IRM enjoyed rocking the crowd at the Palms last night. In the summer, Carp is filled with tourists who party at the Palms. Yet, in the winter months it's mostly the gentle townfolk and they are a friendly bunch. What they lack in numbers as compared to summer night gigs, they make up in enthusiasm and volume. They cheered loudly and danced hard. IRM looks forward to returning in early 2010 to rip up the town once again.
IRM dressed as superheroes "The Incredibles" at The Star Lounge for the Halloween Bash last night. The venue was packed with costumed patrons and the night even featured a marriage proposal.
No kidding. IRM can be an unqualified matchmaker for fans. One year ago, a gentleman met the love of his life during an IRM gig at The Star Lounge and last night he made a marriage proposal to her. Lucky for him, she said "yes" as the crowd urged her on and it's now a match.
Who was in the crowd? Well, there were a series of Elvis impersonators dressed as he appeared through the span of his career. There were sexy cops, sexy witches, sexy sailors, and tons of other sexy costumes sported by the all hottie patrol. As Maggi said, Halloween is a night to dress as a slut and no one can say anything bad about it. There were scary costumes, people dressed as salad, a cereal killer, many superheroes, hippies, flappers, and way too many guys dressed as women. Seriously, at some points during the evening, it was difficult to tell the men from the women. It wouldn't surprise us if some drunk dude took another drunk dude home last night given that so many were dressed as women.
Anyway, IRM debuted it's new video camera that features a stereo mic. It was too dark in the club for the camera and that's why the pictures are difficult to see. Yet, you can hear the improvement in sound quality by the excellent stereo mic featured in the camera. Also, the camera enables direct uploading to YouTube and IRM intends to feature some video snippets from each gig going forward, assuming cameraperson Melissa is in the house. So, if you missed the Halloween Bash, you can get a taste of it by checking out the video posted on this site. See you in November!!
IRM's second gig this year at It's All Good was the best ever. Although the group had played to full houses as a regular of the club, it had never been as packed as it was on Friday night. Good has become popular with a younger crowd and they feasted upon IRM's diverse setlist. The night started innocent enough at 9:30pm with a 30% full club and it was very hot due to extreme summer temps returning to the Southland. Maggi did her usual stunt of taking her wireless bass across the street with sidekick Russ as they checked out the scene at Charlenes. That club was not nearly as busy as Good. Where, back at Good, the room was slowly filling up when all of a sudden, people began piling into the club dressed in costumes. Apparently they had attended a premature Halloween costume party earlier in Port Hueneme. Now they were just enjoying themselves being different from the crowd and started dancing like, well like, idiots in fact. It was fun to watch and infused the club with even more energy. Next thing you know it's 10:45 and the place is so packed with party people that there is no room for new ones to be added. If you had to go the bathroom, it was best to stand in line when you first thought you might have to go.
IRM debuted a few new dance tunes, specifically "Get Down, Boogie Oogie Oogie" and MJ's "Black or White." It never got a chance to try out it's new video camera with stereo mics because a certain band photographer decided to take the night off. Anyway, IRM has decided that they are to It's All Good as chocolate is to peanut butter and they will henceforth play a gig there each month along with their other 2009 favorite venue, Watermark's W2O. Scott has been traveling and working too much this year as clients have retained him to help address state budget deficits outside of California. Although it's great to have new experiences in Washington, Oregon, and New Mexico, it means traveling an average of 3 out of every 5 days in the week and that leaves less time for family and IRM. Going forward, IRM will be more about building the quality of gigs rather than quantity. The night at Good was an excellent example of a high quality fun gig, similar to what IRM has been experiencing at W2O.
Downtown Ventura venues have been the perfect site for IRM gigs since the bands' diverse setlist appeals to all ages of party people looking for a fun night on the town and, once IRM starts playing, people are attracted from the sidewalk to join the party. That type of scene is much better than having to bring everyone to a dead club, such as one in Camarillo that will remain nameless. Or try to convince friends and people off IRM's huge email list that the dive bar is not really as bad as you probably think it was in the past (another venue that IRM has enjoyed playing at but has had trouble getting people to frequent with so many other upscale clubs along the drag). Instead, look for IRM at W2O, Good and another downtown venue in 2010.
