Born Innocent: The Redd Kross Story Blu-ray Review

Recently a documentary on Bill Bartell was released on Blu-ray, The Secret Lives Of Bill Bartell, which was directed by David Markey. Among those interviewed in the movie, helping to tell that crazy story, were Jeff McDonald and Steven McDonald, the two brothers who make up Redd Kross. Well, their own story is equally wild (if not more so), and it is told on Born Innocent: The Redd Kross Story, which has now been released on an incredible two-disc Blu-ray set, packed with several hours of great bonus material. This is a fantastic documentary, directed by Andrew Reich, who is known most for writing and producing the television series Friends, but who has been a fan of Redd Kross since the mid-1980s. This is a movie for fans of the band, sure, but, more importantly, it's a movie to make new fans of the band.

As it begins, Jeff McDonald and Steven McDonald are driving down the 110 South, and discussing whether anyone calls that highway the Harbor Freeway anymore, and I immediately love them. Having come to Los Angeles from the east coast, the names of highways are still fodder for conversation with my friends (I call it Route 1, not Pacific Coast Highway, and certainly not PCH). The movie takes us to Hawthorne, where Jeff and Steven grew up, and where its sign proclaims it the "City of Good Neighbors." It is also the home of the Beach Boys, as is mentioned in the movie. (And speaking of Bill Bartell, it isn't long before we see one of the brothers sporting a White Flag T-shirt.) The neighborhood where they grew up is gone, taken over by the 105 freeway. There are great black and white photos documenting the area after the people had vacated it but before the highway was built, along with footage from Suburbia, of boarded up and vandalized homes. And then we are taken to present-day Hawthorne, which is quite a bit different.

One thing I love about this movie is how the brothers themselves take us on the tour through their lives, and do so with a certain joy. The band is our guide here. Early on, they take us to the house where they played a girl's eighth grade graduation party, a gig that also included Black Flag. Imagine being fourteen years old and showing up at your classmate's party and finding Redd Kross and Black Flag playing in the living room. Insane. And that's just the beginning of this crazy story. Soon we learn that David Bowie was in the audience at one of the first shows, when they were still Red Cross. One of the craziest elements of the story is that Steve went missing for three months when he was still a child, having run away with an older woman. The brothers' parents are interviewed, and it is still difficult for them to talk about that time, which is totally understandable. It is fascinating, and is really the only dark segment of the story. Mostly this is a fun documentary, and those interviewed seem genuinely excited to be talking about this band. There is a lot of love here, for the music and the musicians. In addition to extensive and multiple interviews with Jeff and Steven, the film includes interviews with other musicians who, at one time or another were in Redd Kross, including Greg Hetson, John Stielow, Tracy Lea, Janet Housden, Dave Peterson, Robert Hecker, Roy McDonald, Gere Fenelly, Brian Reitzel, and Dale Crover. There are also interviews with many other musicians of the scene, including Ron Reyes, Dez Cadena and Keith Morris of Black Flag, Jennifer Finch of L7, Don Bolles of The Germs, Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth, Vicki Peterson of The Bangles, and Ronnie Barnett of The Muffs.

There is, as you'd expect, a lot of great music in this film. But I think even if you're not into this music (though that would surprise me), you can enjoy the movie, for the story is so fascinating, and the characters so likeable. And for those of us who grew up at a certain time, the pop culture influences (such as The Brady Bunch and The Partridge Family) take us back to our own youth. And that Rock Against Drugs clip brings back some memories too. Strange times. Vicki Peterson talks about it in her interview. Jeff and Steven were also in some movies, including The Spirit Of '76, which was released in 1990. "So Spirit of '76 should be called 'Spirit of Redd Kross,'" Allison Anders, director of Gas Food Lodging, says in that section of the film. "They weren't just in the movie, but it was really about them in a way." I need to revisit The Spirit of '76 at some point. I remember enjoying it. This documentary takes us through the band's breakup and reunion to the present, and leaves us feeling pretty damn good.

