Something for Rocket & Mardo
The Key Club
Hollywood, California
September 19, 2006
By Victoria
(SugarBuzz Hollywood)
Photos By Victoria
The Dirty Kings may never forgive us. We swore to Allah that we would check them out at Ruby Tuesdays at the Key Club. We failed. We got there too late. Here’s our excuse: James Ellroy was reading and signing the “Black Dahlia” at Vromans’s Bookstore in Pasadena.
Forgive us, your Majesties. We love what we hear on your MySpace page. Without fail we will catch your next show brothers. Honest to Buddha.
Ruby Tuesdays is an all-ages night, rare on The Strip. Bands love these. Brings out the younger and more enthusiastic fans. Like less jaded than us old rockers and sponsored by our dear Indie 103.1. The audience skews young, mixed, girl-heavy and for some reason wearing a lot of hats; baseball, porkpie and we even spotted a yarmulke. Oy vey!
Having missed the DK’s, we got there in time to catch Something for Rockets. Four cats from LA, who are; Rami Perlman, Josh Eichenbaum, Barry Davis, Jacques Brautbar. Lead singer Barry is one Dapper Dan with jacket and tie, lots of personality and swinging dance moves. SFR puts out an energetic blend of Modern Garage and 80’s punk with a touch of Hip Hop. Think Cake meets The Knack. Snap, crackle and pop.
Mr. Davis tells the crowd to Dance! And they do. Rare again, like hens teeth ‘round these parts. Something’s stuff lends itself nicely to such action; sharp chops with lots of hooks and pretty melodies. After a leap from the drum riser Barry added “I owe you guys some serious jumps” and intro’ed a new song “You Got Potential.” Good one. Big finish with “It’s a Beautiful Life” had all the boys and girls jumping and screaming for more.
We caught Mardo for the first time about year ago between tours. These guys are on the road constantly. They are currently hip deep in nationwide tour and just passing through. Lead singer and bass guitar Robert let the people know ‘Even though we live here - we’re never here!” Not tonight, Josephine.
Hard rockers with a solid blue bottom, Mardo rocks from the top down. Shades of ACDC, Zep and Judas Priest. Fast and faster power chords with high kicks and Chuck Berry Duck Walks. These Mardo brothers Aron and Robert play drums and bass respectively with help from Casey Hooper on guitar and Sonny Sly on keyboards.
We love brothers who rock; the Everly’s, the Jackson’s, Kinks and Oasis. But we get the impression these Mardo boys actually get along. Dudes, start fightin’ if you want to keep rockin’! (No, just kidding.) Tonight’s set featured songs from new release “A New Gun.” Bang.
And hey, if we’re found in dumped in a vacant lot in a bad neighborhood, chopped in two, tell the cops the drummer did it. And send them the link to their MySpace page, OK?