Saint Pierre Band and Dime Box Band at Hard Rock Cafe, 4-30-26: Photos

Saint Pierre Band

Silly me, I wasn't aware Hard Rock Cafe was still around, much less that the venue hosted concerts. But apparently the Hollywood location has been there for fifteen years, and bands perform there a couple of times a week. Seems like one of those things that tourists were probably aware of before residents. Once you move past the shop and enter the dining area, you'll see the stage on the lower level. A proper stage. Decent size, too. And if the tables were removed, there'd be plenty of space to dance if that were desired for a particular show. The booths in the upper level have individual screens showing the music, though anyone in those booths could simply turn his or her head the other way to see the stage. The sound was not great in the upper level, but was better on the lower level. Not perfect, but good.

booth in upper level

Kristi Callan of Dime Box Band

Last night two excellent Los Angeles bands performed: Saint Pierre Band and Dime Box Band. Dime Box Band was up first, starting just after 8 p.m., kicking off the evening with "Going My Way," a fun number from the band's 2019 album Happy. The band played several other songs from that album, including the title track, as well as some stuff I'd seen Kristi Callan perform at her solo sets at the Unurban in Santa Monica.

Dime Box Band

Saint Pierre Band

Then just after 9 o' clock, Saint Pierre took the stage, opening with "Wish You'd Said," the lead track from the Luck And Gravity album, which came out last year. They focused on material from that album, including great renditions of "Fine Ride West" and "Love Who You Love," and a particularly fun version of "Coming Around." Another treat of the set was "The Heart Knows Better," from Julia St. Pierre's solo album.

Hard Rock Cafe is located at 6801 Hollywood Blvd. in Los Angeles, California.

Desperate Teenage Lovedolls & Lovedolls Superstar Blu-ray Review

Desperate Teenage Lovedolls and Lovedolls Superstar are movies made by musicians about musicians, offering delicious and humorous slices from the punk world of the 1980s, featuring members of Redd Kross and other bands, and directed by the creator of the We Got Power fanzine, David Markey (also a musician himself). Both movies have now been released on a single Blu-ray disc, with 4K restorations and lots of wonderful bonus material.

Desperate Teenage Lovedolls

Originally titled Desperate Teenage Runaways, this film tells the story of female punk musicians who form The Love Dolls, and the group's rapid rise to fame and equally rapid fall (hey, it has to be rapid; the movie is only like fifty minutes). It is a tale of revenge, drugs, violence, and takes place in the streets of Los Angeles and Santa Monica. If you've seen this movie before, on VHS, this time you're going to notice a lot more detail, due to the new 4K scan from the original Super-8 film. Of course, a hair in the gate is still a hair in the gate, but that just adds to its charm. The film stars Jennifer Schwartz as Kitty Carryall (yes, a reference to The Brady Bunch; there are several pop culture references in the film) and Hilary Rubens as Bunny Tremelo, the core of The Love Dolls, who have to deal with a rival gang, non-supportive parents, and a music executive who wants a little something in return. There are some wonderful surprises along the way.

Another member of the band, Alexandria (Kim Pilkington), is locked up in a mental institution. There is a great shot of her ankles chained to the bed, and a man's face on the television at the foot of the bed (that man is the film's director, David Markey). He repeats, "Have a nice day, have a nice day," which is fucking brilliant. That sort of treatment is bound to work, right? And when we see her full body, we see that she has her electric guitar next to her in bed, which is also wonderful. This movie is all about music, which is clear from that early shot. The guitar is also handy in helping her escape, the doctor being the first of at least two people who meet their demise from a guitar. I can't help but think of the slogan on Woody Guthrie's guitar, "This machine kills fascists." Well, here that machine kills anyone who gets in the way of this band. A Brady Bunch sound cue then takes us to the band's rehearsal, where they are performing (or, rather, lip-syncing) to "Blow You A Kiss In The Wind," a song that Redd Kross also performed and recorded. Kitty's mother (Jordan Schwartz, in a wig that isn't even meant to be convincing) puts a stop to the rehearsal. The mother's line "I'm trying to be both a mother and a father to you" is particularly funny as the character is clearly played by a guy. A little later the mother is dispatched, leading to perhaps the film's most famous and hilarious line, "Thanks for killing my mom." The response is also funny: "Hey, no problem." There is an obvious John Waters influence here. By the way, among the group of people who attack the mother is Vicki Peterson of The Bangles. Later, Jennifer Schwartz and Hilary Rubens are wonderful in their fur coats in the scenes where they plot and then exact their revenge. As for cool pop culture references, check out that Monty Python's Flying Circus T-shirt. That's Dez Cadena of Black Flag wearing it. And later we see a Black Flag T-shirt.