Disc 1 Special Features

The first disc contains a commentary track by Jeff McDonald, Steven McDonald and Andrew Reich. We learn more about the various locations of the film, like Jeff and Charlotte's house, where they are looking at records. And one interview was filmed at a friend's house that burned down in the Altadena fire.

The first disc also contains the movie's trailer.

Disc 2 Bonus Material

The second disc contains several hours of bonus material. There is an expanded sequence on the beginning of the band, with more from the interviews with Jeff and Steven. That sequence is approximately eight minutes. Next is a sequence on Desperate Teenage Lovedolls and Lovedoll Superstars, movies directed by David Markey that feature performances by Jeff and Steven. The first movie was inspired by Redd Kross, and apparently by an episode of The Brady Bunch. Jeff and Steve talk about the characters they play in each film. This sequence also includes footage of them playing the theme song. Allison Anders says she loves Desperate Teenage Lovedolls. This feature is approximately fifteen minutes. Those two films, by the way, also just got a special Blu-ray release.

There is also an extended sequence of Jeff and Steven going through Jeff's record closet, talking about various records and a few other music-related items. They mention Bill Bartell here. One of the records they show is by Tater Totz, "Live Hate At Beatlefest," and they talk about that performance, which you can see in The Secret Lives Of Bill Bartell. I seriously want that record! Does anyone know where I can get a copy? I love this sequence, and would love to look through those records with them. I laughed when they pulled out the copy of the New Monkees record, which I recognized immediately. I wish I had bought it, but at the time it had made me angry, because I'm a huge Monkees fan. This sequence is eighteen minutes. That's followed by an interview with Kim Shattuck. The interview was conducted by Steve Appleford in 2013, and it is all about Redd Kross. She toured with them in Europe, sharing a bus. She says of Jeff, "I think he has the best voice in rock and roll." She also talks about pranks they would do, and about the movies, The Spirit Of '76 and Desperate Teenage Lovedolls. This interview is thirty-one minutes.

The special features include footage of Jeff and Steven hanging out, playing Red Kross songs, both on acoustic guitars. It's a fun, loose session, and it includes a particularly enjoyable rendition of "Neurotica." Also cool is their acoustic version of "Stay Away From Downtown." This footage totals approximately forty-one minutes. It's followed by an expanded sequence on the Neurotica album and the time around the making of that album. That's eight and a half minutes. In "The Naz Pad," Jeff and Steven talk about the room where they rehearsed, along with other bands. There is an interview with Dave Nazworthy. This section also gets into the pranks that Kim Shattuck had talked about during her interview. And it functions as an introduction to the next special feature, which is Redd Kross rehearsal footage from 1989. It's great to have this footage, and the band is rocking. There is a fantastic bass lead early on. The footage also includes a bit of banter between songs. I love their cover of "Who Loves The Sun," with that excellent drumming at the end. They also cover "One After 909." Probably the most surprising cover is "Different Drum," written by Michael Nesmith and recorded by The Stone Poneys. And they do a good job with it. The rehearsal footage is approximately fifty-three minutes.

There is a sequence about the band's Polliwog Park concert of July 22, 1979, when they were still known as The Tourists. Jeff and Steven take us to the park, talking about the gig, which was after that party gig, and also with Black Flag. This sequence includes black and white photos of the show, and is approximately five minutes. That's followed by an expanded sequence on the Posh Boy era, about how Steven's paper route paid for the recording of the band's first demo. It includes an interview with Robbie "Posh Boy" Fields of Posh Boy Records, and also more about David Bowie being at the band's first nightclub performance. This is approximately ten and a half minutes. There is also a sequence on the name change from Red Cross to Redd Kross, with Steve mentioning a gig that featured both Red Cross and the Salvation Army, and how he believes both organizations were informed about the bands. Steven was contacted at his high school about it, and apparently the Red Cross organization suggested the K though not the extra D. Then Jeff tells the story separately, and wonders if the call was a prank, saying it was just the sort of thing he might have done himself. 

