Some of the top bands that play at Engel’s Pub in Edmonds are giving back to the nightclub with performances on Facebook.
The award-winning Engel’s Pub, established way back in 1934, hosts some of the most popular blues, folk, country and classic rock bands in Washington. It’s up for another award this year — the Washington Blues Society nominated Engel’s for a Best of the Blues Award for Best Club.
Top bands that perform at Engel’s Pub include The Dogtones, The Rooners, Stacy Jones Band, New Venture, Town Hall Brawl, Moon Daddy Band, The Weatherheads, Tweety and the Tom-Cats, LONE STATE, the Guy Johnson Band, Scott E Lind Band, Polly O’Keary and the Rhythm Method, and the Tim Turner Band.
As Snohomish County waits for approval to enter Phase 2 of Gov. Jay Inslee’s statewide reopening plan, you’ll get to listen to many of these bands thanks to live-stream shows scheduled for 8 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday each week at the Engel’s Pub Facebook page.
Daniel McMillin, aka Dano Mac, who owns and operates Dano Mac Productions, has been booking bands for Engel’s Pub for about three years. He launched the live-stream benefit shows on the Dano Mac Productions’ Facebook page.
“When the shutdown happened, people started doing live streams from their houses, and I thought, why don’t we do one from Engel’s Pub?” said McMillin, who plays drums in the bands New Venture and LONE STATE. “I put the word out to many of the musicians who play at Engel’s Pub, and a bunch of them responded that they’d like to do that.”
The Facebook shows benefit the Edmonds bar — all of the bands are volunteering to perform live-stream shows. Fans are encouraged to donate to a virtual tip jar via PayPal. You can also support the bar by ordering pub grub and booze from Engel’s to-go menu.
“They’re doing it to help Engel’s Pub pay the bills,” said McMillin, who has hosted the bar’s Tuesday Open Mic since 2012. “All the bands that play Engel’s is like a family. The bands that play there really enjoy playing there, so they’re (performing) to help the pub. The bands want this place to survive.”
All of the acts feature solos, duos, trios and quartets — scaled-back versions of original bands — to adhere to social distancing practices during the pandemic.
This week’s lineup kicked off Wednesday with Steven Fletcher, who sings and plays guitar for The Dogtones, a favorite band at Engel’s Pub. It’s no longer live, but you can still watch Fletcher’s recorded performance on Facebook.
On Thursday, listen to Joshua Red Uttech, who sings and plays folk and rock on acoustic guitar.
Then, for Friday’s show, The Jim McLaughlin Quartet performs. The blues band is comprised of Jim McLaughlin on harmonica, Kevin Sutton on guitar, Keith Bakke on bass and Mark Hotton on drums. McLaughlin is an award-winning harmonica player. He is a member of the Washington Blues Society’s Hall of Fame. Sutton and Bakke were in The WIRED! Band together.
And Saturday has Sonic Velvet taking the stage, featuring Keely Whitney on keys and Joel Hendry on guitar.
Next week’s Wednesday through Saturday lineup kicks off with Pour Excuses. The act is made up of Daddy Treetops on guitar, Billy Reed on keys, Dano Mac on drums and Bill Fraser on bass and guitar from the band The Pour Boys.
The Rooners, another top band at Engel’s Pub, with John Holme on drums, Paul Orrico on guitar and Scott Riley on bass, will play the Thursday show.
The Dogtones take the stage Friday. The band consists of Patrick Coy on drums, Rene Giust on bass and keys, and Steven Fletcher on guitar.
Then, on Saturday, listen to Steve Crabtree, who plays guitar for The Neil Youngs, Petty Thief and LONE STATE. He often joins Dano Mac as a special guest at Engel’s Tuesday Open Mic.
The Dogtones, an Edmonds pop and rock cover band, formed 11 years ago. Though it’s made up of just three members, the band prides itself on recreating hits like Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody,” AC/DC’s “You Shook Me All Night Long,” “Stayin’ Alive” by the BeeGees and Steely Dan’s “Rikki Don’t Lose That Number.”
“For three people to recreate the music we do, everybody has to really do their part,” Coy said. “We have to go the extra mile.”
The band’s guitarist is a mastermind of the mash-up, Coy said. Fletcher has created mash-ups for the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s, as well as disco and Motown, with six to seven songs each.
Coy said it’s strange to perform at the Engel’s Pub without an audience. Though it’s a live stream, and fans make song requests via Facebook during the show, it feels like they’re at band practice.
“We can’t wait to get back out there again if and when things turn around,” he said. “Right now, we’re just trying to keep ourselves going to give back to the folks out there watching.”
If you miss any of the Engel’s Pub Facebook shows that kicked off April 23 — including Steven Fletcher’s on Wednesday — you can watch the recorded performances on the Dano Mac Productions Facebook page.
“We will do live stream until we’re given the go-ahead to go back to our regular music program,” McMillin said. “We’re not sure when that is.
“This is a pub, so it’s probably going to be a Phase 3 open. We’re going to be doing live stream for quite a while, until we can get back to normal, until we can get back to full capacity and (book) dance bands.”
The inaugural show featured Blue Healers, with Diane and Don Forsyth, who are in the band Town Hall Brawl together. Diane plays bass; Don is on guitar.
“We had lots of viewers and we had a lot of donations to the pub,” McMillin said. “To date that first show has over 2,000 views.”
Sara Bruestle: 425-339-3046; sbruestle@heraldnet.com; @sarabruestle.
If you stream
Engel’s Pub is hosting live stream shows featuring its favorite bands at 8 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday via the Dano Mac Productions Facebook page, www.facebook.com/danomacproductions. Donate to the Engel’s Pub virtual tip jar through PayPal at www.paypal.me/engelspub.
If you go
Engel’s, 113 Fifth Ave. S., Edmonds, is open for takeout 3 p.m. to midnight Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, 11 a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. Closed Monday. Call 425-778-2900 or go to www.engelsbar.com for more information.
Live stream schedule
Here are the acts scheduled to live stream from Engel’s Pub via Facebook for the next two weeks.
June 3: Steven Fletcher (recorded on Facebook)
June 4: Joshua Red Uttech
June 5: The Jim McLaughlin Quartet
June 6: Sonic Velvet
June 10: Pour Excuses
June 11: The Rooners
June 12: The Dogtones
June 13: Steve Crabtree
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