"Let it roll, baby," one of the band members calls out at the beginning of the first track, and the band launches into "Little Bit Of Action," which begins with a strong, steady beat. And, yes, you can feel the energy immediately. In this song, they sing, "All I wanted was a little bit of action." Well, they're delivering it here, more than a little bit. This track features some good stuff on guitar. "Little Bit Of Action" was written by Ron Ardito. The energy remains high on "Nancy," written by Robert Racioppo. One of the lines from this one that stands out is "I wasn't blind, there's nothing to see," and they repeat it later in the song. This is fantastic, and that instrumental section in the second half is especially delicious. If I could get a time machine, I always said I'd travel back to the late 1500s in London and watch Shakespeare's original stage productions. But my next stop would be New York in 1981 to catch this show.
Annie Golden introduces "Lost In A Rhyme," saying, "This song is also new." She delivers a great vocal performance. "Words come so easy when you're around." By the way, even if you are not familiar with this band, you likely know Annie Golden from her acting career. I think the first thing I saw her in was Milos Forman's film version of Hair. She had a part in Forever, Lulu, a movie that also stars Deborah Harry, and had a recurring role on Cheers, and, more recently, in Orange Is The New Black. "Lost In A Rhyme" was written by Artie Lamonica. "This is another new one," they tell the crowd, and go into "Don't Say Forever," one that begins more slowly. "You keep yourself up on the news/You gotta lot of nerve, and got no clues/It's better than before/'Cause you're standing by an open door." This one has a different vibe, and a certain beauty. It's a thoughtful number that puts us in a more reflective frame of mind. "And we could get through and get by."
The energy then increases again with "I Wanna Be A Rocker," a totally fun track that features some delicious drumming. The vocal work has a great rhythm to it too, particularly on the verses. Plus, the guitar work is excellent, certainly at least partially inspired by some of the early rock and roll greats. This one was written by Robert Racioppo and Ron Ardito. "This song is called 'Tears Comin' Down,' when things don't quite work out," Annie then tells the audience. There is a sweeter feel to the vocal work on this one, at least at the start. And the song still rocks, growing in power. "Tears comin' down, I'm growing up/You called my name, I called your bluff/Too bad we both were not enough." That's great. I love her vocal performance, as well as the backing vocals echoing "Growing up." And check out that bass work. This ends up being one of my personal favorites. By the way, I should mention here that the sound quality is excellent. And the bass at the beginning of "Boys Will Be Boys" is so damn good, and it, along with the drumming, works to get us excited. Oh yes, this track is a treat right from its start. It does kind of settle a bit after that opening section, but soon returns to it again. This one was written by John Piccolo and Annie Golden.
The guitar starts "Laura's In The Lion's Den," and soon there is a solid beat. But it is when we get that great stuff on keys that the song really takes off for me. "She says no more, no more, no more." This song has a certain power, and I especially love when Annie belts out lines toward the end. That section is fantastic. This one was written by Arthur Lamonica. "This is a quiet song," the band warns the audience before "One Of The Masses." Check out the opening lines: "I'm one of the masses/I'm feeling so mass-produced/And it's Friday night." Those are good opening lines, and this song features some passionate vocal work. It was written by Robert Racioppo and Artie Lamonica. That's followed by "Love Don't Arrive." I love the interesting opening of this one. And there is an intensity to this song that keeps us engaged. It's a compelling and fascinating number written by Artie Lamonica.
"This song is as yet unrecorded as well," Annie tells the crowd when introducing "Whoever Thought." "I keep repeating myself. I must be excited." I know I mentioned this before, but the sound is so good on this recording that it easily takes the place of a studio album. And Annie delivers another powerful vocal performance here. "I know I'm not the only one/I know we have to brave the storm." There is also something catchy about this song. "This is a torch song for the 1980s," Annie says in introducing "Boomerang." Her vocal delivery is sexy, sometimes soft and sweet, sometimes with a tremendous energy. There are parts of this song that have something of a 1960s vibe, particularly in the work on keys at certain moments. This is another catchy number, with some cool work on drums. It was written by Robert Racioppo and Annie Golden. Then "Hangin' On A String" comes on strong, this great force moving in toward us. Then, as it kicks in, it becomes a delightful number featuring a delicious beat and certain pop elements. It's a fun number, written by Ron Ardito. "Okay, thanks for coming to our party," Annie says. "This is the way The Shirts say, 'Good night, ladies, good night, ladies.'" That way is with "Like A Satellite," a kick-ass song, with a fiery energy to Annie's vocals. "My patience is wearing thin/I'm taking it on the chin." What a great ending. The band thanks the audience for coming, and then offers this advice: "Okay, now everybody get drunk." Good advice, especially these days.
CD Track List
- Little Bit Of Action
- Nancy
- Lost In A Rhyme
- Don't Say Forever
- I Wanna Be A Rocker
- Tears Comin' Down
- Boys Will Be Boys
- Laura's In The Lion's Den
- One Of The Masses
- Love Don't Arrive
- Whoever Thought
- Boomerang
- Hangin' On A String
- Like A Satellite
Live was released on September 26, 2025 through Think Like A Key Music.
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