Inna Rude Mood: News

IRM rocked the crowd at Star Lounge last night and left everyone tired and satisfied. The night started on a bad note with Maggi suffering a head injury from a fallen light rig. She quickly recovered, as there was no blood spilled, and was ready to play with only a minor headache. It started slow during the first set played to the 20 people who had not bothered to go to the VC Fair to check out the Doobie Brothers. The band used the opportunity to dust off some of their backcatalog blues covers that hadn't seen the light of day for a while. The crowd then built up during the second set when Captain Ron made a special guest appearance with his main San Diego squeeze, Marva. One patron who appeared a little intoxicated danced in front of Ruben with her back to him all night, trying to attract his attention with frequent hip thrusts and other attention-getting moves. It must have worked because he eventually gave her his big stick(s) at the end of the night and who knows what they did when they disappeared into the men's room for a while. The third set got a little wierd as it always does with a youngish crowd dancing up a storm and begging for more when the band finally shut down with Beastie Boys "Fight For Your Right to Party." After a quick check with bartender Dirty Marie (who had earlier been nicknamed Mona Lott by Scott), IRM launched into the opening riff of AC/DC's "Highway to Hell" and sent the crowd home with a good verbal ear spanking. Next stop on IRM's highway to hell would be the Keynote Lounge, where IRM has not shown their faces for five years since the time when a surly bartender killed the band's buzz during a weekend gig. Hopefully that person has vacated the premises like Elvis and won't be making an appearance anytime soon.

Let's be honest, IRM had a fair to middling time at the Palms last night. It was a slow Saturday night for the summertime and the restaurant was not enjoying their usual 60-90 minute wait for a table. The club has been getting some noise complaints from a newly opened Bed & Breakfast down the street and essentially the entire night is now a dinner set (ie, low volume). IRM did their best to inject some energy into the room and it was working for a while, until Crazy Little Thing called Pete left the building. It was all downhill from the end of the first set and the band ended the night playing Pixies and Hendrix to their own amusement. Maybe it's time to take a month or two off from the place and then move back to Friday nights?

IRM's lazy guitar player finally posted pictures taken by the girlfriend of IRM's even lazier drummer. They feature all of the action that can be captured by a photographer who sat in the same seat during an entire two hour concert (only kidding, please don't be mad Melissa). Actually, she expended more effort than anyone else to capture the moment and for that we are eternally grateful. Check out the pics in the photo gallery of this website and you will also be eternally indebted to Melissa from a karmic standpoint.

IRM rocked It's All Good Friday night. For the first set, the band broke out some blasts from the past from it's extensive SRV catalog. SRV fans were well represented in the house and roared their appreciation. Next up was some danceable classic rock and the patrons decided it was too hot to dance. Finally, IRM launched into it's third set with guns blazing and the kids went beserk. The military was in the house letting off steam and they formed a mosh pit that threw elbows at a few regular dancers. No harm no foul. The night finally ran it's course with an epic rendition of Highway to Hell.

IRM rocked the hot and mugged-out patrons of the Star Lounge last night. The smarter ones sat next to the front and rear doors for some respite from the heat while the ones who just didn't care shook what they had on the dance floor. The Star Lounge interior had been improving every month but it seems to have stalled with installation of air conditioning vents that don't spew any cold air out. The owner is probably spending all of his money preparing the Watermark for it's grand opening and that should add some excitement to downtown Ventura. IRM was happy to see some old friends show up through the night, including some armed forces pilots who had been away for six months landing jets on aircraft carriers. Next stop on the IRM's neverending tour of dive bars will be the famous "It's All Good" in downtown Ventura next Friday night. Be there and grab a seat near the door if the humid weather continues.

IRM made it's fourth consecutive appearance at Ventura's massive fourth of July Street Fair and enjoyed playing to the food court crowd. The band recognized many faces in the audience, even the bartenders from some of the clubs that they frequently perform at. As in past years, some of the best entertainment occurred in front of the stage with various eccentrics grooving to the music and dancing like they just didn't care. Overall, it was an opportunity for the band to showcase it's versatility and perform some of it's most popular cover tunes over an hour and half.

