I have been waiting almost twenty years to see The Iguanas, one of my favorite bands, at Johnny D’s again and they did not disappoint!

The Iguanas

Sure, I saw them last summer at the Green River Festival, but seeing them in their own show was what I needed. My patience was rewarded.

The Iguanas cannot be described in one word; their music encompasses rock, Conjunto, blues, jazz, and funk, which combine to create a sound unique to the band.

The Iguanas

René Coman on bass and vocals, Doug Garrison on drums and percussion, Rod Hodges on accordion, guitar and vocals, and Joe Cabral on bajo sexto, saxophone and vocals comprise The Iguanas; they formed the band in 1989 and have remained intact since then.

Rod Hodges

René Coman

Joe Cabral

Doug Garrison

Their music is eminently danceable as shown by the packed dance floor. Their set included songs that spanned their discography, and included crowd favorites ‘My Girlfriend is a Waitress’, ‘Boom Boom Boom’, and ‘Benny’s Cadillac’. They also performed some songs from their 2014 release, Juarez.

Joe

Rod

Doug

René

I wish I spoke Spanish because some of their most popular songs are in Spanish; that does not detract from my enjoyment of their shows, however. Two of the Spanish songs were ‘Para Donde Vas’ and ‘Oye Mi Cumbia’.

Joe on the bajo sexto

They curated a particularly good setlist for this show; it drew from the myriad of styles that define The Iguanas. They know what they need to play to get the audience dancing.

Rod

They don’t banter a lot, either with the audience or each other; they are focused on delivering a great show, which I appreciate. They repeatedly thanked us for coming out on a snowy night and expressed their joy in coming back to Johnny D’s after so many years away.

The Iguanas

I wish I had been able to talk with them after the show, but there was another show after their so they had to clear the club quickly. I guess I’ll have to wait for their next show, which I hope will be soon!