Redd Kross' appearance on Media Blitz in 1984 is included. The band performs "Deuce." I could never stand Kiss, but I'm enjoying this band's rendition. They also do "Ballad Of A Love Doll" and "Blow You A Kiss In The Wind," and then there is an interview with the band, which is kind of adorable. This footage is twelve and a half minutes. That's followed by Roman Coppola's original 16 mm "1976" music video footage, and then footage of Ron Reyes and Dez Cadena talking about the Happy Tampons and relating some fun anecdotes from that time. The special features also include an expanded sequence on the Santa Monica Pier concert from November 27, 1982, including some super 8 footage by David Markey, and an interview with David Markey and Jennifer Schwartz. The bit about the Suicidal Tendencies showing up is crazy.

A Q&A with Andrew Reich, Jeff McDonald and Steven McDonald is included. It took place in Santa Monica on December 11, 2024, and was moderated by Lyndsey Parker. Andrew talks about his background writing situation comedies, mentioning that this is his first documentary. "I don't know if I'll ever make another one," he says. They do get into that period when Steven was missing, and also about the band's self-titled album, which had just come out. Andrew tells the crowd that the Blu-ray release will have a lot of extra footage, which clearly turned out to be the case. The Q&A is thirty minutes. It's followed by an expanded sequence on Spirit of '76. Jeff and Steven are interviewed about the movie, as are their parents and Roman Coppola and Lucas Reiner. There is also a sequence when Steven breaks down every Redd Kross record in chronological order, giving information about the time of each release, providing a vivid sense of how the sessions went and what each record means to him. This sequence is approximately twenty-eight minutes. And then there is an expanded sequence on the Teen Babes From Monsanto record specifically, where the Kiss influence is discussed. Lots of musicians are interviewed in this sequence, including Kim Gordon. This one is twelve and a half minute. Then folks like Jay Ferguson, Ronnie Barnett and Kim Warnick talk about their love for the Third Eye album.

The special features also include footage from the Tourists reunion concert on November 22, 2015, which is great. They pack a lot of songs into thirteen minutes, including "Clorox Girls" and "Annette's Got The Hits." Astrid McDonald joins them on vocals for "Don't Talk To Me." That's followed by footage from the rehearsal for that show, held the day before. That footage includes shots of them going over the set list. In addition, this two-disc set includes a liner notes insert, written by Andrew Reich about how he got into Redd Kross, and two postcards. Yeah, this is a pretty incredible two-disc set. 

This two-disc Blu-ray edition of Born Innocent: The Redd Kross Story was released on April 3, 2026 through MVD Visual.

Notes From The Eclectic Music Festival, 2026

The annual Eclectic Music Festival was held yesterday in South Pasadena. This year it had a new name, The South Pasadena Arts And Music Crawl, but that's not as good, so we'll continue to call it the Eclectic. There were multiple stages, some indoors and some outside, mostly along Mission Street. The website listed the start time as being 3 p.m., but if you clicked on the individual stages, there was an indication that actually the music started at noon, at least at one location. Neither of those were correct. The music started at 2, and it began at Jeweled Universe with singer/songwriter Tisa Adamson. She was joined by Ed Tree on electric guitar. Ed would play his own set a little later in the festival, and Tisa also had her monthly gig at Republic of Pie in the evening. Busy musicians. And what a great way to kick off the day, with some excellent, thoughtful songs. Songs with a certain power, some with a bluesy edge, particularly in Ed Tree's guitar work. "We're going to do three more, then you guys can wander around South Pass," Tisa told the crowd toward the end of her set. That was quickly met with calls of "No, stay here" by the lovely folks running that venue. And, yes, the lineup of artists throughout the day at Jeweled Universe was particularly good, but I did want to check out a few artists at Dinosaur Farm too. That's the trouble with events with multiple stages; you're undoubtedly going to miss some great sets.

