The Plimsouls

The El Rey

Los Angeles

June 24, 2006

By Victoria
(SugarBuzz Hollywood)

Photos By Victoria

“We’re all Plimsouls fans here!” We edged our way to the foot of the stage to hear Cute Guy say that to Cute Girl. Romance was blossoming. And Peter Case’s seminal LA Pop Punk band was about to take the stage at the El Rey Theater on Wilshire Boulevard. It’s the middle of June and a hot night in the city. Love was in the air.

They are doing it again. We caught The Plimsouls last summer on their short and sweet reunion tour with dates in and around California. We were knocked out, over and down catching them at the OC Fairgrounds with X and at Café du Nord in San Fran with Magic Christian.

Here we are at the El Rey, a perfect venue, not too big and not too small. Half club, half theater, roomy with decent sound and a moderne, curvy décor. Very nice staff too.

Back to Cute Girl and Guy at the foot of the stage. An older crowd of adult punks moved toward the front. The original fans showed up for the original band, Peter Case on lead vocals and guitar, Eddie Munoz on lead guitar and David Pahoa playing bass. New guy, Bryan Head on drums is Peter’s guy from his Americana back up band.

Peter Case was sporting new glasses; honey colored and horned rimmed. . Still with the fedora and the green check jacket but trimmed down a little and looking like a kid again. The energy was frantic. Eddie Munoz was all over the stage jumping, twisting, swaying and snarling. Methinks there was a bit of technical difficulties. The irritation served to ignite the performance.

A 20+ song set was over 90 minutes long. “Hush” was dedicated to Veep Chaney. Cute. Peter Case is one stellar songwriter. (He teaches a workshop locally at McCabes Guitar Shop in Santa Monica if you wanna learn something.)

They saved the big radio hits till the end. “Million Miles Away” still sounds as good as the first time we heard it. And the other song from the Valley Girl Soundtrack (our favorite) “Everywhere at Once,” a frantic thing going 85 mph on the Hollywood Freeway.

You hear a lot of California in their music; Surf and Drag, Flower Power and Folk Rock, Punk and Pop. The cover songs tell you who they love. “Glory” from Television, “Gotta Go” from the Kinks and a cover of a cover, “Dizzy Miss Lizzie” ala Beatles. Come to think of it, with that Beatle haircut and glasses, Peter was looking very John Winston Lennon.

The encores were very special. Case brought out a Rickenbacker guitar (another JWL reference) and told an amazing Rock and Roll fable of stolen equipment 20 years before, traveling all around the world and finally reclaiming it. Don’t you just love a happy ending?

A fine performance from one of the best. It’s one thing to see a hot young rock band playing in a club. It’s another level of joy to see seasoned musicians still at it. Springsteen once described bands that ‘play guitars like switchblades.” The Plimsouls have graduated to finely honed cutlery. Dangerously sharp.

Go, go, go, and go.

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