The Sand Gators bring psychedelic R&B to the Celt Pub and Grill

IDAHO FALLS — Look out, locals, here come The Sand Gators. Originating from Reno, Nevada, this band specializes in psychedelic R&B, and they’re set to perform at the Celt Pub and Grill on Dec. 13 at 9 p.m.

“It’s groovy and danceable,” said guitarist and vocalist Spencer Kilpatrick. “It’s basically rock ‘n’ roll, but we’ve got a good amount of fuzz guitar, and really spacey key sounds. And then the (baritone) sax adds a ton of depth and dynamics.”

The band is made up of Kilpatrick, Ivan Gates on bass, Rachael McElhiney on saxophone, Alex Lemnah on keys and Zach Peach on drums. Kilpatrick said the band usually has a sixth member, with Dani Taylor on guitar, but they’re traveling as a five-piece on this run.

All the members have been in different bands over the years, but came together to form The Sand Gators last year. Kilpatrick said the group’s name comes from an old joke he heard down in southern Utah.

“You know, right there on the Utah-Arizona border, they just got big old lizards running around me and my girlfriend were just calling them sand gators,” Kilpatrick said.

“This ain’t no simple rock band folks — it’s a collision of bleary eyes, burnt-out soul and the desperate howl of a small town ethos,” says a review of The Sand Gators by their friend Bud Havel. “Hailing from somewhere between the sun-baked desert and the hum of I-80, Spencer Kilpatrick and The Sand Gators are a raw, unflinching manifesto of musical indecision. From pounding R&B to psychedelic meanderings to introspective Americana. The Gators have enough tricks to keep a crowd on their tiptoes.”

Kilpatrick said this is the first time his group is performing in Idaho Falls, and they’re looking forward to it. They plan on playing about two or three sets of primarily original material. He said they’ll sprinkle in some covers, such as those by Led Zeppelin and the Spencer Davis Group, and even some fresh takes on pop, like Ariana Grande.

“We’re just excited to see the town, and we’d love it if anybody came and gave us some fun things to do the next day,” Kilpatrick said.

You can listen to The Sand Gators on Spotify and Bandcamp, or find them on Instagram.

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