Tisa Adamson, with Ed Tree

Arvin

Dinosaur Farm, like Jeweled Universe, is an unusual venue with its own particular charm. I had seen I See Hawks In L.A. play there in February. For this event, there was the usual indoor stage at the back of the store, but also an outdoor stage set up in the parking lot in the back. The first several artists performed indoors. At that point, there was still a question of rain anyway, the sky clearly toying with the idea of letting loose on folks. First up at Dinosaur Farm was Arvin, a duo of two young women, sisters, performing mostly original material. They named their duo after their grandfather. During their first song, "Backtrack," the sound suddenly blew out. It was because of the food truck setting up in the back, came the word. So they started the song again, performing it unmiked, which was actually a wonderful moment. Their harmonies are beautiful. Partway through the song, the power came back.  My personal favorite song from their set was "This," where even their humming and the "doo doo doo" vocal part were moving.

"Backtrack," the moment the sound blew out

Cynthia Brando

Cynthia Brando was up next, and Ed Tree accompanied her, this time on acoustic guitar.  Cynthia was getting over a cold, and after her first song, "Canyon Of Dreams," joked about her "new husky voice." Still, she sounded great, and even delivered the debut performance of a song titled "It's Enough To Just Be In This World." Her set also included "California Song" and "Will You Haunt Me," the latter, as she explained, one she wrote when watching videos about near-death experiences online. "Will you haunt me/Like I want you to." She played a relatively new song about Los Angeles. "I'm always inspired by this city," she said, and mentioned the idea of putting together an album of L.A. songs. "I think my voice will hold out for one more," she then said, and concluded her set with "End Of The World," which featured some excellent guitar work from Ed Tree.

David Plenn introduces Cynthia Brando

Ed Tree

Ed Tree is someone I've seen perform with a lot of different artists over the years, but had never seen perform solo. So what an absolute treat it was to get to see him do a solo set yesterday. And he was fantastic. He played acoustic guitar for this set. "It may take all your strength to smile through it all/You'll be down on your knees, learning to crawl/Looking for a softer place to fall," he sang during his first song. Those lyrics might not demonstrate it, but there was a great sense of fun to his set, and a sense of humor, as in the song about how he held the world in his palm before he met that certain someone. He also did "Marie," a song inspired by Chuck Berry's "Memphis, Tennessee," with lines like "His uncle took your message and wrote it on the wall/But that was fifty years ago, it's ancient history/No, he ain't gonna call you, Marie." David Plenn joined him on electric guitar for a song, but was still setting up when it came time for him to do his lead, so Ed playfully shouted out, "Take it, Ed," and did it himself. He then extended the song, giving David enough time to join in, which was great. During the next song, a delightful blues number, David started adding some guitar work, until Ed jokingly said, "That's enough," which got a big laugh. At the end of the set, Ed Tree said that if the audience liked his music, his name was Ed Tree, and if they didn't, his name was David Plenn.

Ed Tree, with David Plenn

I then rushed back over to Jeweled Universe, because I wanted to get a seat before Sandy Rogers Band began. I made it there in time to catch the last few songs of Brad Lieberman's set. He was on upright piano. He covered Warren Zevon's "Werewolves Of London," changing the lyrics to fit the event, singing "Werewolves Of South Pass," which drew plenty of laughs from the crowd. He wrapped up his set with "Remember To Remember."

