The Mike Jacoby Electric Trio: "Welcome To The Family" (2026) CD Review

The Mike Jacoby Electric Trio's last release, 2024's Rocket Fuel Logic, found the group performing new renditions of material that Mike Jacoby had previously included on his solo albums. The trio's new album, Welcome To The Family, contains all new material, songs that speak to, and of, our current reality, with its uncertainty, met with both apprehension and hope, both anger and humor. The trio is made up of Mike Jacoby on vocals, guitar, piano and organ; Don Read on bass and backing vocals; and Mike Levin on drums, percussion and backing vocals. Special guest Art Bailey joins the trio on piano on a few tracks. The album was produced by Mike Jacoby.

The album opens with its title track, and so the song and the album begin with a welcoming: "Welcoming to the family/Welcome now." But even in that first moment, because of the tone, we question that welcoming's sincerity. "Don't let 'em scare you away/All the good people can stay." Soon the song offers reason for caution: "You've come a long way from a distant place/Look over your shoulder, keeps your eyes cast down/Never assume that there's no one around." And then it's clear that new folks are not welcome here. This country has turned dark, has turned against everything it was supposed to stand for. This was possibly never a great country, but it had ideals, it had potential. Now it doesn't even have those things. Yet this song is still hopeful, even empowering, as Mike sings, "Stand up for what you know is true/Create a world how you want it to be/Including you and including me." The line "All the good people can stay" might get you thinking, pondering, because of the subjectivity of the line. Who gets to define what constitutes good? If it were up to many of us, all the immigrants would be welcome, and all the Republicans would be detained for indefinite periods and then sent away. All of this country's problems would be gone in an instant if every last Trump voter were removed from this place. There is a great energy to this song, along the lines of what Willie Nile does. An excellent start to the album.

"The 75/24 Split" comes on with a strong, cool force, the lyrics sung with a snarl, with attitude, from the perspective of a trucker. It is a song about a highway interchange in Tennessee, a spot known for its heavy traffic. It's a lot of fun, and features some good drumming. "Man, I hate this" he sings, and immediately the guitar takes over. This track also contains some great stuff on bass. Interestingly, the song moves from traffic to a more personal thing, a split in a marriage. "Fifteen years of marriage now going down the drain/The kids have left, we barely speak/We stay in our own lane" (the word "lane" obviously further drawing the comparison to traffic). These lines make us question the song's narrator, whether he might be to blame after all. Apparently, a lot of folks blame truckers for the congestion at that spot on the highway. Then "Red, White & Blues" begins with the lines, "My country, 'tis of thee/Sweet land of liberty/Of thee I sing," the vocals supported by some simple work on piano. Then the song kicks in, and describes a situation, a world we know all too well. "Billionaire baby BS tech-bro/Brag about his money and his powerful friends/He's getting away with everything and sure paying dividends/Poor folks have to follow every rule/Rich folks get to choose." The truth of those lines strikes us. The system has always been corrupt, always been rotten. It's just more obvious these days how certain people are taking advantage of it. This track contains some great stuff on guitar. "I'm singing 'My Country, 'Tis Of Thee'/While last rites are given to democracy."

Art Bailey joins the group on piano for "Tell Them," a fun number with a bouncy rhythm and a delicious energy. "I get two hundred bucks just for passing Go/You can tell them I said so, tell 'em I said so." That's a nice nod to the game Monopoly, which was originally designed to show how harmful monopolies are, yet one more thing this country has lost sight of. "I'm spending my time being hugged and kissed/Tell them I don't care if they don't approve/Tell them that the rhythm section is bound to groove." Oh, yes. And then there are these lines: "I'll let you know how it all turns out/A little love is what it's all about." There is a more intimate feel to "You And Me Both," a song of a relationship, of trouble, of heartbreak. Check out these lines: "You and me both/Count the bruises on our arms/You and me both/Try not to care." And these: "Life keeps on happening each moment, every day/Whether we can deal with it or not." Those lines are striking, particularly these days when more and more we find ourselves unable to deal with it. The song might be about a couple, but it feels like it also addresses a larger landscape. "Are we just scared to death of living in the now/Maybe now's the time for getting clean." 

