Love Lane Gang Scores with Kids of all Ages at Saturday’s Sound Check

The Love Lane Gang, now a gang of four and quickly becoming a locals’ favorite, made their Green Parrot debut this past weekend, along with a bunch of friends. The music was pure child’s play and adult happiness as all ages kicked up their heels, enchanted by the upbeat friendly racket created by harmonica, guitar, mandolin, washboard, bass, fiddle, kazoo, banjo, snare drum, and bodhran. General manager John Vagnoni quickly started snapping pictures and videos to capture the excitement.

The Gang’s songs ranged from Dolly Parton’s plaintive “Jolene,” sung by guest Brielle Jeannette with her heartbreaking contralto, to the bouncy ”Everybody Loves My Baby,” as guest fiddler,  Vicki Scuteri from Twisted Sisters happily took the melody from the Gang’s gifted singer-songwriter-guitar-harmonica-accordion-and-kazoo-playing leader, Jerrod Isaman, before the group slid into bass player Stephen LaPierre’s original instrumental, “Tropical Swing.”

The Gang’s most recent addition, Missy Parker, a talented artist, who happens to also be a great washboard player, was a vibrant ray of sunshine with her effortless style that enhances the band’s positive vibe. Her brother Sonny pushed the music along with his stripped-down drum set of snare and high hat. Local favorite Mary Spear added background vocals and augmented the rhythm with her Irish hand drum.

All of a sudden a film crew participating in the Tropic’s 72 Hour Film Challenge flooded The Green Parrot with red balloons as their cameras captured the bouncing babies, boomer regulars, twenty-somethings, and a bunch of other Key West musicians who had gathered to hear the Gang’s Parrot premiere.

This was one of the band’s biggest gigs yet. Since starting up six months ago, Isaman continues to merge his personal musical genius with a sensibility that integrates every group member’s best capabilities. This unified communal approach creates the Gang’s distinctive sound, be they performing Depression-era songs, Gypsy jazz, surf music, rockabilly, folk, country, or their growing list of original pieces

Suddenly the mandolin captured the crowd’s attention, as Steve Gibson, one of the Gang’s founding members, who also plays with The Real Malloys, effortlessly plucked out a strong melody line from the small instrument cradled against his chest. But Isaman’s wooden train whistle brought down the house, echoed by the Gang’s whoops, as the group closed out their set with Isaman’s original, “Freight Train.”

Too bad if you missed the Gang on Saturday. But don’t worry; it seems a good bet that Vagnoni will invite them back for another 5:30 sound check sometime soon.

You can also catch up with The Gang on Thursday August 29 at Schooner Wharf Bar  from 7-11pm. Also …their regular gigs are: Fridays at McConnell’s Irish Pub & Grill from 8-11pm and Sundays at Saluté on the Beach from 5:30-8:30pm. All of these venues are kid-friendly, with Schooner and Saluté also dog- friendly and parrot-friendly.