Dez Cadena also played with Redd Kross, and that's the band most represented in this film. Both Steven McDonald and Jeff McDonald have roles, as do Tracy Lea and Janet Housden. In fact, Steven McDonald and Tracy Lea deliver two of the most convincing performances of the film, Tracy as Tanya Hearst of the rival gang, and Steven as Johnny Tremaine, the guy responsible for helping The Love Dolls achieve the fame they so desire. "Johnny Tremaine's the name, making rock stars is this man's game," he tells Kitty and Bunny when he meets them. "You know, I think I can do for you girls what God did for mankind," he says. And then he promptly takes Bunny home to take advantage of his position. Was Steve really only fourteen years old when this was shot? Crazy. He is hilarious in the scene in his office, and then especially good in the scene where he's tripping. Jeff McDonald plays Tears Brunell, playing a bit of "I Am The Walrus" before the Love Dolls steal his guitar. The film includes a nice shot of a marquee that lists The Love Dolls on the same bill as Redd Kross and White Flag. Though most of the music heard in the film is performed by Redd Kross, "Johnny Tremaine's Theme" is done by White Flag. The soundtrack was put together by Bill Bartell, and released on Gasatanka Records.

Desperate Teenage Lovedolls Bonus Features

The Blu-ray contains a commentary track by David Markey and Jordan Schwartz, in which they talk about the locations, particularly about the Santa Monica Pier, and about the performances and the music. David mentions having to change some of the music for the release, because originally they had used Led Zeppelin and Jimi Hendrix recordings (on the Blu-ray, it is Redd Kross playing those songs). They also give some information on the song "Come On Up To Me," which in the film is the Love Dolls' hit. I learned from the commentary track that the film's final scene was shot in what is now known as the NoHo Arts District, just down the street from me. It looks completely different now.

The special features include the "Ballad Of A Lovedoll" music video, which ends with a sound snippet of that funny exchange about killing the character's mom. There are also some deleted and expanded scenes, such as stuff with Kitty on the streets and a moment where her friend declares they'll be as good as Black Flag. There is actually quite a lot of cool stuff here, including more of the acid trip and Kitty reading an article about Johnny Tremaine's death (perhaps it was the camera focus issues that kept that scene from being included in the film). "The Story Of Desperate Teenage Lovedolls & We Got Power" is a nine-minute sequence featuring David Markey relating some wild anecdotes, like about the film's original title. He also says the film was intended to just entertain their small circle of friends. 

There is a Q&A shot at the movie's fortieth anniversary screening at Norris Theater, USC Cinema Arts, moderated by Mark Olsen, and featuring Jennifer Schwartz, Steven McDonald, David Markey, and Tracy Lea Nash. There are some delightful anecdotes here, including about filming in Jennifer's home without her mother knowing. David talks about his first time meeting Steven McDonald, and about how they were all into John Waters' films. The special features also include the film's trailer.

Lovedolls Superstar

The sequel, Lovedolls Superstar, features much of the same cast, many of them reprising their roles from the original film, others playing new parts. It was written by David Markey, Jennifer Schwartz, Jeff McDonald and Steven McDonald, and directed by David Markey. In many ways, this one is actually better than the first, and, at eighty-one minutes, it is feature-length. It opens with a montage of moments from the first movie while the new theme song (performed by Redd Kross) is playing. In addition to music by Redd Kross, this movie features songs from Sonic Youth, Meat Puppets, Dead Kennedys, Annette Zilinskas, Lawndale and SWA. Soon a group of kids surrounds a straight-looking guy at a bus stop and steals his radio. Moments later they are ransacking an unlocked car, and one of them exclaims, "I found Jesus!" which is hilarious. It is a picture of the Jesus character, and it establishes the nature of some of the film's humor, the movie poking fun at religious cults, as well as the cult-like atmosphere of rock music. As the group then encounters Kitty Carryall (Jennifer Schwartz), Sonic Youth's recording of "Hallowed Be Thy Name" is playing, which is perfect. "Patch Kelly?" Kitty asks. "It's Patch Christ now," Patch (Janet Housden) says (though it sounds like she says "Pat Christ"). She is now the cult leader of Lovedolls fans, but wants to put the band back together, convincing Kitty they could be on top again. They just need a new guitarist, as Bunny Tremelo is dead ("You know, guitar players are a dime a dozen," Patch says). Enter Alexandria (Kim Pilkington) who is now working as a hooker (she wears an adorable purple fur jacket). Her living quarters haven't improved much since the first film, and she has pawned her guitar. But she is willing to clean up her act and rejoin the band as long as she can fuck Jimmy Page. No problem.