"Together" has a lighter vibe as it begins, and there is something adorable about that opening section. "You know me, and I know you/Together we get along/You are here, and I am here/Together we belong." Then after a breath, the song takes on a greater force. It remains in the same realm, but with more energy, more vigor. And this line grabs me: "Wherever I have to go, I'd rather go with you." Everything is manageable with that special someone, isn't it? There is some wonderful guitar work in the second half of this track. That's followed by "Love On Love," Art Bailey joining the group again on piano, delivering some wonderful work. It's not long before this one kicks in. This one also has a brighter energy. "I'm not one for standing still/If you want me there, of course I will/I'm driving up and down the hill/I've set my sights on you." There is some delicious harmonica work in the second half. Then "You Poor Thing" is one I love right from its opening, when a very cool vibe is established. There is a certain attitude in the vocal delivery. Here are the opening lines: "You should leave before the anger gets to you/Before you do something you might regret/Who knows what goes on inside that head of yours/You poor thing, you never will forget." And check out that delicious bass line. This is one of my personal favorites. "You poor thing, I only wish you well," he repeats at the end.

Then "85%" begins with a series of advertising slogans. How sick are we that we can pick out the products related to each of these old slogans? It's so sad that our brains retain that useless information; meanwhile I can't remember the names of people I met the other day. "Bombarded by the advertising/Click bait before realizing." This song has a great, solid rock energy. It is followed by "Fine American Craftsmanship," with lines like "Mammals mating/Carbon dating/What's with these kids today?" I love the dark humor that Mike Jacoby employs on this album. "Tarot readings/Daily feedings/Of mother's chicken soup." The Mike Jacoby Electric Trio wraps up the album with "And It's Gone," another of the disc's highlights. "Sometimes you get what you're never looking for/She said that, and I believed." This track features some excellent drumming, even before that great rhythm section near the end. "You can suck, but you know you're not allowed to bite." There is an interesting final section, the line "Gone and it's gone" repeated in a loud sort of whisper.

CD Track List

1. Welcome To The Family
2. The 75/24 Split
3. Red, White & Blues
4. Tell Them
5. You And Me Both
6. Together
7. Love On Love
8. You Poor Thing
9. 85%
10. Fine American Craftsmanship
11. And It's Gone

Welcome To The Family was released on July 31, 2026.

Greg Copeland: "Empire State" (2024) CD Review

Greg Copeland released his first album, Revenge Will Come, in 1982 on Geffen Records (both Jackson Browne and Rick Vito play guitar on it), and didn't release his second, Diana And James, until 2008. It then wasn't quite as long a wait before his third album, The Tango Bar, which came out in 2020. And then in 2024, he released Empire State, an EP containing five original tracks (though one is not a song). This release features Val McCallum on guitar and slide guitar; Tyler Chester on bass, keyboards and piano; Jennifer Condos on bass; Jay Bellerose on drums and percussion; Greg Leisz on pedal steel guitar, guitar, mandolin and mandocello; and Sara Watkins on violin.

The EP opens with "Boon Time." After a nice, even pretty, introduction on guitar, this song's first lines grab us: "One day/All alone/Feather bed/Long gone/Gun shot ringtone/Honey, what do we do now?" What do we do now? There is a good bluesy edge to the song as he sings, "Boon time/Bound to come and go." And at one point, as he sings that line, his voice is supported mainly by some interesting percussion by Jay Bellerose, who also played on both Diana And James and The Tango Bar. "Had a wife/Had a plan/Had a job/I could stand/Somewhere in dreamland/Honey, what do we do now?" What a cool song to start this disc. It's followed by "We The Gathered." This one kind of creeps in, creating an interesting atmosphere, one that soon envelops us. There is a somewhat haunting vibe, and an intensity to the rhythm. "Peace and brotherhood/Where could they be/Somebody's gonna tell you/Might as well be me/You're gonna want that machete/Better leave your heavy load." The rhythm begins to become more insistent, more prominent, and soon it becomes our own rhythm as we find ourselves immersed in this intriguing number. The guitar work seems to twist the air around us, until we can feel it pressing against our arms, our necks. "Nation in pieces/People in pain/Systematic bullshit/Thick as sugarcane." It is a powerful number featuring some excellent drumming.

