Old Californio and The Firkins at Highpoint Brewing Company, 9-27-26

I don't know how everyone else is dealing with our current reality, but one thing I've done to keep myself relatively sane is shorten my give-a-shit list. I've shortened it considerably. Goodbye, politics. Goodbye, news. I've even stopped caring about baseball (all the recently imposed rules are awful, and the sport is no longer the thing I fell in love with). As a result, I'm pretty damn happy. Focusing on what is truly important. And that is friends and family. And music. Music, music, music. Old Californio headlined a fantastic show yesterday at Highpoint Brewing Company (one of my favorite places, thanks to its first-rate beer, friendly staff, and, of course, excellent lineup of music), delivering an exceptional set that included "Shorten Your List," a song that encourages us all to shorten our give-a-shit lists. 

The Firkins

The show started with a great set from The Firkins, with Gloria Delgado first acknowledging the heat. "It feels like summer." Indeed. While some of the country has moved into autumn, Los Angeles and its surrounding areas have clearly decided that summer is not yet over. The band then opened the set with "I Like Beer," a delightful choice. And if you like beer, Highpoint Brewing Company is the place for you. I've had several different selections there, and enjoyed them all. "I Like Beer" was followed by "Adventures At Bootleggers," a highlight of the set, Sophia Delgado delivering some wonderful guitar work with a cheerful, classic vibe. "Straight Out Of The Barrel" was another fun number with a good vibe, in part because of Sophia's guitar work, but also because of that rhythm. Gloria then told the crowd that all the band's songs are love songs. That is, love of beer. And she delivered some especially good work on bass on the next song, "Fiending For Hops," which had a sweet pop sound. She mentioned that the band will release an album before the end of the year, good news for fans of music and beer. Sophia switched to lap steel for "The Ticker." Then, interestingly, after the song was briefly halted, she switched back to electric guitar for the song. She then went to lap steel for "My Dad's Drinking Gene," delivering some really nice work. That song also had a catchy rhythm.

Another highlight of the set was "Pliny The Younger," which Gloria introduced as a song about a seasonal beer, one she recommends. The song featured some great work by Danny Ruiz on acoustic guitar, and some fantastic drumming by John Harris. It got a big (and deserved) reaction from the crowd. Gloria dedicated "San Diego" to Albert, who used to play drums in the band and was in the audience. She added that it was his favorite song to play, which makes total sense, as it featured a delicious beat. And Sophia delivered some wonderful work on electric guitar. She also delivered some great work on "High Speed Chase," a song that also featured excellent stuff on bass. That was followed by "Mr. Odd,"  which was met with cheers from several in the audience the moment it began. A catchy, cool number. The band then played "Victory At Sea." "Sing along if you know it," Gloria said when introducing it, and it seemed that a good number of folks did know it. The band gave us a beautiful rendition, and followed that with a cover of "One Hundred Years From Now," which Gloria said was in honor of Gram Parsons. They followed that with "A Few Rounds," a fun, rowdy number to close the set, which ended just before five o' clock.

Old Californio

Old Californio had done a few shows in recent weeks billed as Old Californio Quartet, a variation on the band's usual lineup, but yesterday was a full-band show, though with Bob Roach sitting in on bass and backing vocals in place of Jason Chesney. And the band's choice of opening number showed they meant business, and they weren't about to hold anything back. That first song was a glorious rendition of "Lean Into It," the guys jamming a bit at the start to set the tone, and then soon cooking. There was an especially delicious power on the chorus, but the whole song contained a great pulse and featured some excellent playing. Jon Niemann in particular was shining, during his lead on keys, but also during the jam. And Woody Aplanalp let loose on the guitar. This was an absolutely phenomenal start to the show, a ten-minute "Lean Into It." "Happy Sunday," Rich Dembowski then greeted the crowd, also joking that he'd pitch for the Dodgers if necessary. "Millard Canyon Run" followed, which Rich introduced as an old tune, the first he wrote. This one had a much sweeter vibe, with a Neil Young thing happening at times. And, yes, it was the weekend. 

This set featured quite a few covers, including an excellent version of Little Feat's "Willin'" that began with a good little jam and contained a nice lead on keys. Woody eased into his lead, and delivered some fantastic work, doing it rather softly, beautifully, at one moment sounding like drops of water from a heavenly source. Rich also delivered some great stuff on guitar. The section featuring the two guitars was superb, and received applause from the crowd. On top of all that, the song featured some wonderful harmonies. That was followed by a cover of "Fine Artiste Blues," which was a delight. I think it had been a little while since I'd last seen them do that one, and again Jon was delivering some strong work on keyboard. A cover of Lucinda Williams' "I Lost It" followed, Rich acknowleding Bob's great work on bass afterward. And then they delivered their special take on The Beatles' "Because," and this was a particularly good rendition, with Woody delivering some absolutely wonderful work on guitar. Of course, it's the vocal work that always stands out when they do that song. Beautiful harmonies. That was followed by a cover of The Byrds' "Lover Of The Bayou," a song I don't recall seeing the band do before. Their rendition rocked, featuring some phenomenal work on guitar and keys. 