Meanwhile out in the desert, Rainbow (Steven McDonald) is living on a commune (which, yes, can be seen as a different type of cult), led by Jeannie (Vicki Peterson). Interestingly, Rainbow provides some narration for this sequence. He tells Jeannie he must go to Hollywood to check on his brother. It is 666 miles to L.A. from the commune. Also making her way to Los Angeles is Patricia Ann Cloverfield, the mother of Tanya Hearst, and she is bent on revenge for her daughter's death. She is played by Tracy Lea, who played Tanya in the first film. As she exits the airport, an odd, slowed down instrumental rendition of "(I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone" plays. There is so much great music in this film. When we're introduced to Carl Celery (Jeff McDonald), a cool rendition of "It's A Sunshine Day" is playing. Yes, the Brady Bunch song. He gets high, and Kitty appears before him in a vision. Jeff is great here. Check out his delivery of the line "I then realized I would do anything for The Lovedolls," the way the word "anything" has a sort of demonic, crazed emphasis. Well, the vision of Kitty presents him with a gun and tells him to kill Bruce Springsteen.

When Rainbow gets to Los Angeles, it is fellow Redd Kross member Robert Hecker who lets him know that his brother has been killed, and he does so by singing the news to the tune of "A Day In The Life." Rainbow's brother is Johnny Tremaine. So will Rainbow turn from the love of the commune to the hate of the city? Steven is so damn good in this scene. I also love the moment when he is upset and desperate to find a flower to help him return to a calmer state. When he tastes the flower, it too turns on him. This movie is a total delight. A Kiss doll emerges from a coffee pot to possess Carl Celery with the spirit of Gene Simmons. And that leads to a funny play on Bruce Springsteen's "Dancing In The Dark" music video, complete with a Courtney Cox-type character in the audience. What's even wilder about this scene is that Bill Bartell plays a cop in it, apparently before actually becoming a cop. If you haven't seen The Secret Lives Of Bill Bartell yet, you should certainly check out that documentary. It was directed by the same guy that directed both Lovedolls movies.

The movie just gets wilder from there. Tanya Hearst's mother kidnaps Kitty and takes her to the roof of a building. "Time to walk the plank, honey," she says. "And when you get downstairs, be a sweetheart and call me a cab." I love it! And Rainbow becomes a punk, wearing a White Flag shirt (more Bill Bartell!), and is soon the lead singer of a hardcore band, poking fun at the whole thing. If that's not enough, Jello Biafra (of Dead Kennedys) shows up as the President to discuss The Lovedolls' space tour. "Seven of nine planets are confirmed." Check out the E.T. doll on his desk. And is that a laugh track added? This movie just gets more and more wonderful, leading to a deliciously ridiculous conclusion, after first doing away with the cult Jonestown-style at the entrance to the Bat cave.

Lovedolls Superstar Bonus Features

There is a commentary track done by the film's four writers - David Markey, Jennifer Schwartz, Jeff McDonald and Steven McDonald. They talk about the locations (including Lucille Ball's house, which was used as an exterior) and identify some of the extras. Regarding Alexandria's crash pad, they shot in a house with no roof, which worked for them because they had no lights. They also talk about the inspiration for Vicki Peterson's character. And they reveal that the curtain that Kitty is draped in during that vision scene was actually stolen from the Psycho house on the Universal backlot. And one more Bill Bartell thing: he is on drums for the hardcore concert scene.

The disc also a lot of deleted scenes, including an introduction in front of the Hollywood sign, which leads to a different entrance for Alexandria. Here a little boy asks her to come home with him and listen to his new records. It's actually funny and adorable. And when she turns him down, her pimp scolds her. There is a scene of Kitty on a payphone, accepting a gig on behalf of the band, and features the line "Come on, guys, even Animotion had to start somewhere." There is some concert footage of The Lovedolls, and a scene where the band's fans are trying to spread the word, waving flyers (the flyers, however, clearly say "Black Flag"). And there is a lot of great stuff with Jeff McDonald as Carl Celery, including a bit where he talks about taking on the role, and footage of him roaming the city, possessed by the doll. There is also a song performed at the commune, and we're treated to two very different renditions of it. And we get a lot more footage of Rainbow, including a different version of the scene where he meets the Lovedolls, this time backstage at their show. The part after he eats a granola bar is particularly funny. He sees one of those "Frankie Says Relax Don't Do It" T-shirts (remember those?), and responds: "Relax, don't do it? Like, how am I supposed to relax when I don't know what it is I'm not supposed to do?" And there is more of him in his hardcore punk persona, including a blooper. We are also treated to alternate takes of Jello Biafra as Mr. President.

The special features also include a tribute to Dave Markey at the Egyptian Theatre from 2004. This segment includes part of a Q&A moderated by Chris D. of American Cinematheque. Dave Markey talks about both films, and how he was inspired by television and by the films of John Waters and Russ Meyer. There is a bit of a Lovedolls reunion outside the building, and footage of Steven McDonald and other cast members in the lobby area. This sequence is approximately fourteen minutes and concludes with some stills. The movie's trailer is also included.

This Blu-ray edition of Desperate Teenage Lovedolls & Lovedolls Superstar was released on April 17, 2026 through MVD Visual.

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.