Carnivaleros bandleader Gary Mackender did not write his first song until his late 40s. Five albums later, he is in his prime. His music has always been difficult to define, combining moody Eastern European motifs and strains of western movie themes. And then there are the quirky stories of the American experience laced with rhythms of Zydeco, Tex-Mex, waltzes and swing, all of it compelling you to the dance floor.