Brad Lieberman

Sandy Rogers Band

Sandy Rogers Band opened with "Tingling Blue," the band having a delicious energy right out of the gate. There's something about Sandy Rogers, something about her voice, something about this band, that had us in the audience tingling through and through. "Tingling Blue" was followed by "One Of Those Kind" and then "Fool For Love." Sandy mentioned how "Fool For Love" had been written for the film of that name, but actually used in Reservoir Dogs. "I'm the biggest fool for love myself," she said afterward. A highlight of the set was "Lonesome Man." Sometimes a particular line will stand out during a performance; perhaps a certain word in that line is given a different emphasis or more attitude than usual. On "Lonesome Man" yesterday, every line was like that. Every line hit home, every syllable. It felt fresh, it felt immediate, and it was wonderful. It didn't hurt that Paul Marshall was delivering some excellent stuff on bass. Then "In Her Auto-Mobile" seemed to have more power than usual, and was a lot of fun. Sandy joked about there being nothing worse than a hair on your vocal mircophone, and after a bit of tuning, the band went into "No Antidote," Dan Janisch feeding Sandy a line when she lost her place, which was actually an adorable moment. "It's so nice to have a smart band," Sandy said after that song. Regarding "Missouri Blue," Sandy told the audience that she had a desire to write a song about every state at one point, and got "Missouri Blue" and "Why Wyoming" and that was it. "Missouri Blue" is one of those songs that hits the right spot every time, and featured some really nice work by Dan on electric guitar, and some especially gorgeous vocal work near the end. The whole band was shining, and that was not lost on the audience, who gave the song great applause. That was followed by "Let's Ride," and then the word was given that there was time for only one more song. So Sandy skipped to the end of her intended set list, wrapping things up with a phenomenal rendition of "Run Out Of West." Victora Jacobs delivered some excellent work on drums, and the song also featured a wonderful bass line and a delicious guitar lead. A wonderful finish to a great set. By the way, at the end of May, Sandy Rogers Band will return to the Highpoint Brewery, so mark that on your calendar.

Mike Berman

Mike Berman was up next at Jeweled Universe, so I wasn't going anywhere. It's interesting that with more than a half dozen different stages at this festival, I ended up visiting only two. Mike Berman was joined by Marty Axelrod on keyboard and Lauren Lundeen on backing vocals. When Diana, who was introducing the bands, teased Mike about the lack of a creative band name (it was to be Mike Berman Band), Mike on the spot came up with Mike Berman And The Mission Street Band, and then Mike Berman And The Jewels, to reflect Diana's venue. Well, Mike Berman And The Jewels opened with "Drive," a wonderful Los Angeles song, with lines like "Head east on Sunset Boulevard, and double back on Fountain" and "And there's hardly reason why you would go downtown." He then mentioned having just returned from a long road trip, and did another driving song, one that will be on his next album, which is in the works. A line that stood out to me was "if there's a place for me to park." Looking for a parking space is one of my least favorite activities. Mike played electric 12-string guitar for those first two songs, then switched to acoustic guitar for "It Should Be Raining Today," a song I love. That was followed by a beautiful rendition of "Blanket Of Light (Oh, Mercy)." He then played another song from his upcoming album, one with a good power at key moments. The final two songs were two of his best: "Hold Back The Sea" and "Broken Angels." On "Hold Back The Sea," I could feel those waves coming in. "Broken Angels" was dedicated to anyone who felt broken. The new album, by the way, should be out in October. So keep an eye out for that later this year.

JK Jones

I had a decision to make then, whether to stay for JK Jones or head back to Dinosaur Farm for Man Boy Brown. It was a tough call, but Man Boy Brown was already twenty minutes into his set, and I'd heard some good things about JK Jones. JK Jones also had Lauren Lundeen, who is her daughter, accompany her, along with Jonathan Dale and Adam Vogt. She opened the set with "Hot To Cold," the lead track from Past Lives, and it was immediately clear why people are drawn to her voice. She followed that song with "Mocking Bird," which featured some nice stuff on electric guitar, and "Soothe My Mind," which was written during the pandemic and featured some pretty harmonies. "Widow's Walk" was a particularly good song, with more energy, especially to the vocals. JK then handed Lauren the guitar, and Lauren sang lead on "I Don't Recognize Me," one that she wrote. JK played mandolin on that one. It was another really good song, and I loved the mandolin work. The next song, which JK introduced as Lauren's favorite, was beautiful. She then wrapped up the set with a couple of Joni Mitchell covers, "Conversation" and "Big Yellow Taxi."

