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Pitchers were poured, patrons danced and Mystic Roots rocked out to a large crowd at LaSalles on Friday night.
The Chico group, which has gained popularity by playing house parties, was in good spirits as it celebrated lead vocalist Coot "Cootdog" Wyman's birthday.
After touring the United States with a stop in Mexico, the band's energy level was up, and the band members were pumped to be back home.
"There's no place like Northern California," Wyman said to the audience.
Sentiments such as this were repeated throughout the night and with the love Mystic Roots was expressing to the locals, it's no surprise the band has a large following.
Local reggae group Boss 501 played a short set at 10 p.m., and Mystic Roots started its performance at about 11 p.m. to a bar that was steadily piling in patrons.
As the performance started, Wyman told the audience it wasn't going to be a typical show since it was his birthday.
With disco balls spinning and lights flashing, Mystic Roots dived right into an instrumental jam session with its two saxophone players swaying back and forth as it let loose some chill grooves.
Wyman asked fans to rack the pool balls, pound their drinks and join him for a party on the dance floor.
A party is what fans got for the rest of the night, as Mystic Roots sang the virtues of the "special plant" and living the California way.
This concert stood out from the throng of shows Mystic Roots plays in Chico every year because of the way Wyman personally addressed audience members.
Many of Wyman's close friends were in attendance, and he wanted to put on the best show possible, he said.
Between tracks the band paused for Wyman to deliver funny anecdotes about growing up in Marin County. After one song Wyman let fans know about his past attempts at being a rap artist.
Wyman used to go over to his close friend and current Roots member Shane Baird's house at age 8 to drop some freestyle over a tape deck, he said.
Although their group, the Lonely Boys, never blew up, the raw rhymes set the foundation for the music career the band now enjoys.
"We were the baddest little 8-year-olds you ever met," Wyman said.
After another song Wyman told fans that once they leave Chico it becomes necessary to make a list of things that must be accomplished each time they visit. Wyman's list included a trip to get a teriyaki bowl, a Panama's tea and most importantly a night spent at LaSalles partying with friends.
Even with the frigid weather keeping some students bundled in bed, those in attendance seemed ready to rock and rarely left the dance floor, partly because the band took steps to include them.
After the third song of the night the band began taking requests, which resulted in Wyman playing one of the band's newest songs "Lifestyle" for the first time live.
The show also featured an appearance by Nikki Sierra, a female vocalist who played with the Roots for two years.
As the songs kept playing, the people kept dancing and Wyman threw himself a birthday to remember.
Matt White can be reached at mwhite@theorion.com
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