Now, in the meantime you are probably thinking about what you are going to do for Halloween. It's coming up at the end of this month and you'll want to throw on a costume and join IRM at The Star Lounge. Party starts at 9pm with prizes going to the women wearing the sexiest/sleaziest costumes. Actually it's not an official contest with prizes, but one thrown together by IRM's drummer Ruben in an attempt to see more skin as he pounds them throughout the night. Make sure that IRM sees you there.
IRM and their fans go together with Watermark's W2O like chocolate and peanut butter. Who was there? Better to ask who was not there; and hopefully it wasn't you. There were birthday parties being celebrated and even an engagement celebration. A particularly rowdy group was stationed on the right side of the bandstand; parents' of Ventura High School's JV Football team. JV Players, do you know where your parents are? Unfortunately the JV's defensive coach was not in his usual spot as a bouncer due to his recent ankle dislocation at a semi-pro football game. Apparently the party started at some place called the Cave and continued full force in Watermark's rooftop lounge. The wifes got it going early in the first set, while the guys were drinking and dancing in their seats. Guys were doing the funky white boy dance, as well as "the sprinkler" move that went out of style with "the vogue" in the 80s. Nonetheless, 80s and 90s music reigned supreme at W2O and the party people had a great time. W2O is becoming IRM's favorite party spot, no offense to all of the other great clubs, as they haven't had a lame night at the club yet. Quite the contrary, it's always been packed with party people and IRM's email list has gotten a work out as more and more fans find a club that they truly enjoy. Melissa took some video of this past gig and it will be posted to the extent that she didn't put her finger over the lens.
IRM played JJ Brewskys in Camarillo and were glad to see so many friends in the audience. Bassist Maggi, who resides somewhere in Camarillo, did her best to shamelessly recruit parents from her kids schools, rock & roll camps, tennis clubs, pilates places, sushi bars and Alberston's aisles. Those who did show up enjoyed IRM's unique blend of awesome tunage and certain members of the band certainly enjoyed the $75 credit for band bar tab. Why did Ruben still owe money at the end of the night? Downtown Camarillo remains a work in progress and could eventually build into a scene closer to what's going on in Ventura right now. In the meantime, IRM will continue plugging away at Camarillo, likely at JJ Brewskys, and possibly eventually will be joined by more and more audience members. We'll keep you posted. Next on to Watermark's W2O.
IRM played their monthly gig at Star Lounge. The bouncers were as big as ever and beers were cold. The owner and his wife were in the house entertaining one of the members of Insane Clown Posse. Never heard of them? They're a rap/rock outfit with two members who wear scary clown makeup and appeal to large-breasted girl followers whom they affectionately call Juggalos. Anyway, no one recognized the dude from ICP and he was left to lifting his shirt for young women trying to identify himself through his unique tattoos. Let's just say that the young ladies still thought he was an ugly fat dude and it didn't appear likely for a hookup despite his D-list celebrity status. Anyway, IRM rocked the bar as the night progressed and more people entered the watering hole. All in all, a fun time for those in attendance.
IRM has had a fantastic time playing gigs the past month, so much so that between playing and real work, there has been no time to update the web. Following are a few highlights since IRM last checked in.
Great return engagement at The Star with all familiar friends and some new ones. Place was hopping per usual and drinks were flowing into mouths and onto flow. A pack of cougars were circling the dance floor early on until joined by others in festive mood.
FUN FUN FUN Friday night on Labor Day Weekend at Carp's The Palms. IRM got chewed out by owner at start of gig for playing too loud during the first "dinner set". Apparently, Todd thinks we don't listen to him when he says to turn down and only turn it down a little until he focuses on other things. That's the old trick we all played on our parents when told to turn down the music in bedroom, so why wouldn't it work now? Regardless, IRM played as softly as they could and were often in danger of being drowned out by some raucous dancers. Soon after the dinner set, IRM kicked it up a few notches and rocked the place good. The festive evening was only marred slightly by another fight at The Palms between two locals who had imbibed too much. As much as IRM likes Palms, the soft volume first set is getting a little old as well as the frequent fights between male customers and lack of security personnel beyond the good old boys behind the bar. Look for IRM to reduce gigs at The Palms going forward.
