A great big thank you to the bands that played and everyone who attended the BAGeL Radio 3rd Birthday Party at Mezzanine on Wednesday -- check out the photos here. Man was that fun -- I was grinning pretty much all night. It felt more like a party than a rock show -- people talking to each other, introducing each other to one another...it seemed like there was a maximum of 2 degrees of separation between any two people in the room. When the bands were on, folks were paying attention, jumping up and down, hooting and hollering. In between bands everyone was talking to someone. I LOVED that.

For the past several months Birdmonster has been busily opening shows for bigger bands and blowing said headliners of the stage. This time they were the headliner and proved up to the task. Birdmonster was SO very good that they inspired my friend Jake (not known for hyperbole) to write, "had never seen birdmonster before, but holy christ balls in pudding, were they ever good. and so young! that good and that young is definitely jealousy inducing. singer had a handful of moments where he was definitely channeling the ghost of paul westerberg, and the modest mouse comparisons are not completely unfounded for some of the tracks. i really won't be surprised to see them blow up."

I do not know what the son of God's testicles have to do with anything, but I do know that Jake goes to lots of shows, and Jake is NOT known for predicting bands will blow up.


David and Peter of Birdmonster

The Ex-Boyfriends were power pop rock perfection and will be coming to a town near you soon in support of their debut album, DEAR JOHN, out on Absolutely Kosher Records on February 21st. It's a great record beginning to end, terrific power pop songs with melodies galore, idiosyncratic vocals, clever lyrics, and rocking Weezer-like sing-along choruses. Oh, and they are terrific AND personable live. Buy the record. Go see them. They will make you smile.


Chris O., Colin, and Peter aka The Ex-Boyfri ends

Serene Lakes added keyboards to several of their swirling mesmerising shoegazer-y gorgeous songs and, to my surprise, the new layer made them all the more mesmerising.


Dino of Serene Lakes

More of my photos from the evening are posted here. Check out Willo's and Misty's blog posts and photos.

The next California Homegrown Music Series showcase at Mezzanine will be on Wednesday, March 1st, 2006 featuring The Cuts, The Dilletantes, and barbarasteele, and is a FREE show.

PS - if you don't know what 'kvelling' is, go here.