Janine Fagon

Regional acts hollander and burly laid a new groove on the city of Brookings with last Friday night’s gig at the Jackalope Lounge.

The bands, both native to Vermillion, played with passion and enthusiasm to a relaxed but excitable crowd of about 30.

Austin Kaus, lead vocalist/ guitarist for hollander, opened the gig with a simple “Lets do this thing.”

Lead guitarist Eric Teslaa, drummer Brian Middleton and bassist Andrew Robertson showed confidence, allowing the crowd to set into a nice rocking vibe during their set.

Kaus said the band got together back in early March, and is finding its feet by playing throughout the local areas. He described their music as “Stoner folk pub punk.”

Burly supported their friends from hollander on stage with shouts and cheers while waiting for their own time to entice the crowd.

After set up, sound check, and a last minute dash to the little boy’s room by guitarist Dustin Trump, the burly ones started to jam.

Trump, vocalist/guitarist Andy Wood, drummer Danny Yost, and bassist Zach Verdoorm entertained the crowd by transforming tunes like “The Entertainer” into electric jamfests.

The entire burly set was marked by ear-catching musicianship and passionate performance style.

Tom Skillman, a computer science major at SDSU, paid an unexpected visit to the lounge and discovered the sound of burly.

“The bass player has unparalleled talent. The group has a funky sound, cross between Red Hot Chili Peppers and Good Charlotte,” he said.

“They play heavy guitar. It’s like funk versus guitar but the bass smoothes it out into a definite smooth funk,” he added.

Trump said the band formed about nine months ago, taking the best musicians from bands such as Anti Fashion League, Wino, and Strength of Annan.

“We are all now part of a super group and we would describe ourselves as uncategorized,” Trump said.

Wood also spoke about how he has been jamming with Trump since the age of five. Before their set, Wood seemed very enthusiastic.

“This gig will be better than sex?almost,” he said.

He also wanted to inform the public that all the band members are all mullet-proof. Mullets or no mullets, they seemed to impress their audience.

“They have awesome stage presence, good energy, an unusual blend of grunge, barber shop harmony, and alternative scene. I definitely like it,” Amber Liss, an agricultural education major at SDSU said.

“I’m very happy with the way the night is going,” Jackalope Lounge owner Max Fjelstad noted near the end of the night.

Those who missed the show need not worry. Both bands are performing again this Saturday at Studio 27 in Vermillion.