Delgado Brothers

I then rushed back to Dinosaur Farm. The rain had held off, and the Delgado Brothers were playing at the outdoor stage. I missed the first three songs of their set. They were partway through "Be The One" when I arrived. A woman in the audience yelled out, "You guys sound amazing!" "Thank you, Mom" came the quick response from the stage. That woman, whoever she was, was not wrong. The band sounded great. There was a good crowd, and some folks in the back and on the sides were dancing. "Be The One" was followed by "L.A. Ellie," and then a cover of "The Forecast Calls For Pain," which the band dedicated to David Plenn, who was in the audience, of course, and who had co-written that song. It was famously recorded by Robert Cray, and included on his 1990 album Midnight Stroll. Joey Delgado then told the crowd, "You know, I really feel like I'm playing in somebody's back yard," and added that these types of gigs are his favorites. The band then delivered a really good rendition of Dave Mason's "Look At You Look At Me," Joey first mentioning that he got a chance to jam with Dave Mason a while back. He delivered some great stuff on guitar. "That's a hard song to play," he said afterward. "I grew up with that man. It's crazy." Dave Mason, for anyone who is unaware, died on the 19th. "Live For Today" followed, with Steve Delgado on lead vocals. "Man Without A Plan" closed out the set. But the crowd wanted more, and so the Delgado Brothers gave us "Let's Get Back." "Let's get back to the way that it used to be." Ah, is it still possible? "I want things like they were."

And a day of excellent music came to a close, the Delgago Brothers sending everyone home with a smile.

Lights Out Levine, Hollywood Sinkhole, The Manic Standstill, and Honeychain at Maui Sugar Mill Saloon, 4-23-26

It was one of those great high-energy, totally fun nights of rock and punk and power pop at Maui Sugar Mill Saloon. The kind of night when you don't even mind your ears ringing at the end. When the music stops, there's nothing to listen to anyway, and the ringing will surely stop before the next concert. 

Lights Out Levine

Lights Out Levine was up first, and was scheduled to go on promptly at 8 p.m. That was because there were four bands, so there was a need to start early. But the band expressed concerns that eight o'clock was too early. People in Los Angeles often won't get anywhere that early, or, conversely, go out if something starts too late. There is a sweet spot for most folks in this city, which is from 9 to 11 p.m. But at 7:50 p.m., Adam got the word they could push the start time to 8:30, closer to that sweet spot. And so the band was happy. The soundcheck ended at 8:06, and Adam told the crowd, "We'll be on at 8:30, guys." At 8:27 p.m., the band started to gather on the stage, and at that point the room was starting to get more crowded. Just before 8:30, someone in the room shouted out, "Lights Out Levine!" And the band took that as the right moment to start. After brief band introductions and a great howl, Lights Out Levine launched into the first song, "Run From The Moon,"which featured a good lead by Mike on guitar. The song ended with a howl too. That was followed by "Pervert Queen." If you're heard the song, you know it's a lot of fun. But I'm guessing even if you haven't heard the song, you might guess it's a ton of fun from its title. There was particularly good stuff by Justin on bass, and a great beat. Adam mentioned they're doing a new album, and then played "Reaper's Rodeo," a very cool number, a delicious, mean song that comes stalking you down a dark highway.

"You didn't make the cut!" Adam shouted at one point in "Cutting Room," and Mike made the cut with his great though brief guitar lead immediately thereafter. That song is one of those perfect Los Angeles songs, because of its subject matter and attitude. Lights Out Levine followed that with "Around The Block," written by Mike Williamson, who was in the audience, and then "I Like It With The Lights Out," which Adam introduced as being "semi-autobiographical." These guys seem to put every bit of their energy into each set. There must be some place where they go and recharge for a week afterward. They followed "I Like It With The Lights Out" with a song from the upcoming album, and wrapped up the set with "Tingles." The set ended just before 9 p.m. And guess what? The placed was packed at that point. The sweet spot.

