HOLEE SHIT I haven't been to a show this good for a LONG time. In fact it's probably the best show I've been to. Small place, beer, three good bands, and maybe… =maybe= 40 people there. HEY MIKE was cool, they were fast, melodic, and fairly technical. And amusing as all hell. The rhythm man, had to look several times to make sure I wasn't watching Billy Jo from GREEN DAY (having seen GD back in '92 or so when they opened for BAD RELIGION, I knew what I was looking for). He was jumping around and making faces (and even had the same 'look') with the best of them. They were tight, though, and quiet enjoyable. They're a more melodic snot punk band than the others. Then BEEFCAKE came on. These guys just ripped the place up. Too bad the crowd was too small to start a real pit, but it was also nice not having to watch out for flying boots throughout the show (and there were mostly kids there, it would have just been mean). Fast and furious…. We had walked downstairs to see, lo and behold, a Brownie on stage flinging attitude and some serious punk rawk about. Yes, my little whippersnappers, I am talking of the Brownies we all know and love…. no, not that "special" kind, but the insolent little creatures from Willow. The singer of BEEFCAKE had, for our pleasure, donned a wig which gave him the exact appearance of an overgrown, tattooed, Brownie. Hair stickin' out in all directions, stocky little stature, all was good. They also where not the most technical of bands, but the energy level was right up there "C'mon, guys, move foreward, I can't f*** with you if I can't see you." Quite entertaining, to say the very least. Quite a few rounds of "lemme hear you say f*** you" F*** YOU "say f*** you!" F*** YOU! And, later "say f*** you again!" F*** YOU…. "NO, say F*** YOU AGAIN!" F*** YOU AGAIN! My betterr half being pointed out as "Now THAT is punk rock!" by those on stage as we were the first, or at least the loudest, to catch onto the "again" part. Gotta love attitude on stage. The energy level was way up, if you like punk, then catch these guys. I was quite pleased with my introduction to them. Ah, yes, but they who us all have been waiting for were coming up next… the one, the only AGAINST ALL AUTHORITY. Seeing these guys live gave me a whole new respect for the band, and my level was pretty high already. This was one of those shows that we weren't going to miss for anything short of an act of God. And we were well rewarded as they just tore shit UP. They played faster, harder and much much cleaner than what you'd normally hear on the album (and ___'s doesn't have the best sound system, either). Too bad there were only two mics, and the horn player didn't have one. It didn't matter, the die hard 40 of us that were there knew the songs so well we could still hear him. And, my god man! Slow down on the bass you're going to hurt yourself. He just FLEW. We were not even five feet from the stage and those fingers blurred. They played a bunch of their classic shit, too, not only the new stuff. We heard All Fall Down, Justify, and....and..... insert more here when the beer clears away.... AND! They did a blazing rendition of my favorite DEAD KENNEDY'S song - "Holiday in Cambodia" (if you thought the song was mean before…), too. EVERYBODY was singin' along to that'ne. And after the show, they hung around, and were really cool. I kept up my tradition of getting people to sign their CD's, and gave it to one, he ran off to get the others without even me asking. Man, we're kicking ourselves for not hanging around with them longer.