Michael Doherty's Music Log: The Firkins, I See Hawks In L.A., and Old Californio at Highpoint Brewing Company, 5-29-26 Concert Review

Stellar bands and excellent beer led a lot of folks to make the trek out to San Dimas yesterday, undaunted by the Friday evening traffic. The lineup featured three of southern California's most wonderful bands: Old Californio, I See Hawks In L.A., and The Firkins. That lineup promised not only some of the best music one could hear anywhere, but a fun, loose time. Plus, the venue, Highpoint Brewing Company, has a relaxed, friendly vibe, and some seriously great beer on tap. I got there more than two hours before the show was scheduled to start in order to avoid the worst of the traffic (still took me an hour and forty minutes, versus the thirty-five minutes on the way home), and to enjoy a few beers so as to reach a pleasant state of inebriation, a receptive state in preparation for a fantastic evening.

Old Californio

Old Californio was up first, because keyboardist Jon Niemann had another gig to get to afterward. Gloria Delgado (of The Firkins) introduced the band at 7 o'clock, and Old Californio launched into "Chilao Flats." "Just looking for the good life," Rich Dembowski sang at the beginning of that song, and I couldn't help but think perhaps everyone in the room had found it. What's better than enjoying some excellent music surrounded by good people? What's better than that connection, not just to the music but to each other? Good vibes filled the room. Sure, they emanated from the stage, from the band, but also from the people in the audience as they reacted to the music. The song became a good jam, with some really nice work from Jon on keys and from Woody Aplanalp on guitar. And in the very first song of the set, of the night, there were those desired moments when it's easy to become immersed in the music. Woody's lead on guitar received deserved applause from the crowd. Before the song, the band had remarked that the first song would essentially be the soundcheck. Well, everything sounded perfect, and Justin Smith added the chimes to the end of the song. That song was followed by "Mother Road," which had a delicious energy, Jon rocking the keys. "Okay, Woodrow, break my heart," Rich told Woody, and Woody delivered another strong lead on electric guitar. After that, Rich said to consider his heart broken. He introduced both Woody and Jon, leading someone in the audience to call out, "Who's the bass player?" Rich replied, "He hasn't earned it yet. We'll get to him." Then, after an excellent rendition of "City Lines," Rich told the crowd, "Mr. Jason Chesney on bass."

Rich mentioned how The Firkins are the perfect pub band, which is true. But more on that in a bit. Rich strapped on his harmonica for the band's cover of "Willin'." It was a sweet rendition, featuring some great stuff from Woody. Afterward, someone playfully called out a request for "Dixie Chicken." But, no, the Little Feat portion of the show was at an end. Instead, they delivered an especially good rendition of "Destining Again," featuring some delightful stuff from Justin on drums. "Can't go back, because nothing lives in the past." It was after that song that Rich introduced Justin. That was followed by a cover of "Ring Of Fire." I don't think anyone does this song better than Old Californio. Rich's vocal approach is a large part of what makes their version so damn good. But the song also featured some great stuff on keys. And then Woody really dug in, his lead on guitar being the center of a terrific jam. After that song, Rich announced they were going to do two more songs, then the band huddled to discuss what those two songs might be. The first was "Kansas City Southern," which was crackling with energy and featured a totally delicious bass line from Jason. That rhythm was able to shoot the train, with all of us aboard, out into the stratosphere. They wrapped up the set with "Lean Into It," featuring another great groove, some absolutely fantastic stuff on bass. This one too became a delicious jam. The set ended just before 8 o'clock.

I See Hawks In L.A.

Fifteen minutes later Gloria introduced I See Hawks In L.A., and Rob Waller wished her a happy birthday (her birthday is Monday). The band began the set with "Live And Never Learn," which felt like the perfect opener, in part because of the lines "Well, I try so hard to do what's right/That won't get me through Friday night." It was, after all, Friday night. Afterward Rob remarked, "How about that Old Californio? Oh my god!" Bands will often give a nice, respectful nod to the other groups on the bill, but this was not a small act of kindness on Rob's part. This was an honest reaction to what he'd experienced during Old Californio's set. Which is what we all experienced, and so yet another way that the group and audience connected. Dan Wistrom switched from pedal steel to electric guitar for "White Cross," which followed "Live And Never Learn," and he delivered a nice lead during the song. In introducing "Poour Me," Rob said, "Well, this place seems like a good drinking place." Indeed. On the lines "But Friday afternoon/I like to sing a couple tunes," he added, "just like this one" after the word "afternoon." Folks in the audience liked to sing as well, and several people were singing along to this song. There are a lot of fun lines in this song, and I was happy to find I wasn't the only one singing along with the line "Wednesday I ate a bad burrito." This was an especially fun rendition. "Keep on pouring," Rob said at the end. Oh yes, there was still plenty of drinking time left. That was followed by a cover of Clarence Carter's "I Stayed Away Too Long."

