Plenty of liveliness left in these punk lifers

Jason Hansen’s reeling in the years.

And a few beers.

“It was a crazy night, dude,” the guitarist says through a Budweiser-abetted grin.

There have been plenty of them for Hansen and his band, the Peccadilloes, long one of Vegas’ most fun and fierce punk acts.

Currently, Hansen’s recalling a particularly memorable show at sports bar Blondies years ago, where the Peccadilloes drained a fridge full of vodka and then got chewed out by management for it. Annoyed at the tongue lashing, Hansen sat at the edge of the stage and proceeded to relieve himself.

“No one stopped me,” he says, surrounded by his bandmates on a recent Wednesday night at the home he shares with Peccadilloes frontwoman Sandy Moreno. “No one said anything.”

This is because pretty much anything goes at a Peccadilloes show.

The first time I hung out with the band years ago, a full-on riot broke out at a bloody gig at since-shuttered downtown dive Take One Nightclub.

Most of the time, though, Peccadilloes shows were neither violent nor urine- soaked, just a rowdy good time.

“We were just there to drink and have fun,” Hansen says. “I wanted to see someone dance. That was my motivation.”

After going hard for nearly a decade, the band went on hiatus a few years back when drummer Jarrett Thompson moved to Colorado and Hansen, Moreno and guitarist James Messina formed The Gashers.

With The Gashers going strong, the Peccadilloes’ legacy only seemed to grow after they departed the scene.

“We were playing so many shows, and then all of a sudden we’re not there any more and you find out that people are actually craving it,” Thompson says.

And so with their 10th anniversary coming up, the group is getting back together for a reunion gig this Saturday at the Double Down Saloon. The show doubles as the release party for a new two-disc set, “10 Years … A Million Beers,” which consists of the group’s debut, “Rumor Control,” as well an unreleased 2009 album, “Chaos Show.” Both records still sound vital and fresh, equal parts working- class pathos, barbed humor and boozy good cheer.

At the Double Down, the Peccadilloes will be joined on bass by Joe Cycenas, frontman for another great Vegas punk band, 1/2 Ast, which will also be playing a reunion gig of sorts at the show.

Together, they’re a bunch of punk lifers with plenty of life left in them.

“The band’s not over, dude,” Hansen says of the Peccadilloes. “We’ll never leave it alone. We’re not gonna die.”

Contact reporter Jason Bracelin at jbracelin@reviewjournal.com or
702-383-0476.