosses and briefly tangles with another's.
Lucas K & The Cool Hand Saints have a facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/lucasandthesaints They are at the Sheeley House the last Saturday night of every month.
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. I saw Luke and the boys back on Halloween with a different drummer and was impressed enough but the things they're doing now absolutely blew me away. I wish i could play with them. 
