by photojournalist Dan Fernandez
What do you get when you attend an Andy Frasco & the U.N. (Frasco) concert? Something incredibly exciting, beyond entertaining and completely unique to itself no matter how many times you have seen the band play live. Now, pour that into a mixer along with Tampa Bay Area’s own Ries Brothers and you get a night that is guaranteed to blast you off into the stratosphere. The fans showed up to Jannus Live en masse despite some heavy rainfall forecasted and the band showed out, muscling through that same intense storm as forecast became fruition. Some of those fans were even seen rocking onesie pajamas with floating Andy Frasco heads. Now that is commitment!
The Ries Brothers call St. Petersburg home but don’t be fooled, they aren’t just another local act. The duo of brothers Charlie and Kevin are as home grown as you can get, working their way up from a side stage to the side stage at the famed Gasparilla Music Festival, to opening for various national acts and all the way to their new label SKP which was founded by Nick Hexum of 311. Both brothers are talented multi-instrumentalists, a trait which, along with their backing collaborators allows them to bunny hop across multiple genres, incorporating guitar, drums, stand-up bass, a ukelele and even a melodica in their offerings blending rock, jam and reggae. With Frasco being hard to pin to any genre themselves it felt like the Ries Brothers served up the perfect lead in for the main act.
Oh man, what to say about Andy Frasco & The U.N. except that these guys have an unadulterated blast every time that they take the stage. Frasco got their start in Los Angeles, California in 2007 and consists of Andrew (Andy) Frasco on vocals and keys, Sam Kelly on saxophone, Shawn Eckels on lead guitar (Shawn was not in attendance on the night due to a knee injury), Andee “Beats” Avila on drums and Floyd Kellogg on bass. Although the core of the group has remained steady, the band has a reputation of including a rotating and evolving lineup of additional band members to form the “U.N.” section of the band name. In this regard you never really know who you are going to have the pleasure of seeing play on any given night. Frasco has released ten studio albums to date with 2025’s Growing Pains being their most recent release and the namesake of their current tour.
Andy Frasco & the U.N.’s sound has evolved greatly over their lifetime as the band blends elements of blues, ska, funk, Jazz and a bit of punk rock performed with a limitless and charming energy. This is my second time covering an Andy Frasco show, but I have seen him live many times and I will steadfastly guarantee anyone who asks that Frasco will undoubtedly bring the party and show everyone a night to remember. It just happens to be a pleasant bonus that Andy and his bandmates make up some of the most gracious and truly kind musicians that I have met.
As much as the guys bring the fun and party it is especially clear that Andy truly cares about his fans. Whether it is showing up hours early to meet with them, in doing so embracing a cancer survivor who beat the same type of cancer that his mother had fought or reassuring them in his lyrics, performance and stage banter Andy exudes a presence that shouts “while things may be a little screwed up in the world today, there is always a reason to smile.”
An Andy Frasco show is truly a one of a kind experience, a true production. Rounded out with a hydraulic lift rising to reveal smoke machines that line the inside of Andy’s piano, a killer Rage Against the Machine cover, Sam Kelly rocking his sax on top of that same piano or Andy himself jumping the railing into the crowd to groove along to his song “Dance” written for his nephew this group of eclectic musicians know how to entertain. While every part of that list functions to create one hell of a show, it is the absolute reckless abandon that Andy Frasco and the U.N. perform with that is the special sauce that brings it all together in such a distinctive and unparalleled fashion. I can do my absolute best to describe the sensory engaging adventure that is a Frasco show, but you really must see this one for yourselves. Do not, I repeat do not miss this crew when they roll their way back into town in the future. If you heard a tune who’s name you didn’t catch or want to see what you missed out on you can find the nights setlist below (sans the improvised covers of “Killing in the Name of” and “Psycho Killer”). Until next time my friends!
SET LIST
Puff Break Spill the Beans
God At A Fest Talk Bout It>Keep on
Ugly on You Life is Easy
Walk Bagel
Houston Mature AF
Try Not To Die What More
Tumbleweed Graves
Struggle>Guerilla Radio E
Somedays Dance, Dance
ANDY FRASCO & THE U.N. BRAVE THE WEATHER AT JANNUS LIVE