Then "4:59:59" has a softer folk sound as it starts, and features an intimate vocal delivery, which works so well as Greg Copeland begins the song by telling us it is just about quitting time. Greg Leisz plays guitar, mandolin and mandocello on this one, and his playing is key in creating the song's tone. And Sara Watkins plays violin on this track, delivering some beautiful work. There are some darkly playful elements to this one, as when Greg sings, "Oxy-cotton candy," a combination of "Oxycontin" and "cotton candy" that seems just right for many people. And I love these lines: "I burned other people's bridges/So I could be alone." Another line that stands out is "You just tip your hat and tell him the time of day," because of its double meaning. There is the meaning of paying attention to someone (usually used in the negative sense of ignoring the person), as well as the literal meaning of telling him what time it is. That is followed by "Coyotes," a short track, featuring animal sounds as well as some distant city sounds. I see coyotes more and more here in Los Angeles, even in places where I never saw them before. The other day I saw a pair of them strolling down the street right outside my apartment building in North Hollywood. And there are times when it sounds like they are surrounding Prospect Studios, where I sometimes work. The EP concludes with its title track, "Empire State," this one featuring some wonderful work by Greg Leisz on pedal steel, helping to set the tone at the beginning. There is a strangely comforting vibe to this song, a sound you just want to wrap around yourself, even if a darkness is in there with you. "Fire in the firehouse/Fire at the pearly gates/City girl signing off/From the Empire State/See you out west/If you want a new mistake."

CD Track List

1. Boon Time
2. We The Gathered
3. 4:59:59
4. Coyotes
5. Empire State

Empire State was released on September 6, 2024.

Fernando Perdomo Records Live Album At Kulak's Woodshed, 8-2-26

As you might be aware, Fernando Perdomo has been releasing an album of new original material on the first of every month this year (he did it last year too), instrumental music that is often soothing. Music for introspection and exploration, music that takes listeners on wonderful journeys. This year's series of albums is titled Clouds, and for the ninth volume in the series, Fernando Perdomo decided to do something different, to make it a live recording. It's an interesting and unexpected decision, particularly considering the type of music involved. But everything Fernando Perdomo does is interesting and unusual, so it should not have come as a surprise. Also, it makes some sense for Clouds 9 (possibly, and understandably, changed to Cloud 9) to be something special. For this recording, Fernando Perdomo returned to one of his favorite haunts, Kulak's Woodshed in North Hollywood. And, interestingly, he had two guests join him at certain points in the show. Those who have been following the Waves and Clouds series know that on those albums Fernando Perdomo has not only composed all the material, but played all the instruments. So having guests at this show also marked an interesting departure from the established pattern.

As he started the show, Fernando Perdomo mentioned the Waves and Clouds series, saying that "this year I decided to take it from the water all the way up to what I consider the other ocean, which is the sky." And he briefly mentioned the idea of Cloud 9, including a nod to George Harrison. And then he got right to the music, the first piece opening in a beautiful space, immediately taking the audience to cloud nine. Together we stepped into a magical and warm land, a welcoming place, Fernando delivering some gorgeous guitar work. With the second piece, he took us into stranger territory. It was fascinating to watch him create these sonic landscapes. Fernando had four guitars to choose from at this show, and he switched to the second guitar for the third piece, and switched to another guitar for the fourth. It was after those first four numbers that he invited his first guest to join him. That was Bradley Bobbs, who did a spoken word performance about clouds, while Fernando accompanied him on guitar, actually at one point playing one guitar against another. Bradley Bobbs began the piece with a reference to Winnie the Pooh, and injected some humor throughout. There was also a Joni Mitchell reference at the end.

Fernando Perdomo went back to performing solo, the next piece taking us to some wild, psychedelic territory, bright explosions in an otherwise dark sky. At one point he unplugged the guitar, and played the cord, getting some interesting sounds from touching the end of it, even putting it in his mouth. That ended up being one of my personal favorites. He then switched guitars again, and this next piece began in a somewhat gentle place, but with hints of something else at work within. And soon there was a great rumbling of the disturbed gods. From there, it became even more interesting, taking us farther out. "What is cloud guitar?" Fernando then asked. "Cloud guitar is guitar not being guitar." He talked about how he was always interested in music that took him to another place, which is interesting, because that was just the sort of thing he was creating right then. He also talked about getting into Tori Amos in the 1990s, and becoming interested in the guitar work of Steve Caton. "I realized that this instrument could sound more like a cloud, or more like water and waves."