As soon as the band started "Shorten Your List," several people in the audience cheered, so I guess I'm not alone both in my love for this song and in my need to eliminate excess craziness from my life. "Shorten your give-a-shit list/Accept the world for the mess that it is." There was a time there not too long ago when the world seemed to be moving closer to our ideal vision of it, but that time has passed (and likely won't come around again). So here we are. "That's my response to the current political environment," Rich said afterward. That was followed by "Ring Of Fire." I know I've mentioned this before, but this band's version of that classic number is incredible. These guys have a knack for taking songs and making them their own, and this song in particular always manages to stand out. It is consistently a highlight of their sets, and so expectations are high when they start it. Yesterday they surpassed all those expectations, and delivered a rendition so bloody good that many of us were left gobsmacked. This song felt more forceful than usual, the band taking it to new places. Woody's guitar work was outstanding. And the rhythm was great, Bob delivering a delicious bass line. And then later in the song, he had an opportunity to take a lead on bass. By then, we already knew we were in special, perhaps uncharted territory. Did anyone record the show? I hope so, because people need to hear this rendition. How do you follow that song? The band made a good choice, "Warmth Of The Sun," which came on strong, Justin Smith's rhythm quickly taking hold. And later in the song, there was that Bo Diddley thing happening. For me, this song is all about the rhythm, not just the great stuff on drums, but the rhythm of the guitars and even the keys too. And that's how the set ended. But folks called out for an encore, and the band obliged with a high-energy rendition of "Mother Road," featuring some cool stuff on bass. The show ended at 6:33 p.m.

Old Californio Set List

1. Lean Into It
2. Millard Canyon Run
3. Willin'
4. Fine Artiste Blues
5. I Lost It
6. Because
7. Lover Of The Bayou
8. Shorten Your List
9. Ring Of Fire
10. Warmth Of The Sun

Encore:

1. Mother Road

Highpoint Brewing Company is located at 402 W. Arrow Highway in San Dimas, California.

Pat Todd & The Rankoutsiders Album Release Show at Maui Sugar Mill Saloon, 9-26-26

Pat Todd

Pat Todd & The Rankoutsiders celebrated the release of their new album, I'll Dream Alone, last night at Maui Sugar Mill Saloon, a fantastic hometown show before the band heads to Europe for an extended tour of several countries there. There was a good crowd and a great energy in the room, just the right sort of vibe to both celebrate the new album and send the band off to Europe on a high note. Joining Pat Todd & The Rankoutsiders on the bill were The Glimmer Stars and The Legendary Swagger, so it was an excellent night from start to finish. 

The Glimmer Stars

The Glimmer Stars started promptly at 8:30 p.m., Tom Dunne sitting in on the drums for this show (Richie Mendez had another gig with GG & The Buzz). This was the first time I'd seen Tom Dunne play with The Glimmer Stars, though I'd seen him play with Mini Mendez several times (and, of course, with Tranquilina). Before the show, Tom told me I was going to see a different side of him. And, indeed, at this show he cut loose. The band opened with "Nice," and right away the energy took the crowd to that special place where we are all still sixteen and the world is eager to embrace us and thrill us, everything laid out before us like a glorious road. And soundman Nubs got his first shout-out of the night as he made an adjustment, Mini calling him the "hardest working man in Tarzana," and Steven adding, "I think he's the only working man in Tarzana." The band followed "Nice" with "Pictures Of You." "We're all all right," indeed! That great pounding on the drums guaranteed it. "Welcome to this rock and roll celebration tonight," Mini told the crowd. He then mentioned that Pat Todd will be touring Europe for a month after the show. "If I Only Could" was a highlight of the set, a great power pop gem. Then before "Better Day," Mini mentioned the band's latest album, quickly adding that it's Pat's night so the crowd should buy his record instead. "Plus," he added, "I didn't bring any." "Better Day" had a great energy, and Steven joked, "I'm glad they put the heater on." It may be autumn in some parts of the country, but it's still summer in Los Angeles, and was especially hot here in the valley yesterday. "Hey! Hey! Hey!" was another highlight, a song I haven't seen the band do very often. A good rock number. If you like AC/DC, this is a song you'll love. And it featured some delicious drumming. That was followed by "Maybe," another favorite of mine, Tom getting playful on the drums at the end. Paula Tiberius joined the band on backing vocals and tambourine on "Feel It," which was great. And the band followed that with "I Need It Now," that excellent beat setting everything right at the start. We all need it now, don't we? Well, this band delivered. The song featured some fantastic stuff on guitar. The band wrapped up the set with "Paulina." "It's about a girl," Mini said, and before Mini could continue, Paula shouted out from the audience, "They're all about a girl!" The song featured some wonderful, catchy guitar riffs. The set ended at 9:03 p.m.

