Hardly Strictly Caddies

“We’ve been gravitating toward a New Orleans jazz kind of sound,” says Mad Caddies founding member Sascha Lazor, “while still keeping the reggae, ska and rock aspect to the band.” The Mad Caddies are returning to Eugene in support of their 2014 Fat Wreck Chords release Dirty Rice, perhaps the band’s most nuanced and varied record to date.

The Mad Caddies initially hit it big in the ’90s, riding the ska-punk-swing boom like Eugene’s Cherry Poppin’ Daddies. Former Daddies member and Eugene native Dustin Lanker currently plays keyboards with the group.

Lazor says the Mad Caddies chose New Orleans jazz to set them apart from other horn-centric Southern California ’90s bands. “At that time there were a lot of bands that had horns,” Lazor says, “and it all started sounding the same.” Over time the influence of jazz and Latin music has slowly surfaced in the band’s sound, Lazor says.

“We felt that kind of music fit into the vibe of the band,” he explains, “which is a good time.” Lazor adds that the band hasn’t completely lost touch with their punk roots. “We have some faster punk songs,” he says, such as Dirty Rice track “Love Myself.”

“Our intention is to make all of our songs as groovy as possible,” Lazor says. “We definitely have older fans that like our punk-rock stuff. We have newer fans that know our reggae and New Orleans stuff. We try and make sure no one leaves the show disappointed.”

Los Angeles reggae outfit The Aggrolites and The Bunny Gang, featuring Nathan Maxwell of Flogging Molly, join the Mad Caddies 9 pm Thursday, Jan. 29, at WOW Hall. $17 advance, $20 door. — William Kennedy

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