He then invited Steve Caton up to play with him, and this was a special treat. Steve began with a short solo that contained a nice nod to "Over The Rainbow," and then Fernando joined him, and the two sounded fantastic together, taking us to some wonderful places almost immediately. They created fascinating realms, building off each other's work. The music at this show, as Fernando mentioned at one point, was largely improvised, though perhaps working off a few earlier ideas. And so there was that sense of excitement to it, not knowing just where the music would take them, not knowing just where they would take us. Fernando and Steve did the rest of the show together, playing several different pieces. There were moments of great beauty, soothing and comforting moments, and also some playful moments, like when Steve did a bit of Deep Purple's "Smoke On The Water," and when a little way into a piece, Steve asked Fernando, "Did we bother tuning?" After a lot of wonderful journeys, Fernando told the crowd, "I think we have time for one more, and this one is going to be very special." "I can't wait to hear it," Steve said. They began by drifting into a standard, before Fernando put a stop to it and asked Steve to talk a bit about his background and about his father, Roy Caton, who was part of the Wrecking Crew. They then eased into a song, one that was pretty and soothing, and not a standard. That ended right at 10 p.m., which was the time they'd planned on wrapping things up, but Steve started to play something else and Fernando encouraged him. And so the two did one final, shorter piece before calling it a night. And what a night!

After the show I asked Fernando how much of what was played would end up on Clouds 9, or Cloud 9. He said ninety-five percent of it, so this entry in the series might be different in yet another way and be a double album, because this show was approximately two hours. I'm looking forward to hearing this music again. Look for that album on September 1st. 

Kulak's Woodshed is located at 5230 1/2 Laurel Canyon Blvd. in North Hollywood, California.

The Williamsons, The Smokey Lonesome, The Glimmer Stars, and Old Californio Quartet at Redwood Bar & Grill, 8-2-26

Yesterday afternoon's show at the Redwood Bar & Grill felt in some ways like a continuation of Kim's birthday celebration from the previous night at Maui Sugar Mill Saloon. Many of the folks who played at the Redwood had been present at Maui Sugar Mill Saloon. The Williamsons had been there, obviously, as Mike is a member of The Paper Hearts, the final band of that bill; the two members of The Smokey Lonesome had also been in the audience, as had Mini Mendez of The Glimmer Stars. And some others who'd been in the audience at Maui were also in the audience at Redwood. Missing today, however, was Kim herself, but we carried on her celebration without her. And I'm sure she'd appreciate that. 

The Williamsons

Strengthening that feeling of continuation or connection to the pvious night was the fact that The Williamsons were up first. So Mike was on stage at the very end of the Maui show and at the very beginning of the Redwood show. A change of venue, yes, and a change in the type of music he played, certainly. But the excellent music continued. Have I mentioned how wonderful the music scene is in this city? The show started a bit later than scheduled, with The Williamsons taking the stage at 2:45 p.m., and opening with a cover of Jimmie Dale Gilmore's "Dallas," which featured a really nice vocal performance. The line "A rich man who tends to believe his own lies" feels even more pertinent these days, doesn't it? Jessica shouted out to all her family members that were in the audience, and the duo then played "Leaving Louisiana In The Broad Daylight," which had a great vibe. Mini Mendez joined the duo on backing vocals and shaker for a new song titled "Have A Drink." "Don't mind if I do," someone in the audience responded when Mike mentioned the name of the song. This song was one of my personal favorites of the set. It was followed by a cover of Sierra Ferrell's "I Could Drive You Crazy." Sierra Ferrell, by the way, will be performing at the Wiltern on Wednesday. The Williamsons mentioned that they'll be at that show. The duo then played an original number, "She's Coming Home," which featured some good harmonies. Mini Mendez joined them again on backing vocals and shaker on a sweet rendition of Tom T. Hall's "That's How I Got To Memphis." The Williamsons' set also included good renditions of White Stripes' "Apple Blossom" (featuring a great lead on guitar) and Johnny Cash's "Crystal Chandeliers & Burgundy." After a false start, "These Good Times Are Killing Me" ended up being another highlight, a delightful and fun folk number. Jessica then dedicated "Six Pack To Go" to the bartenders. They wrapped up with the set with a cover of "Jambalaya," with Dave and Natalie of The Smokey Lonesome joining them on electric guitar and backing vocals respectively. The set ended at 3:27 p.m.

