The Tenth or Fourteenth Anniversary Squeegeeing By
Captain Squeegee is about fourteen years old, but that didn’t stop them from celebrating their tenth Anniversary tonight. How the math works out is that it has been about ten years since they stopped using the Soap Suds moniker on their name. The last release with that name on it was “Behind the Metal and Metric Pace” that came out ten years ago. It makes for a good reason to throw a full of energy show with a trip down memory lane for Captain Squeegee.
The show opened with a fun band out of New York who was passing through on their day off. Hideout wanted to play, and they got booked onto this list of high energy bands. They are a slower, alternative rock that didn’t skimp on the energy moments of their own. Hideout’s bass player closed out their set dancing around, kicking up his leg and landing on his guitar stand while twirling leg in the air. It was fun theatrics and great music from the only guys from out of town on the bill.
Then onto one of the best bands in Phoenix, Bear Ghost, that unless in full concentration singing, always seem to have a giant smile on their faces. I’ve been catching them a couple years now, since my friend, Myke Buttonz, joined them on drums. I am a huge advocate of anyone who likes music going out to catch a Bear Ghost show. These are some of the most talented group of guys I’ve watched on a stage.
I may be the only one who describes them as comparable to the Aquabats, but more rock and less super hero outfits. I feel it is the best description that covers their on stage presence and energy. Tonight they did more of that same high energy and all over the stage presence, despite Andrew playing with an injury.
Fayuca may be the band this night I have listened to and watched about the same amount of time that I have Captain Squeegee. Between that and Danny, of Captain Squeegee, playing trumpet for them, it makes for a completely appropriate reason they would play this night. This is the first time catching Fayuca since their bass player, Mario, left his previous band Nomada to focus solely on Fayuca. At one point, he tripped during a song and kept playing bass on his back.
They brought out Chris, from Captain Squeegee, for this set to play a song on Saxophone with them. They are a full energy band that I love watching play anytime I can catch Gabo and Fayuca play.
Around the time of ten thirty, came an introduction for Captain Squeegee’s set from Dani and Brandi, in her awesome, homemade Captain Squeegee shirt, from 93.9 KWSS. These days I describe Captain Squeegee as “Alternative Jazz,” but when I first listened to them they were Ska, heard on the Ska Punk show or live in from of bands like Reel Big Fish. I like both versions of them, and Danny, at this point, holds the spot for one of the best sounding vocalists in the valley for me. In addition, Captain Squeegee put on one of the best looking presences in the Crescent Ballroom using three projectors to cover the venue in stars, water, or the music video they had made by a friend of theirs over at Adult Swim.
This was such a large walk down memory lane that I started making notes on my phone of all the old Squeegee members coming back to play to keep track. They went all the way back to old Soap Suds like Kory, Tyler, and Ryan Downey. They always commemorated each old member when they played their last song of the set with a prom king like sash adorned with the words “Captain Squeegee.” What these old school Squeegee members brought back with them is some classic Squeegee songs live.
Captain Squeegee went as far back as to play a couple old Ska tracks from the Soap Suds days including their cover of “Graduation” to close out the set. Though tonight was an Anniversary show, it wasn’t just nostalgia as we heard new tracks to come next year too adding to the excitement. The nearly two hour set was an amazing and entertaining night to remember. Make sure to check out the massive gallery of awesome shots below too!