Within less than 24 hours, IRM was back hittin' it at an afternoon/evening block party on Gale Way in Ventura. This is the 3rd annual block party that IRM has played and the crowd was as amped up as ever, probably due to copious consumption of some home brew served up by one of the party's co-hosts. During breaks, Scott filled in for Fido's lead guitarist as they cruised through a short set of their favorite tunes, including the annual showstopper by Karen's brother, "Psycho-Killer." During another break, Scott was able to give the crowd a taste of his other favorite local bands' tuneage, The Beachside Stranglers "Pierpont." Immediately following IRM's three sets, a gang of youngsters showed off their developing original music compositions as they stormed the street as "The Good Age" (not "the good eggs" as Scott introduced them as). Good luck to Kyle and his crew as they continue to work on original tunes and get the young ladies all excited about seeing them before first period.
Finally, IRM had another most excellent time rockin' the Watermark's rooftop lounge, W2O. The crowd was in the mood to party from the first song as a 50 year old woman was celebrating her B-day in fine fashion with many friends in the corner couch area. Talk about a pack of cougars, they dominated the dance floor throughout most of the first set, being joined by Michelle's posse of women from Camarillo on the other side of the band. People kept arriving to the venue and the last set featured young men seeking to pick up the cougars on the dance floor, who toyed with them for a while before rejecting them like the pros that they are.
IRM rocked Main Street this past weekend from the west end of Main street to the East end. First up was Friday night at "It's All Good." IRM made a triumphant return to their old stomping grounds in the form of agreeing to a last-minute replacement gig when Good's band flaked late Thursday. The venue was dark and packed with twenty-somethings from the opening bell to the early morning of Saturday. It was great to see some old friends who used to be regulars at IRM's Good gigs and also see how the club has attracted a much younger audience. Fears of IRM's music being a little too vintage for such an audience were quickly set-aside as the youngsters quickly showed their appreciation for timeless tunes and accomplished musicianship. IRM witnessed some of the most energetic dancing that they'd ever seen as the night progressed. This was also likely due to the popularity of Good's $2 shots that were being consumed like water by the thirsty crowd. All in all, a great time and IRM is contemplating booking some additional gigs at Good since it's clear that the audience is much different from the Watermark's W2O Lounge crowd and therefore there is no danger of the drawing from either venue.
If Friday night was dedicated to the younger side of the drinking age, Saturday night was definitely the night of the cougar. Can you say "hot well-seasoned women?" The ladies were out and ready to dance, even if their lame ass hubbies and other boy toys were content to just watch and drink from the sidelines. The pack of cougars kept IRM entertained during the first set until the rest of the crowd caught up with their enthusiasm in the second and third set. Michael Jackson tunes had a big night at Start, brining out some of the craziest moves by gyrating males seen in the Star for a while. The Eastern end of Main Street definitely has a different vibe than the West end. it's a slightly older crowd at The Star, with many enjoying pool and chllin' while watching sports on TV. It's a place like Cheers, where bartenders Amy and Mary know your name and the numerous burly security personnel ensure that no trouble will ever get started regardless of how rowdy the patrons may come while dancing. This is the place where IRM has chosen to stake it's claim on Halloween this year, so start planning your costume and get the kids a sitter once they trick-or-treat and imbibe way too much sugar. Then it's time for you to go out and get your groove on.
IRM had a most excellent night at Watermark's W2O rooftop lounge. Not only was it a night of special birthday celebration for a very nice 47-year-old named Adam, but LeAnn Rimes was eating dinner and was convinced to belt out a tune for the star-worshipping masses. Unfortunately IRM didn't know any of LeAnn's hit songs, however, she was a great sport and gamely belted out a cover of Kris Kristofferson's "Me and Bobby McGee." Maggi was quite star-struck and wouldn't let LeAnn leave until getting Amy to shoot a picture for Maggi's Facebook page. When LeAnn departed, Scott told the audience that Sting was also eating dinner downstairs and would be up to sing a song soon after finishing his dessert. Unfortunately, Scott was making that up and Sting never showed.
