Groove Thangs 25th Anniversary at Alligator Alley

Before Pat Stacey, better known as Down Pat, moved to North Carolina and then New York, his band the Groove Thangs were a South Florida staple for lovers of blues, soul, calypso fusion funk. They toured relentlessly in the late '80s and early '90s, were signed and then dropped from...

By Erica K. Landau

April 17, 2009

[
        {
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Inline Content - Mobile Display Size",
          "component": "19274298",
          "insertPoint": "2",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
        },{
          "name": "Editor Picks",
          "component": "17482312",
          "insertPoint": "4",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "1"
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18711090",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17482310",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18711090",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - Leaderboard Tower - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17482313",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        }
      ]

Before Pat Stacey, better known as Down Pat, moved to North Carolina and then New York, his band the Groove Thangs were a South Florida staple for lovers of blues, soul, calypso fusion funk. They toured relentlessly in the late '80s and early '90s, were signed and then dropped from a label, and went on to release music independently, garnering a lot of acclaim from local publications.

Last night, Pat and his brother Bonefish Johnny took the stage at Alligator Alley with a keyboard, MaBbook computer, and guitar. They produced some badass covers of Bo Diddley's "Who Do You Love," James Brown's "Please Please Please," and a quirkier caribbean version of Harry Belafonte's "Jump in the Line." Most of the members of the Groove Thangs are appearing tonight at Alligator Alley for their 25th anniversary including Pat, Bonefish Johnny, Kilmo (Carl Pacillo and the owner of Alligator Alley), and Tim Kutcha. Sax player Jeff Watkins couldn't make it, he's currently on tour with Joss Stone. Don't expect as many covers as Pat and John cranked out last night, the Groove Thangs excel most when they play original tunes. The show starts at 9 p.m. and costs $12.

KEEP NEW TIMES FREE... Since we started New Times, it has been defined as the free, independent voice of Miami, and we'd like to keep it that way. Your membership allows us to continue offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food, and culture with no paywalls. You can support us by joining as a member for as little as $1.