Saturday, March 17   10:50 p.m.
Flamingo Cantina   (515 E 6th St)

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The Mau Mau Chaplains (named after a dominant 1960�s Kingston street gang), are comprised of an all-star group of musicians, which include founding members of Austin�s good vibes� reggae bands of the 80�s such as the Lotions, Pressure, Itex, and with a former Killer Bee or two thrown in as well. A throwback to Austin�s early music scene of the Armadillo era, several members continue to perform in Greezy Wheels, and their country group, Stop the Truck. The Mau Mau Chaplains blend sweet vocal harmonies that are tight, roots, heartful, and soulbearing.


One thing is easy to explain: the Mau Mau Chaplains bring together over 150 man-years of stage experience. This goes back to Hawaii in 1973, when Roach and his friend Alan �Moe� Monsarrat, a bassist, brought home Marley�s Burning and began figuring out how to play those backward beats. The band�s history includes sojourns for some of the band members in New Orleans. And when they get on stage together, all these influences come together seamlessly: island music, second-line, old-school country, and more.


If you said Mau Mau was �just a local cover band,� you would be mostly right. But that would be about like saying that Jamaican music mostly recycles old riddims over and over. That�s also true, but the trick is in how this tradition is reinvented. Louis Meyer�s burning slide guitar, along with the soulful five-part harmonies, make their interpretations something special. (Those harmonies are also voiced by drummer Mike Pankratz, and guitarists Boomer Norman and Steve Carter). All their country inflections sound beautiful, and moving, and remind you of just how closely related roots reggae and roots country are in spirit.