Instead, IRM cruised through two "greatest hit" sets of their wide-ranging music catalog of "cover tunes that don't suck." What other band can pull off going from Van Morrison's "Wild Nights" into Jane's Addiction's "Been Caught Stealin'"? The capacity crowd feasted on IRM's "timeless tunes for those with the textured taste" (expression stolen from a David Lee Roth interview back in the day). IRM serenaded Adam for his birthday and noted that his posse of party people featured a cast of assorted characters from Ventura High School's JV Football booster club. Kids, do you know where your parents are? Scott got carried away during Sublime's "Smoke 2 Joints" and started a rumor that Adam used medical marijuana, but Adam was quick to deny it. Actually the group was disappointed that W2Os regular bouncer and JV Football Linebacker coach, Noel Martinez, was not present due to having played Defensive End in a semi-pro football game that afternoon. Go Sabres! It's probably a good thing as Coach Martinez would likely have forced the booster parent's kids to do extra laps this week after observing all the crazy dance moves that the booster parents displayed throughout the evening.
As usual, IRM ended the fun-packed night with the crowd signing along to Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'" and then Bon Jovi's "Living on A Prayer." Is W2O the classiest and most fun venue to see IRM in downtown Ventura? We think so, although the band does miss some of their regular fans who report that they have found W2O's drink prices to be a little too much for their weekly liquid refreshment budget. For those fans, IRM has agreed to play a gig next month at their old haunt across the street from Watermark, the "It's All Good" bar (you know that little club next to the movie theater that features one uni-sex bathroom for everyone). Our advice is to start standing in line as soon as you think that you might have to eliminate some waste. Always remember that you can't own beer, you can only rent it. Also, beauty is in the eye of beerholder. So, if IRM lost you as a regular gig-attendee when they made the move from Good Bar to Watermark's W2O, go see them Sept 12th at Good and relive the old days of no dress code, cheap beer and Jimmy's obscure ipod music playing during breaks. In the meantime, IRM is hoping to line up more gigs at their favorite venues: W2O, Star Lounge, The Palms and now JJ Brewskys.
IRM thoroughly enjoyed rocking the capacity crowd last night at the internationally-ignored Palms club in Carpinteria, CA. Coming off an extended vacation during the month of July, IRM showed no signs of rust despite not seeing each other since the W2O gig. To accommodate the need for a quieter dinner set while patrons finished their self-cooked meals, IRM broke out some SRV tunes that they hadn't played recently but had played often during the past nine years. Like an old pair of jeans, the SRV tunes were comfortably familiar and achieved their purpose of easing the band back into trio coordination. People started dancing despite the low-key dinner set tunes and eventually the band changed to uptempo songs that matched the party mood. After a raucous version of Sweet Home Alabama/Freebird, IRM took it's first break and promised to return promptly.
True to their word, the break was short and IRM quickly pumped up the intensity and volume to a packed dance floor. Some old friends were in attendance and enjoyed getting their dance groove on. The crowd was a great mix of twenty-somethings and older patrons who freely mixed and matched dance partners as IRM kept the soundtrack pumping. IRM showed off it's versatility by easily transition from funk, alternative rock, 80s tunes, classic rock and hair metal. The second set closed with everyone singing along to Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'" and Bon Jovi's "Livin' On A Prayer."
The third set featured a few Happy Birthday thong giveaways and plenty of Sublime tuneage, with "Bad Fish" quickly becoming a crowd favorite. After jumping aboard the Crazy Train and erupting into Beat It, everyone was satisfied. For some, the evening's highlight was the quick "Marilyn Monroe" moment occurring for Cari as she stepped onstage and her short dress was blasted toward the sky by Ruben's high-powered fan. What kind of underwear was she wearing??, we'll never tell. IRM ended by promising to return Sept 1st. Next stop, The Star Lounge.
