Last week’s sit-in from saxophonist Yanos “Johnny Bones” Lustig of the California Honeydrops at TWINE’s weekly Wednesday residency went so smoothly I assumed someone in the band knew Lustig.
But, no, Lustig was just hungry to play music on a night he had got into town ahead of his Dakota gig the following night with Sweden’s Gunhild Carling.
TWINE frontman Will Effertz was actually familiar with the Honeydrops’ music, but didn’t know Lustig.
“I randomly stumbled upon them (recently) and TWINE was going to potentially cover them in the future,” Effertz said of the California-based band with something of an almost New Orleans-style approach to funk, folk and Americana. “I like them a lot. I am a big fan.”
But, no, Effertz didn’t have any idea who Lustig was when he approached the stage.
“He comes up and points to the saxophone mid jam” Effertz said.
It’s a familiar scenario, but one that requires some caution, especially when the instrument is something like a saxophone, which can be quite abrasive when not played with much skill.
“I said, I’ll give you a shot, and it turns out he ripped,” Effertz said. “That’s the thing. I have had that happen in instances, and when it’s a saxophone, I am like, ‘Please, be good.’ It turned out he was a badass.”
Joe Dunn has sat in with TWINE a few times since the band began its Wednesday night residency (9:30 p.m. to 1 a.m.) at Bunker’s recently. PHOTO BY JAVIER SERNA/Jam in the Stream
Lustig ended up sitting in for the last three songs of the show on a night that already had guitarist/vocalist Joe Dunn play the entire show as well as sound man Gage Schmitt playing flute on a few songs (Schmitt is also a sax man).
Gage Schmitt (right) handles sound at Bunker’s, but also plays the flute and saxophone. He normally doesn’t sit in, though his saxophone has come in handy when Brian “Snowman” Powers has had trouble with his own.
Lustig went back and forth with TWINE saxophonist Brian “Snowman” Powers at one point.
“They were trading off licks, “Effertz said. “I could see it in Johnny Bones’ eyes. He was like, Oh shit. Let’s go. Snowman was all hopped up and he was ripping.”
Effertz pieced it together that Lustig was from California but didn’t learn of his main gig until after the show.
“He said my main group is the California Honeydrops. I was like, ‘What?’”
Lustig was pleased to find out Effertz was aware of his band, which headlined a show at First Avenue in September.
“It’s those night that make it worth it,” Effertz said. “That is a magical place (referencing the storied gem that is Bunker’s). That is a magical place. He searched live music, and that is one of the few places that has music (almost) every night of the week.”
TWINE, which is only a few months into their new residency at Bunker’s, has Jon Sullivan and Alex Gelking sitting in this Wednesday, their last gig of the year at Bunker’s, since they’ll be taking off the next two Wednesdays which land on Christmas and New Year’s Day.
