Couple Fridays back I went to a place in old school downtown Anaheim and saw an equally old school live music show blow the doors off the Juke Joint. Folks that run that place are real nice and they have been dedicated to live music since the late 70s. Beer is cold and cheap and the stage is just above floor level with tinny sound and speakers big enough to push it through that little hell hole just fine. It seems like one of those places that when they get REAL bands in there you are like “why are THESE guys playing here?” But, that is sorta what makes it cool and again, everyone was really friendly and there was only a line for the can once.

As I walked up to the twang of that early rock n roll that isn’t really Bill Haley style 50s bop but, more like country before it knew it was so rockin’…but was, I noticed there were a bunch of cars out front like this:

The kind that used to be considered cruisers in the day. I think the term “utilitarian” would have been used by someone like my Grandfather the farmer. Now of course they are American works of art and restored with a certain love and passion few possess and thank god for those folks. In Southern California here there are a few types of folks who do that: Car Club old fogies who meet at the retro-diners for cruise nights and all have tattoos from The Big One. The other kind is the Low Rider who has been a part of car culture here for well over a generation now and have tattoos of Jesus and lots of cursive and the words “In Loving Memory” of someone at least once somewhere. They rule many a neighborhood and are a massive contribution to the preservation of these grand pieces of American history. The third type of person that would drive a bad ass ride like that is the type that looks like this:

These were the types who were at this little venue that night to see some real rock and roll made by the man himself Big Sandy and his Fly Rite Boys. But first we were treated to old favorites by the Hot Rod Trio who had CDs for sale and were pretty tight. They stuck to the rockabilly format and looked as authentic as they sounded. Everybody seemed to really enjoy when the platinum blonde woman stand up bass player would sing one in the most nasal high pitch hollers you are gonna here in this 21st century. The old time-y guitar player had one of those Gretch Hollow-Body guitars that even non-guitar folks know is something special. He could really work that thing and made several very short but very inspiring solos in each of their little numbers.

You look around in a place like that and I know it must have looked like a place my grandmother told my mother not to go into when she was in high school. There were several guys with perfectly sculpted and cut pompadours with flannels or car club t-shirts on (those guys should call InknBurn for some SHIRTS?!?!?!), huge wallet chains and full sleeve tattoos with betty page looking girlfriends loudly laughing and carrying on. It was wickit cool to see this scene so alive.

After the Hot Rod Trio, some other trio came on that was FAR from tight and generally so unimpressive I don’t even know who the hell they were. THEN Big Sandy came out with The Boys and immediately had the crowd in the palm of his hand. His band sounds like something you would hear in a jumpin’ honky tonk in Modesto in the late 50’s when country was still a huge part of what rock and roll was and what definitely had many folks in the Central Valley hooked on at the time. But, Sandy is more flexible than that and at some points sounded like Spade Cooly and at others like Los Lobos. He played a few covers penned by legends of the sound like Faron Young and really made them sound fresh and contemporary. He sang with heart and his band REALLY rocked. Shocking it was just the 4 of them. They broke it OFF in there. And I saw Sandy at the bar powering shots since I got there two hours before. So it was truly a rock and roller that night.

Those guys have a lot of records and you can download a bunch of stuff but, make sure, you go see them live. You live in California? You like Rock and Roll? You authentic? Go see Big Sandy. 100% OG.

I went and saw Junior Brown open for Cowboy Mouth Last Friday, the 8th in Santa Ana. I didn’t know. I am sorry. I should have been seeing him ALL this time and I didn’t. What a MISTAKE! If you ever get a chance to see him play live, you MUST! His band is tight, his songs are classic old time-y country 3 minute jobs but all include a little guitar magic in each song. He is so good!

The Walter Michaels Band opened up and they were like a combo between Skynyrd and Shooter Jennings without any good songwriting. And not as good playing. BUT, they were a good little band and they got the party started with original sounding Southern Rock. They weren’t bad at all and at the right show, they could be darn right honky tonk fonk. Then Junior Brown came on and tore the roof off. I have no idea why he wasn’t the headliner. When Cowboy Mouth, the headliner came on, it almost seemed  dopey by then. They are from New Orleans and try to bring that party to every show. They try way too hard and end up sounding not authentic and more like a fraternity Mardi Gras party band. Terrible. They sucked and I left after 5 embarrassingly weak tunes with expressions like “Boy Orange County really knows how to PARTY!” thrown in between. Oh, they also threw out like 4 sets of Mardi Gras beads into the audience just in case you didn’t get that they were there to throw a party….ugh.

So, WHY was Junior Brown even there? He likes the party. I am sure it is exposing him to new crowds and will help him grow more. Maybe. HE is an outstanding entertainer and an extraordinary guitar player. He plays what looks like a Fender Telecaster with a lap steel guitar attached to the bottom. But, it really seems like one big chunk of wood. He plays both with aplomb and in many tunes we are treated to him shifting between the two seamlessly while maintaining an excellent rhythm and singing. He has a deep and clear cowboy voice which goes perfectly well with his mostly country and rockabilly leaning tunes. He has several albums out and all are available still so, pick one up and you won’t feel ripped off. I got one on Amazon for 6 bucks!Anyway,his whole band wear suits and he wears a 20 gallon hat. My buddy says he has a separate flight case just for the hat. No joke.

He is almost a virtuoso on that guitar and sounds like a mix between Billy Gibbons and Don Rich. He really gets it going and the chicken pickin’ just takes over. His lap steel prowess comes forward when he makes that thing sing and cry  and his little trio sounds like a full country juggernaut throughout his show. He does his own tunes and then will throw in medleys that are all instrumental and will range from 6 surf songs in a row to a bunch of blues and rock numbers. It almost peels your head back he is so good and he makes it look almost effortless. But you KNOW he’s workin’ hard up there. His normal drummer was replaced by a younger kid this time and the bass player and him really held it down allowing Junior to SHINE! Which he did. I wish he played all night. I will DEFINITELY be seeing that show again and I hope I will see y’all there too!

PS: The “artsy” photo was taken as an experament with the advice of photographic guru Chase Jarvis:

http://www.switched.com/2009/12/18/chase-jarvis-best-camera/