I never thought my first experience with a honky tonk band would be in Los Angeles. I certainly never imagined it would be at a club best known for showcasing blues acts. It seems when Jason Boland and the Stragglers made their way to Los Angeles, they brought with them their hootin’ and hollerin’, dancin’ and drinkin’ fanbase (but no letter Gs for words ending in -ing…those stayed in Oklahoma). They also brought 11 years worth of songs to choose from, and I think their fans would have gladly listened to the group’s entire discography Friday night.

The Mint was packed for the show, and I felt lucky to get a table until I realized sitting wasn’t something most of this crowd was interested in. They preferred dancing in the aisles, singing along to every song, and sending tequila shots to the band. The group’s opening song “Hank”—Boland’s take on the current state of the country music industry—starts with the lyric “You don’t like my music, you don’t like my songs.” This line was nothing short of ironic seeing as how the crowd was obviously enamored by Boland and everything his group did on stage.

The themes of the night were drinking, drugs (“My Baby Loves Me When I’m Stoned” was a crowd favorite), and, like fellow Dust-Bowler John Steinbeck, the ease with which the American Dream can be lost. Boland did an excellent job of guiding the tempo of the set, seeming to always know when the crowd was ready to swing their partners across the dance floor or hold them close. The audience begged for an encore after the last song, but as another band was scheduled to play, he couldn’t oblige. Boland’s devout fans will simply have to follow the group to the next venue on the tour and set up the honky tonk there, which apparently hasn’t posed a problem for anyone so far.

For more info on Jason please check out:

www.myspace.com/jasonbolandthestragglers or

www.thestragglers.com