Friday nights on 7th Avenue in Ybor City are crazy. It is almost impossible to decide what to do and where to go. Lucky for me, I passed The Market (great pizza and a bar with live music) and heard the whimsical sounds of Asilo. This five-piece band out of Lakeland has been together for three years. I was drawn, at first, by the music's similarities to The Doors, but with a modernized twist. Singer Ben even had the husky vocal style of Jim Morrison. Keyboardist Wally has some serious skills (I loved his bare feet), reinventing the styles of Ray Manzarek. I was entranced. Then, out of nowhere, bassist Sean pulled out a trumpet and started playing a melody straight out of the jazz generation. Incredible. It was funky blues rock, unquestionably unique and positively pleasing to the ears. After the show, I was fortunate enough to talk to the brains behind the music.
This article appears in Aug 12-18, 2009.