The Smokey Lonesome

The Smokey Lonesome then took the stage, one great duo following another, kicking off with "Jasmine" and following that with a rocking rendition of "Koa Box," Dave getting delightfully wild. Some of this duo's magic occurs when they are seemingly right on the edge of chaos. These two are exciting to watch, especially in those moments. "Cannabis" followed, a song that celebrates the legalization of pot here in California. I forget sometimes that it's still not legal everywhere. Dave's guitar cord came loose at one point, but no worries. Natalie then sang lead on an excellent cover of "Besame Much," delivering a superb vocal performance that got much deserved applause. It was a great rendition, with a special power. Afterward, Dave took a drink, joking that her performance was so powerful that he got parched. Natalie also sang lead on covers of "Ways To Be Wicked" and "Don't Come Home A-Drinkin' (With Lovin' On Your Mind)." Between those two, Dave sing lead on "Mojave," an original song included on the band's 2024 EP Desert Run. From that EP, the duo also performed "Arid Blues," one they don't do often enough. Before that song, Dave danced around a bit on stage, saying that the next song was a bit of a downer so he wanted to give the crowd a little entertainment first. It was great hearing this one. And it was followed by an especially good rendition of "Desert Run," another of the set's highlights. They wrapped things up with "Truck Driving Man." The set ended at 4:11 p.m. By the way, it was The Smokey Lonesome that organized this show.

The Glimmer Stars

The Glimmer Stars were up next, opening their set with "Better Day," which is the last track on the band's excellent new album Someday's A Long Time. There was a bright energy about this song, something this band is adept at creating, and part of the group's appeal. "Moving right along," Mini Mendez said, and the band went right into "I Need It Now," which is also on the new album. It's one of my personal favorites from the album, coming at us with a great, cheerful force. We all need it now, don't we? And with that great stready pounding by Richie on the drums, we're getting it. "If I Only Could" came marching over the land directly to where we stood, and was delicious. After that song, the sound guy checked in on the band. "Bass too loud?" Mini Mendez playfully inquired. "Pictures Of You" had a strong, fast pulse, and included that nod to Cheap Trick at the end. "Alley Cat" followed, and then Mike Williamson helped adjust Mini's microphone stand. Mini told the crowd that he lost his voice at the Maui Sugar Mill Saloon show the previous night, not performing, but screaming during Paper Hearts' set. They then played "Would You," and followed that with another of my favorite tracks from the new album, "Maybe." "I would skip the strip tonight/Anything to see your light/I want you to know/I want you to know/Maybe, maybe/I'd climb the graveyard wall/Maybe, maybe/And I would give you all." This song still sounds like a hit to me. When is the world going to figure that out? "This one's about a girl, and we call her Paulina," Mini then said, introducing "Paulina." The bass slipped out of tune, and so Mini Mendez stopped to make an adjustment, to make things just right. And when they started it again, the song came on with a stronger, more joyful force and ended up being a highlight of the set. That led straight into "I Want You," with Steven delivering some fantastic rock and roll guitar work, to wrap up the set. Understandably, the audience called out for an encore, but the band declined. The set ended at 5:02 p.m.