IRM enjoyed rocking the Saturday night crowd at Watermark's W2O rooftop lounge. The weather was perfect, the roof was fully opened and patrons were in the mood to party. It apparently was "Shani Night" at W2O, with many of her friends in the audience. Check out the photos tab on this website to see some action shots from the evening's festivities captured by Shani's camera. The band had taken the first part of July off but got back into the groove fairly quickly, building momentum through their first set. After a drink or two, the crowd got into the dancing vibe and pretty much kept it up throughout the entire evening. All in all a great response from the capacity crowd and a great evening in downtown Ventura. IRM is scheduled to return to W2O on the third Saturday night in August. Put it on your schedule and check it out, as there is nothing in downtown Ventura quite like the upscale rooftop venue.
IRM is now taking the latter part of July off and then will resume it's monthly gigs at Palms and Star Lounge. Rumor has it that IRM might even make a reappearance back at JJ Brewsky's in Camarillo. Stay tuned and see what develops.
IRM rocked the sleepy town of Carp at the internationally-ignored venue The Palms, or at least everyone whom they could find awake after 9pm. Rather than finding a raucous Friday night summertime mob and hot-rod car show crowd, the band found things somewhat sedate in Carp. Not sure whether it was the recession or balmy overcast weather, but the crowds were not thronging the main drag on Linden avenue as they reliably have for the past few summers. Oh well, IRM made the best of the situation with the awake and alive patrons of the Palms and did their best to generate some energy in the town night life. The early spark for the evening came in the form of hospital-based employees from CMH who had traveled up from Ventura for the gig. They ate their meal and then danced off the calories during the first set that eventually extended into a second set without a break. The night continued into a third set with the underwhelming crowd (more like a few dozen unruly drunks) requesting some SRV and heavy metal, in addition to the dance tunes being dished forth by the flexible band. IRM gave Jane's Addiction's "Been Caught Stealin'" and No Doubt's "Hella Good" out for an initial spin, but the crowd favorite had to be the Sublime tunes. IRM once again regretted breaking their "this band is not a karaoke machine" rule by allowing a bar patron who identified himself as Warrant's lead singer to sing on Sweet Child of Mine. Although IRM is a sucker for 80's metal bands and, in hindsight, this guy might be a good singer with strong pipes, but at that moment he was wasted and unable to stay on anything close to the proper pitch. After shattering all of the bar glassware with his high pitched free-form wails, the song mercifully ended and IRM returned to their normal lineup.
IRM is taking most of the month of July off for family vacations and that will enable Scott to take his abused guitars into Tracy's shop. The well-worn SRV strat needs a new fret job and overall tuneup. Rumor has it that he's also going to install a Floyd Rose locking tremolo on another guitar so that he can drive the dive bomb guitar hero cliche right into the ground at the end of every song ala Mick Mars of Motely Crue. IRM will definitely resurface in July for only one gig, Saturday July 18th at Watermark's W2O rooftop lounge, so plan your life and summer vacation accordingly. In the meantime, you'll have to satisfy your need for speed by checking out "Steel Panther" on Youtube. Are those guys hilarious, or have you lost your inner funny bone? I recommend "Death to All But Metal", "Thar She Blows" or "Turn Out the Lights."
IRM had a thoroughly enjoyable time rocking their newest "favorite venue", the rooftop W2O Lounge at Watermark Restaurant. School was out and a group of elementary school teachers camping out in one of W2Os couch sections were giddily high on life, or was it something else? Also, W2O fixture Israel was doing his best to rile up the dancing crowd early in the first set. There was also a strong contingent of party people from a local hospitalist group. They claimed to be conducting community marketing regarding some alleged "path to partnership" and possibly that involves consuming large quantities of alcohol while showing off your best dance moves. But, more likely it doesn't, although we've got to admit that one Hospitalist physician in particular surprised us with his break-dancing skills on Billie Jeanne. Meanwhile another employee of the group was doing shots and screaming out for IRM to play anything by AC/DC. Anyhow, the party people enjoyed dancing during IRM's two sets and then especially singing at the top of their lungs when IRM broke out their new version of "Umbrella" and "Don't Start Believin'". One more gig this month at Carp's Palms and then the band takes most of July off (apparently Maggi and Scott cannot get on the same page with Maggi vacationing with family in Utah at start July and Scott heading East for a hometown Boston beatdown towards end of July). Regardless, they'll all be in town during the middle of the month for a return to W2O on the third Saturday night of July (the 18th for those who never carry around a calendar). Hope to see you there.
