Izzy and the Catastrophics will be performing at the Bullfrog Brewery, 229 W. Fourth St., at 8 p.m. Aug. 20 with its mix of "rock 'n' roll, swing, surf, honky-tonk and bebop."
Izzy Zaidman, frontman for the group, grew up with a guitar-playing father and has been surrounded by music as long as he can remember.
"I pretty much don't remember a time that instruments weren't in my life," said Zaidman, originally from Washington Heights, N.Y.
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Izzy and the Catastrophics will perform at 8 p.m. Monday at the Bullfrog Brewery, 229 W. Fourth St.
Zaidman's first gigs were when he was 13, beginning with playing with his father's bands, and then moving on to play with his peers in high school.
He has played guitar for all different genres of music, but Izzy and the Catastrophics specialize in American roots music.
"My genetics draw me to this style of music. I don't really think about styles as much as getting some internal point where you get what your soul, your every fiber, is made of," he said.
To Zaidman, music is just the point of expressing yourself as a human.
"I try to keep my eyes on that," he said.
The band has been on tour constantly since 2008, only taking small breaks every once in a while.
"I like the idea of taking breaks, but we are achieving so much by being intense in that way, that I don't have the desire to let up," Zaidman said. "Even though we're not in the van traveling, writing and planning are still going on. Music is always on the agenda."
Zaidman was formerly the guitarist for Wayne "The Train" Hancock, and Izzy and the Catastrophics have had many changes in their lineup. The current members of the band are Chapman Sowash, trombone; Chad Brown, drums; Evan Levine, bass; and Ted Hefko on the saxophone.
Izzy and the Catastrophics has toured all over world, bringing its music to Texas, Florida, California and even Italy. Zaidman said even though there have been many places the band has performed, his favorite place is New Orleans.
"It's not just because of the gig. I just love that town," he said.
The band recently shot a music video for their song, "Mambo on Your Grave," in which the band rode around on a Mardi-Gras float through cemeteries.
"It was kind a serendipitous coincidence. We were staying at a house in New Orleans rehearsing," he said. "We heard this noise, and saw there was a New Orleans parade coming down the street. It was a random Tuesday and it wasn't even a really 'partying' part of the city. They were rocking out, so we went and joined them," Zaidman said.
Zaidman found out the owners of the float lived down the street from where they were staying, and agreed to let them use it for their video.
"New Orleans is so crazy, people get excited when you do crazy stuff. A cop stopped us, we said were shooting a music and video and he was like, 'Cool!'," he said.
For the group's upcoming performance at the Bullfrog Brewery, Zaidman is excited to show Williamsport the band's unique performance style.
"We have a very different way of doing things," he said. "We never work with a set list. I have a ritual where the band goes around in a circle, each member calls a song. I draw on psychic energies, I feel the vibes. Sometimes the guys might be in love with their woman and wanna tell the whole world. I like to cater to that energy. I try to make it that our shows energetically are more like a type of magic ritual rather than, 'We are here to recite things to you.' We try to sculpt the environment."
For more information about the band, you can find them on Facebook or www.izzyandthecatastrophics.com.