Old Californio Quartet

Old Californio Quartet closed out the afternoon show. Some sound troubles delayed the start of the set. Rich solved one of the problems by grabbing an amp from the car. But the vocals weren't coming through the monitors. Also, the stage lights cut out. But this band wasn't about to let such things get in the way, and opened with a really nice rendition of Arlo Guthrie's "Coming Into Los Angeles." The song eased in at the very beginning, until Justin put everything into gear on drums. They jammed a bit before starting the vocals, and the song featured some nice stuff by Dan on pedal steel. It was a really good rendition, featuring some wonderful work by Rich on harmonica, as well as some excellent drumming by Justin. "All right, we got through the technical difficulties," Rich said, and started the next song, "Free Ain't Easy." "Nothing seems to move me like it used to/So I just keep moving on," he sang in this one. This was a beautiful number, with some good work on pedal steel. The stage lights came on before the end of that song. "Millard Canyon Run" followed, with Rich again delivering some nice stuff on harmonica. There were more monitor problems, including a loss of all vocals in the monitors, and a hiss had crept into both the monitors and the house speakers. While the sound guy was working on it, the band forged ahead, jumping into "Lean Into It." They played in a way that seemed to defy any sound troubles, and the song featured some fantastic work by Bob on bass. I loved watching his fingers dancing on that instrument. The guys jammed on this one, that jam having a few tremendous peaks. Sound issues be damned, this song was a highlight of the set. That was followed by a cover of "That's The Bag I'm In," the band easing into it. They jammed on this one too. Rich commented playfully afterward, "Started off slow and fizzled out altogether." "Kansas City Southern" followed. Rich's vocals sounded great, not just on this song, but the whole set, which is remarkable considering his vocals were absent from the monitors and could only be heard in the house. That song featured more great stuff on bass. They followed that with one of my favorites, "Shorten Your List," which featured some beautiful pedal steel work. This is a song to help us deal with our times. "Shorten your give-a-shit list/Accept the world for the turd that it is," Rich sang, substituting "turd" for "mess" (and later singing "Accept the world for the piece of shit that it is"). That was followed by "City Lines," a song that gets in my head all the time, and is always a good one to see them play. They wrapped things up with "Mother Road," Rich mentioning that the road in question is Route 66. The show ended at 6:32 p.m.

Redwood Bar & Grill is located at 316 W. 2nd St. in Los Angeles, California.

Lights Out Levine, Ape Hangers, And The Paper Hearts at Maui Sugar Mill Saloon, 8-1-26

Kim celebrates her birthday

What better way is there to celebrate a birthday than catching some great bands? Of course, it helps if you're married to one of the band members. Then you can pick the bands that play on your birthday. That's what Kim Champ Kiah did for last night's show at Maui Sugar Mill Saloon, and she chose one hell of a rocking lineup. It featured Lights Out Levine, Ape Hangers, and The Paper Hearts. A night when the energy never lagged. Before the show started, the musicians gathered on the stage with Kim for some photos to capture the moment, and even before that it felt like the party started, when Lights Out Levine played a bit of "I Like It With The Lights Out" during the soundcheck. There was a good crowd for this show, the audience including a lot of musicians, such as members of The Glimmer Stars, The Smokey Lonesome, Slamdinistas, Hollywood Sinkhole, and Karman Jeanne & The Fish. 

Lights Out Levine

Right at 8:30 p.m., Lights Out Levine took the stage, Adam sporting his sparkling gold jacket, ready to get the action started right after Kim's son introduced the band. "Happy birthday, Kim," Adam said. Then, not spotting her right away, he asked, "Is she hiding already?" The band kicked off the night with "Pervert Queen," leaping straight into some great rock and roll, this song being about "a special kind of girl," and so it seemed the right way to start things. Certainly Kim (who was not hiding) appreciated it. And the party was underway. That song led straight into "Reaper's Rodeo," shifting into different territory, where everything felt cool, especially that bass line. Nubs made a sound adjustment to get everything just right, and the band played "I Like It With The Lights Out," which was heaps of fun, a piece of rock and roll heaven. Adam then called a few guests to the stage, including Ape Hangers' Bob Kiah, for a special rendition of "Fantasy." That was followed by "Zombie March," which began on drums and featured delicious drumming throughout. And Adam howled like one possessed, which was wonderful. "We've got a fun one here for you," Adam announced, introducing the band's cover of "The Love You Save." Of course, they'd all been fun. "One good cover deserves another," Adam said after that song, and the band went into "Around The Block," another fun song, this one written by Mike Williamson. Then "Forever Filthy" featured a nice lead on guitar. "Can't Remember" was a sweet-sounding pop number featuring more wonderful guitar work. "I've been loving you so long/Can't remember a time when I didn't have you." That was followed by "Tingles," a song that is always enjoyable, and one in particular that Kim wanted to hear last night. The band wrapped up the set with "Run From The Moon," a high-energy number that began on drums. A fantastic version. The set ended at 9:17 p.m. And the night was just getting started.