Hollywood Sinkhole

Hollywood Sinkhole then took the stage. Sid announced he had changed his guitar strings, so that meant the band was determined to deliver something special. There was a call of "Let's jam!" and the band ripped into "In Another Life," a good rock song with a playful bent. And that was key to this band, something that was immediately apparent, from the music, from Jon Levy's demeanor. These guys were having fun, and the music was fun, and so the audience was encouraged to just have fun too. And from what I could tell from the folks around me, everyone was having a good time. "Lost And Found," a single from the band's new EP, followed, continuing that great sense of fun, and featured some excellent drumming from Tony. Tony Matteucci was one of the main reasons I wanted to see this band. He was the drummer for both The Dogs and Kanary, two kick-ass bands. "Lost And Found" was followed by "Big City," a great punk number written by Nick Alexander, who also sang lead on it. And then we got "California," which Jon said was a brand new one. I was lucky to get to see him perform it with Mike Williamson at Music Garden L.A. a month ago, and so was already in love with it. "California, wrap me in your arms," he sings in this one. And then, "It feels so right until it feels so wrong."

"Half Baked" featured a catchy bass part, along with some really good drumming. And toward the end, there was an excellent lead on guitar. That was followed by "Feed The Need," which Jon mentioned was about his dog Gus and how he pees all over the house. The set also included "Keep Knockin'," "Kiss Me When I Walk Away" and "Setting Sun." Actually, before "Setting Sun," the band delivered a nice little tribute to sound man Nubs, basically a chant of his name, which was actually adorable and deserved. The whole set had a great energy, but probably the most energetic of all numbers was that final song, "Setting Sun," with the audience singing along. The set ended at 9:51 p.m.

The Manic Standstill

Twenty minutes later, The Manic Standstill was ready to go. Some folks who appeared in their music videos were among those in the audience, and they were pointed out from the stage. The band wasted no time, tearing into "Reasons Why" to open the set. And then there was perhaps a one-second pause before the drummer led into "Trying Too Hard," a song that moved at a wonderfully fast pace. What a great bass line! Adam, the band's lead singer, was kind of a ham, putting his hand to his ear, encouraging more applause from the audience. And getting it, too. It was all in the name of good fun, of course. He called out the other bands, each one getting applause as he named it, and then mentioned his own band too, to get even more applause. The next song, "Bulletproof," featured some really good drumming. That led straight into "Francisco." During that song, Adam mentioned that his dad was in the audience. A family affair, as Adam's brother was on drums. Adam got the crowd singing along, and even stepped into the audience to get folks more pumped up. During "My Love," he asked the audience to sing along again, jokingly adding, "You're going to sing whether you like it or not." He announced that everyone in the room was now in the band. "Do you meet the height requirements?" he asked. Yeah, the member of The Manic Standstill are tall. They talked a bit about that earlier, and were able to add to the joke then. Adam again went into the audience at one point during "My Love." And that was the final song of the set. They were done at 10:49 p.m.

Honeychain

Honeychain, the final band of the night, went on a few minutes after 11 p.m., and as we were no longer in that sweet spot, the audience was a bit smaller for that band's set. Those folks who left missed an excellent, powerful set of delicious power pop and punk songs. The set began with "Bombs Away," a kick-ass rock number that was a perfect way to grab the audience, Hillary delivering an excellent vocal performance. By the way, a couple of her Pandoras bandmates were in the audience. "Bombs Away" led straight into "Crushed," great power pop, with the emphasis on power. That song was fantastic fun. "Think it's kind of funny/The way you think you know me/But you don't understand a thing." Then, after "Breed," there was some feedback, and when it stopped, Andre on bass joked, "That's our transition sound." A cover of "Little Sin" was the song it transitioned into. Honeychain then played "Let's Get Pretty," the new single, which had a great heavy sound. "Go Away" followed. This was one of my personal favorites, a totally delicious song that included a cool part with just vocals and drums, something I always love. Hillary joked that they weren't really a sing-along kind of band, and then launched into "289," which featured some good drumming. And Andre was attacking his bass at one point. Everything was working perfectly. That was followed by a cover of Material Issue's "Goin' Through Your Purse," which also had a short section of vocals and drums. They wrapped up the set with "Lucky One," a catchy number with a phenomenal energy. The set ended at 11:36 p.m., closing out one hell of a good night of energetic and fun music.

Maui Sugar Mill Saloon is located at 18389 Ventura Blvd. in Tarzana, California.