The Legendary Swagger

The Legendary Swagger took the stage at 9:19 p.m., eleven minutes earlier than scheduled. Why fucking wait, right? Geoff said, "We're The Legendary Swagger and tonight we're going to do this set," poining at a set list taped to the wall at the back of the stage. It's been there for a long, long time, and that was the first time I recall anyone referring to it. Someone should actually do that sometime, play that set. But last night The Legendary Swagger kicked off the set with "Back In Circulation," a kick-ass start, with a delicious power. That led straight into "One And Done." Now that they were loose, they took things up a notch with that one, delivering a strong rock number that included some nice stuff on that black saxophone. The song came at us with a great force. And that led straight into "Give Me A Reason," not a moment to breathe, the song moving at a fast clip, the band in complete control. It wasn't until after that song that came the first break in the action, as Geoff shouted out to The Glimmer Stars. "Guilty Conscious" was a fun number with a driving beat. It was followed by "Out Of Control," the band seemingly racing through the set list, having achieved a momentum that couldn't be slowed, Dino attacking that bass. "My Evil Ways" followed, and before the line about bringing you to your knees, Geoff said that in his younger days this was the moment when he'd get down on his knees, but since now he wasn't sure if he'd be able to get back up, he'd do it standing up. "My Enemy" was delivered at a fast pace, and was followed by "Stand," which featured some cool stuff on drums. Geoff held up a shirt that he'd grabbed from the merchandise table, a cool shirt designed by Skot. He asked if anyone wanted it, and Gabriel Johns beat the rest of us to it. "Fuck It" followed, the band getting heavier, louder, the song having a great punk energy, and featuring some excellent stuff on guitar and saxophone. A fantastic highlight. "Automatic" also featured a good sax part, as well as some tremendous stuff on bass. The set concluded with "Waiting For My Main," which came on fast and hard, and contained some cool work on guitar. Toward the end, they broke it down, giving folks a moment to breathe, while the bass kept the pulse. And then, bam, back into the fray. The set ended at 9:52 p.m.

Pat Todd & The Rankoutsiders

Pat Todd & The Rankoutsiders also began a little earlier than scheduled. None of that waiting around nonsense for this crowd. Most of the band was drinking water ("It's a mixer," as Edina Monsoon would say). Interestingly, there was a copy of the band's set list taped on the audience side of one of the monitors, so we could follow along. That was actually brilliant, as much of the band's set was material from the new album, material folks probably weren't yet familiar with, so people could glance down to learn the name of a particular song. The band opened the set with the album's lead track, "Desire Has Left Town," which began with a great explosion of sound, like the finale of another band's set, and then proceeded to drop us straight into a certain rock and roll bliss. That song led straight into "Ambition Street," which also follows it on the record. It featured some great stuff on electric guitar. The band was cooking, moving with a fiery joy into "Night Beat," a seriously fun number from the new album. Pat then picked up his tambourine for "Back To The Wind," the first song of the set not from I'll Dream Alone. That was another fun number. There is a great joy to this band's rock and roll, just as it should be, and that song featured a nice lead on electric guitar. There was then the briefest of pauses before the band launched into "It Ain't All My Fault," glorious rock and roll at just the right pace, the kind of thing to keep one's heart beating, to keep people involved in this great experiment. That song is also from the new album, and Pat Todd mentioned the album, "amongst all the other fine wares over there." He introduced the next song as being an homage to Levi Stubbs of the Four Tops. That song, "Beyond The County Line," also from the new album, featured a great steady pounding on the drums.

There was the shortest of pauses and the band went into "You're Gonna Lose It All," which then led straight into "This Counterfeit World." The band was rolling along, seemingly without the ability to halt the celebration. And who would want it to? Folks were clapping along to this one. "You've got to watch out for this counterfeit world," Pat told them afterward. Then it was back to material from the new album, with "We're Outta Time," which Pat dedicated to Mini Mendez in his introduction. "Make your peace with reality while you can," Pat said. The song was a lot of fun, and Mini was singing along from his spot in the audience. That led straight into "The Rope," which featured some excellent stuff on drums. At one point, Pat put his water bottle against Kevin's neck to cool him down. The song contained some playful false endings. "Blood & Gunpowder" followed, a fun number from the new album, delivered with a tremendous energy. The band kept the energy high with a cover of The Rolling Stones' "All Down The Line," some delicious and delirious rock and roll to wrap up the set. But the audience wanted more, and the band was not about to let anyone down. "Let's just get carried away," Pat said, and the band launched into "Somewhere Down The Line," which Pat dedicated to Jessica (of The Williamsons), who was in the audience. It was a fun, excellent rendition, and it led straight into "Why Don't You Marry Me," Mini playfully getting down on one knee in front of the stage at one point. This was a wild, totally enjoyable number, and from there the band went straight into a high-energy cover of "Route 66," a kick-ass rendition to send everyone home feeling completely satisfied. 

Maui Sugar Mill Saloon is located at 18389 Ventura Blvd. in Tarzana, California. By the way, the official release date for the new Pat Todd & The Rankoutsiders album is October 2nd, and it will be available on vinyl as well as CD.