Ape Hangers

Ape Hangers were up next. What a treat it was to get to see this band. These guys do not play all that often. As Bob mentioned at one point in the set, for this show, Pete flew in from Boston and Dennis flew in from Pittsburgh. Perhaps Kim should have birthdays more often. We'll ask her to look into that. Ape Hangers kicked off their set with "This Is My Life," the lead track from the band's 1995 album Ultrasounds, rocking right out of the gate. From that song, they went straight into "You Don't Know What It Takes," which also follows "This Is My Life" on that album, and is a glorious rocking number with a great driving rhythm. Nubs then made a quick sound adjustment, and Bob announced, "It's my wife's birthday." Kim at that point was standing near Nubs' sound board just off stage left, seeming as ecstatic as the rest of us taking in this fantastic band. And it just got better from there, with "Just The Way It Goes" following. The band too was having a great time, Pete going over and giving Bob a quick hug before telling the crowd, "A lot of our songs are about love and friendship, though you might not know it." And that was the feeling in the room. Love and friendship. Not just during Ape Hangers' set, but the whole night. "I Don't Mind" is the flip side to the band's new single, and that song followed "Just The Way It Goes," Bob delivering a fantastic bass line. That was followed by a cover of "I'm Gonna Miss You Someday," which was released by The Superkools as a single in 1992 and then included on the Ape Hangers' first album. "Never Learn" followed. "She Comes Again," the band's latest single, featured a great guitar lead. The band mentioned the download cards that were attached to the drink sleeves left on each of the tables, a way of accessing the new single, as well as the This Is It EP, which came out last year. It was then that Bob talked about how the other guys had to fly out for the gigs, joking that he himself simply walked there. "Happy Now" was up next, and then Bob took over lead vocal duties for "Over My Head." "When Will You Come Back" featured fantastic work on bass and an exciting guitar lead. Then "I Don't Want To Live Today," a song included on the Empire Records soundtrack, featured some excellent drumming. That led straight into "So Long," which Bob dedicated to Mini Mendez. Not seeing him, he said, "Mini, if you're in the bathroom, this song is for you." Mini then appeared near the stage, and the song was yet another of the set's highlights. That was followed by "I'm Your Man," which kicked in with a glorious, furious energy. "Let's go," indeed! That led straight into "Red Hot Rocket," which had a wild, intense energy, and led into a bit of The Buzzcocks' "I Believe" (just the line "There is no love in this world anymore"). And that is how the set ended. Kim got up on stage with the band, while the audience called out for an encore. The band delivered one last great rock song, featuring some phenomenal drumming. Gabriel Johns then got up on stage and led the crowd in singing "Happy Birthday To You" to Kim.

"Happy Birthday To You"

The Paper Hearts

But the night was not yet over. Fifteen minutes later The Paper Hearts were on stage, Mike Williamson saying, "Hey, it's Kim's birthday, and we're Paper Hearts." That was enough of an introduction, and the band ripped right into "No No No," with the line "I don't want to mess around, but baby I do." They weren't messing around last night, but rather delivering some solid, energetic rock. "Plastic Dolls" was a lot of fun, moving at a good, fast pace. After that song, Mike remarked, "Hey, how about those fucking Ape Hangers?" He then gave a shout out to Lights Out Levine. Yeah, sometimes it is only after an event that we realize how great it was, and other times we realize it as it's happening. This night was an example of the latter. Everyone in the room was quite aware of how special the show was. The band then played "Echo," and followed it with "Baby I Hate You," another totally fun number, one of my favorites of the set. "She's a little crazy, but I don't care/We're gonna have some fun tonight." That was followed by "Heartache," which featured some really good drumming. The band then mentioned that it was August first, "and that means you gotta pay the rent, motherfuckers," then launched into "Rent Party," another fun, rocking number, with a very cool bass line. After that, they mentioned the Redwood show happening the next afternoon, and went into a high-energy rendition of "Got No Heart." "No Mercy," beginning with a delicious beat, followed. The band also delivered strong renditions of "I Want More," "Sundown" and "Teenage Love," that last one coming on with a great force. The band was not holding back at all. And though that was the last song the band planned to play, the audience wanted more. And the band obliged, delivering a great cover of The Undertones' "Teenage Kicks." After that, the audience, not wanting this phenomenal night to end, called for another encore. "We don't know any more," came the response. "We're not that smart." The show ended at 11:45 p.m.

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