IRM thoroughly enjoyed rocking the fine patrons of The Star Lounge last night in downtown Ventura. The night got very lively when a bachelorette party featuring "Harmony" showed up to get their party on. Harmony had on a fine outfit featuring a black leather vest and skin-tight white pants with laces that went complete up-and-down each side. Add a fine pair of stiletto heels and a body that was made for dancing and this girl was ready to party down with her gaggle of hens in tow. Although lonely guys at the club were hoping to get in harmony themselves, there was no way that anyone was going to disrupt that group of women dancing and drinking the night away. Harmony apparently also teaches dancing to private students, including pole dancing. Check out her website at http://harmonymotion.com Although Scott offered her the use of his pole for a private dance lesson, apparently Harmony already has six poles at her dance studio for such lessons and they are much larger than what Scott was offering. Anyway, she had a few of her students in the group who also claimed to be Brides-maids-to-be at the upcoming wedding planned for the beach. The stories from the ladies about the wedding got larger as the night wore on. Harmony claimed that she was getting married in a bikini and bridesmaids would wear only pasties and then one bridesmaid later claimed that they would all actually be nude. Harmony ended up inviting everyone to her wedding but who knows if she'll remember when the buzz wears off this morning, also the groom-to-be sounds like a big dude, so I wouldn't go showing up to the wedding uninvited no matter what anyone plans on wearing or not wearing. The most important thing is that Maggi identified all of the party people in the audience and got them signed up for IRM's email list and the band hopes to see Harmony and her pals at future gigs in downtown Ventura. Towards the end of IRMs last set, Mark (owner of Star Lounge & Watermark) showed up to appreciate the bands' last few songs and order them up a round of drinks. He is a great guy and a patron of the City of Ventura like no other. Hope everyone keeps supporting his various businesses in Ventura so that he continues to be a leader in the development of Ventura's emerging nightlight. Next for IRM is a private party event this evening at JJ Brewskys in downtown Camarillo and then the following Friday night IRM returns to Watermark's W2O for what should be a crazy night of drunken revelry.
Does IRM really stimulate party attitude? As they say in Minnesota, "You betcha!" Responding to the rash of bleak economic news, IRM recently announced a special Celebration Stimulus Relief Package. For a limited time only, IRM can be pimped out at your party for less than 50% of their usual price for private party gigs. IRM has recently played at private events and received $1200 to $3000. Now, for a limited time only, they have agreed to accept a few private party gigs for only $600. Again, that's more than 50% off the regular price, but that's not all. For the first five party hosts who act now, IRM will take off an additional $100 to bring the total all-inclusive party package price to an amazing $500. Well, that's not entirely accurate either, because the band just booked another private party this morning and that leaves only 4 more party hosts who can qualify for the special $100 off pricing. Don't miss this special opportunity. Act today without delay. Contact the band and treat your party guests to an experience that will last much longer than their hangover. And...always remember that sobriety conceals what alcohol reveals.
IRM enjoyed their debut performance in the adult lounge (W2O) at the top of The Watermark restaurant in downtown Ventura. The standing-room only audience was primed for fun and danced the night away. It was hard to escape the feeling that you were attending someone's raucous wedding reception as the crowd embraced IRM's many new medleys of familiar staples, like Dancing Queen (aka "Nancing Queen"), I Feel Good, Shout, and YMCA. The crowd also celebrated the Birthdays of Natasha, Brad and Zack, who all graciously accepted their gift of IRM signature thong underwear. The earlier than normal midnight ending also enabled the band to keep the energy up with only one short break. The night came to a close with the audience singing Beastie Boy's "Fight for Your Right to Party" and then Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody."