Then we got a special treat. The band played "Drysdale, Sutton And Koufax," a song these guys hadn't performed in like twelve years. Interestingly, Paul Marshall stepped aside for this one, and Rich Dembowski joined the band on bass and backing vocals. The line "It's time for Dodgers baseball" got a big cheer from the audience. Before the end of the song, Paul Marshall was back on stage, adding some nice backing vocal work. This was certainly a highlight of the set, and it was followed by another highlight, "Talking To The Dog," with Paul on lead vocals. It's a song that makes me laugh every time I hear it, and I hope it will end up on an album one of these days. Victoria Jacobs then sang lead on "Skipping Stones," a fun number that featured a delicious rhythm and some good work by Dan on electric guitar. That was followed by "Global Pandemic," a new song I first heard earlier this month. Like "Skipping Stones," it's a fun one to dance to, and there is a special, kind of freeing and almost defiant, joy to be had in dancing around to a song about the pandemic. One of the crowd favorites last night was "California Country," the audience completely into it, singing along. That was followed by "Humboldt" to wrap up the set. The song began with a good jam, and grew from there, becoming another of the set's highlights, Victoria Jacobs hitting those chimes at just the right moment. After that, it was natural for the audience to want more, and the band played "Good And Foolish Times," this time with the extended ending. The set ended at 9:15 p.m.

The Firkins

The Firkins were ready to go at 9:37, opening with "I Like Beer." Earlier, Rich had mentioned how The Firkins are the perfect pub band. Obviously, starting a set with a song titled "I Like Beer" kind of proves that. But even the band's name is related to beer. A firkin is a specific cask for beer or ale, containing nine imperial gallons. And all of this band's original material is related in some way to beer. So, yes, the perfect pub band. Plus, these guys are a lot of fun. It was a bit strange seeing Gloria holding a glass of water instead of a glass a beer (and I thought of that bit from Absolutely Fabulous, where Edina explains water: "It's a mixer, Patsy, we have it with whiskey"). Gloria then grabbed her bass and the band played "Adventures At Bootleggers." Oh yes, now the band was rocking, and so it made total sense to follow that with "Straight Out Of The Barrel," which was a lot of fun. The fun continued with "My Dad's Drinking Gene," a cool song with a rockabilly edge, Sophia Delgado delivering some really nice work on lap steel. Sophia then switched back to electric guitar for "Hamilton's Tavern," that guitar providing some delicious rock and roll energy. This song also featured a cool bass line and a fun beat. Gloria gave a shout-out to both Old Californio and I See Hawks In L.A., coming from the heart, before starting another delicious, rocking number. A lot of the crowd was dancing, especially on a song like "The Ticker."

"Is Dan still here?" Gloria asked the crowd. "He went to get a beer," someone shouted in response. And that was perfect. If someone wasn't in front of the stage, he or she was in the front room getting another beer. The bartenders, by the way, were totally nice. Gloria dedicated "Pliny The Younger" to Dan Wistrom, this song featuring some really nice work on lap steel. Then "San Diego" had a great punk energy, with Sophia back on electric guitar. That was followed by "There Stands The Glass," with acoustic guitarist Danny Ruiz on lead vocals, and then "Victory At Sea," a song that has become popular in Ukraine. Another highlight was "Mr. Odd," which included some excellent guitar work from Sophia. They followed that with a cover of The Byrds' "One Hundred Years From Now," a song from Sweetheart Of The Rodeo. "I Came Here For The Beer" was great fun, as always. And then there was some talk of "Stop Driving Like An Asshole," a Hawks song that The Firkins have covered. It's a song that gets in my head every time I am on the road, even if I'm going only a short distance. Well, the crowd offered some encouragement, and The Firkins decided to do it. Not only that, but Rob Waller and Paul Marshall joined them on vocals, another special treat of the evening. Gloria decided to end the show there, but the crowd wanted more, and so The Firkins concluded the night with "A Few Rounds," a fast-paced number with a totally delicious, powerful rock energy. It was an excellent way to finish off a night of fantastic music. The show ended at 10:37 p.m.