The Trash Mavericks at Otto's Shrunken Head

Otto's Shrunken Head opened as a tiki bar in 2002 to bring the laid back South Pacific island vibe to New York’s East Village. The front room is decorated with bamboo and colorful blowfish lamps, leopard-print bar stools and Hawaiian-themed wallpaper. The back room features a stage where a variety of events can happen from open mic, spoken word, poetry and literary reading nights to film screenings, karaoke, draw-a-thon and rock trivia nights.  Many nights feature live bands as well. Frank Wood closes off each weekend with Wind Down Sunday, an evening where old-time rock and roll bands get to perform every 45 minutes or so.

Tonight I happened to catch the Trash Mavericks, a New Jersey-based band comprised of vocalist Bob Levy, bassist Kevin Battell, guitarist Matt Langone and drummer Sam LaMonica. The band has played in the local circuit for 25 years, but the music sounds 50 years old. The songs’ roots fall somewhere between Buddy Holly and early Rolling Stones, yet the set was played with the rawness of the New York Dolls. The band captured the spirit of American roots rock and roll.