W2O is a great fit for IRM's uptempo party music and the owners were very pleased. They observed that IRM seemed to generate more excitement from an audience than any band that had played at the rooftop lounge to date. It was exactly the vibe they had sought out to achieve on a Saturday night when first creating the concept for W2O. The owner has asked IRM to perform on a regular basis going forward and the band will soon book a gig for the third Saturday of each month. It will likely start in June. This will replace the same gig that IRM used to play at It's All Good and provide an even better lounge environment for IRM fans to get their groove on. The summer should especially prove fun when the retractable roof of the lounge will open to expose the night sky. In the meantime, IRM will perform a rare Sunday afternoon gig at the Watermark on May 8th. This happens to also be Mothers Day and Watermark plans an upscale brunch in their main restaurant and a much less formal affair in their rooftop lounge. Both feature outstanding food and will be something that a truly caring son or daughter would want their mother to experience. Then stay and enjoy live party music from 2-5pm.
If you are reading this because you saw IRM for the first time, or heard what a great time a friend had, provide your email address as indicated in this site and join the hundreds of people who receive Maggi's inspired gig announcements. Don't miss your only opportunity to always know where you can have fun with IRM in 2009. Act now, and keep trying to submit your email address if the web traffic is too high to accept your submission.
IRM rocked the infamous Keynote Lounge in East Ventura this past Friday night. The club features a stage and ample dance floor as well as a fine set of regulars who are always amped up for a night of drinkin and carrying on. Friday proved no different as patrons enjoyed the band's three sets and finally had to be bumrushed out of the place at closing time.
IRM rocked little old Carp last night from the stage of the Palms Restaurant. As usual, the evening started with a dinner set that built in intensity as the crowd accumulated in the bar area. The band busted out some new tunes and saw some old friends. One had an unfortunate work-related accident where she broke a middle finger. We're not going to repeat the story of how Scott told the crowd how it happened, as he is often not a reliable source for such information. Yet, his version of the events was much more interesting than what allegedly occurred. A request by a well-lubricated female drummer to pound the skins on Sublime's "Caress Me Down" had it going the speed of a funeral dirge. When someone in a bar tells you that they are great on an instrument and that "no, they hadn't had too much to drink", that's usually a bad combination. But in contrast, Maggi's bass-playing friend from Russia proved to be a talent worthy of taking the stage on Respect and Superfreak. The night ended with a soulful rendition of Little Wing dedicated to Melissa. All in all, not a bad night on IRM's everlasting tour of Ventura County hotspots.
This Friday, March 13, Inna Rude Mood will boldly appear at THE PALMS RESTAURANT in Carpinteria, in full spite of this superstitious date. Fear of Friday the 13th, paraskavedekatriaphobia, is actually a fear of two things: Fridays and the number 13. Fear of Fridays dates back at least to the Canterbury Tales (from the 1300s!) and may even be attributed to the Norse goddess Frigga, for whom Friday was named. Frigga was the free-spirited goddess of love and fertility (wanton lust?) until the people converted to Christianity and banished her to a mountaintop. Maybe that's when she invented the word 'friggin'' to describe her new living arrangements. Fear of the number 13 has to do with its unlucky proximity to the number 12. 12 is considered complete as in the 12 months of the year, the 12 hours on the clock, the 12 Tribes of Israel, etc., and the number 13 transgresses this completeness. It's like being a guitarist unfortunately scheduled to play a solo after Eddie Van Halen. Fear of the number 13 is really the fear of bad timing. Some other fears: Ablutophobia- Fear of bathing. Displayed by most children between the ages of 5 and 10. Allodoxophobia- Fear of opinions. No, they don't want to hear what you think. Anuptaphobia- Fear of staying single. The seminal axiom of dating websites. Consecotaleophobia- Fear of chopsticks. A distinct disadvantage in the Orient. Sesquipedalophobia- Fear of long words. There's an irony in here somewhere... We could go on, but we wouldn't want to cause an outbreak of apeirophobia (look it up). Instead, we invite you to placate your fear of staying home on a perfectly good Friday night by joining Inna Rude Mood at THE PALMS RESTAURANT in Carpinteria, 701 Linden Ave., from 9 pm to 1 am on Friday, March 13. Carpe diem! Scott the Scotomaphobe, Maggi the Mageirocophobe, and Ruben the Rupophobe