Caustic Casanova is a band that was definitely high on our need to see list. They come highly rated by some of our fest friends, and they know what they’re talking about down there. This is one band that lived up to the hype for us. They have a great sound and know how to command the stage. This DC band crushed the fans and drove the hard set they performed through the crowd. FRANCIS BERINGER (Bass, Vocals), STEFANIE ZAENKER (Drums, Percussion, Vocals) and ANDREW YONKI (guitar) ripped up the Cafe 611 stage. We grabbed a couple LP’s before they were gone and have them on steady rotation in the list. Make sure you get out and see them whenever you might have a chance. They rock!

I knew Caustic Casanova were underrated, and seeing them for the first time, I guess I was interested to find out if I could find a reason why. Their sound is certainly accessible enough; the Washington, D.C./Frederick trio play a style of heavy rock that in part feels drawn from ’90s college/art rock weirdoism and part drawn from a desire to mash that against sonic pummel and punker drive, but they’re also a thoughtful band. Each part has its purpose, and even in their delivery live, there was a sense of focus that pervaded what they were doing. It was fun to watch, definitely, but there was a strong intent there — nothing felt like an accident, however experimental it may have been in the composition. One knows they’re Melvins fans because they did a cover of “Cow” on their latest 7″, but their style has much more to it than just post-Buzzo riffing and tryhard avant gardeship so often resulting from that influence. And if Caustic Casanova are underrated, the reason is precisely because they’re not easy to pin down.

They’re a dynamic, complex trio given to deft rhythmic turns and an indie aspect to complement/contrast their heavier elements, and they don’t fit into any single genre tag necessarily beyond the blanket “progressive heavy rock,” which is a pale descriptor for the actual depth of character in the music they make.

Washington D.C. psych-rock trio Caustic Casanova drops into a beloved downtown Tampa dive to play songs from its 2017 release, Pantheon: Volume 2, which is the second of a series of 7-inch records that find the band playing an original on the A-side and covering another artist on the B-side. Vol. 2 features a reimagined take on an old Caustic Casanova song (“Lord Pinto”) and the boys’ own take on “Cow” by The Melvins. Listen to both via cltampa.com/music and then bring a little extra money to buy more drinks at this no-cover affair.

Caustic Casanova is from Washington DC and plays some really catchy stoner jams and they’re the perfect opener for this show.