Eek-A-Mouse, an internationally known reggae musician from Jamaica, gave a concert for a jam-packed audience at Fishlips Bar and Grill on Saturday, Jan. 30.
David Brinsfield, 43, a longtime fan of Eek-A-Mouse, said, “I’m just glad he’s come to Bakersfield period.” Brinsfield, who has been following Eek’s music for 20 years, said he loves everything about his music and that “It’s the most advanced reggae for its time.”
Brinsfield also liked the kind of fans that this concert was attracting. “Every time I come it’s different people. It’s a new generation that he’s able to pull in.”
“A lot of people consider him underground, but I don’t like to think of him like that.
His kind of music is peaceful, you can be yourself,” he said.
Another longtime fan, Johnny Balderas 31, has been attending Eek’s concerts for about 10 years. Balderas said he was really surprised when he first saw him in concert.
“When I first heard Eek, I thought he was a little guy, but he’s like 6’4.” He went on to say that it’s his vocal styling that sets him apart from other reggae musicians.
Bakersfield College student Jason Frieze, undeclared, said he was looking forward to the concert. “It’s the first time I’ve heard of him so I’m excited to see what he’s like.”
Many audience members were new to the reggae music scene, saying they heard about Eek-A-Mouse from a friend or they decided to go just because it was something to do on a Saturday night.
Marcus Molineaux, 23, a sound engineer for Eek, said his father has been playing bass guitar in the band for the past 17 years.
“I’ve only been working for him for a few years but I grew up around him and his music.” Molineaux said he really likes Fishlips as a venue and enjoys being in Bakersfield. “We just got here, but there are really good people here and I’ve got no complaints.”
Ras Wesley Williams, 36, who was working the merchandise counter on behalf of Eek and the band, echoed Molineaux’s sentiments and added, “It’s definitely not easy, but I just hope there’s a lot of people here tonight, I hope it’s packed.”
The concert began at 9 p.m. with local band Dub Seeds playing for a standing-room-only crowd while people ate dinner and ordered drinks. Then Eek-A-Mouse’s backup musicians played a few songs to warm up the crowd and check the equipment before Eek-A-Mouse finally came on at 11:30 p.m.
Eek started his first song singing in the crowd, and slowly he danced his way toward the stage, mingling with the fans as he went. Once there he invited people, mostly women, to dance onstage with him.
His songs, including the popular “Ganja Smuggling,” which features the vocal styling he is famous for, had the crowd swaying and singing along. He continued to play music to the still-crowded Fishlips until the early hours of the morning.