IRM cut a large swath through downtown Carpentiria last night, leaving shell-shocked patrons in its path. The summer crowds have returned to this sleepy little hamlet and enjoyed rocking through the wee hours of the next day. Many people were in town for Saturday's Rods & Roses car event and they wanted to hear some rockabilly. IRM served it up and the crowd got down. Lauren, formerly bartending at O'Learys, was gracing the bar with her presence and serving up cold ones. Next is a fourth of July Street Fair in the quaint beachside resort of Ventura. Hopefully this great weather holds up and everyone can enjoy the fourth of July weekend.

It was truly a scorcher of a week in Ventura and little relief offered up by the weather gods at night. IRM once again rocked a packed house at "It's All Good" and the summer started with a tremendous amount of people doing the pub crawl down mainstreet. Did we mention summer dresses? It was enough for Scott to deploy a few wolf whistles from his aging strat throughout the night.

Maggi wandered across the street a few times during the sets and attempted to get arrested for soliciting (patrons to the establishment, that is). This has become her signature move at the club and one always guaranteed to bring a scowl to Ruben's face as he attempts to keep the beat steady during such shenanigans. There were many familiar faces in the crowd as well as some new ones that were stoked about IRM's diverse setlist. Can you stay 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s and the best of today?

What is the meaning of life and where is this all leading? As far as IRM is concerned, it all leads to one place; Ventura's Fourth of July Street Fair. IRM will once again hold down the unwashed masses gathered around the food court near the main festival stage. The band will play a one and a half hour set of its best covers, and only hope that there are enough pulled pork sandwiches to go around. Be there or be somewhere else that can only suck more.

Month after month IRM enjoys a predictable cycle of rocking gigs preceded by unique witty emails. Band members are often asked who writes the emails and the answer is always the same, Maggi! How does Maggi find new themes for each one that she somehow twists and ties into something relevant to a classic rock cover band gig? We wish we knew the secret as we would have applied it in creative writing class way back in high school.

Admit it, you read every Maggi email start to finish even though you often have no intention of going to the IRM gig being promoted. You learn all kinds of trivia that could one day prove very valuable in brainiac board games or as a contestant on Jeopardy. What more could you ask for? If you find yourself asking what the hell is this person talking about, tell your two eyes to wander to the left and identify that little input box where you can offer up your email and join the unwashed masses on IRM's email list. You'll start your own free subscription to Maggi's emails, which we hear are even bigger in Japan than they are in the old US of A. All IRM asks is that you also check out an IRM gig every once in a while whenever you seek a fun night on the town!

IRM is so certain that you will enjoy an IRM gig that we offer an iron-clad 100% no excuses money-back guarantee that also applies even in cases of physical damage (unlike Fryes electronic's warranty that is never worth the purchase price). Whenever you attend a gig and find that you aren't having as much fun as you believe that you are due, just tell a band member (preferably when the band member is playing a song and intently singing lead vocals). IRM guarantees that you will promptly receive a full refund of the gig's cover charge and a very very very sincere and personalized apology from each band member (although the bassist/drummer may not be held responsible for what their surly guitar player might tell you). This offer will continue indefinitely into the future until such time that IRM actually plays a gig that requires a cover charge to hear the cover songs! Peace out.

IRM had the privilege of serenading the volunteers raising money for cancer research on Saturday afternoon. IRM rocked the crowd while perched atop a stage in the in-field of the Buena High School Football stadium. This was Chad Carlson's second year captaining a team to participate in the 24-hour walk-a-thon. This year, his team raised more than $1200 with much of the help coming from Melissa and Amy Griffin. The kids had a great time, staying up most of the night in the stadium. They sang karoake, watched movies and played all over the place. Some even walked around the track a few times.

IRM once again rocked the socks off of Main Street's It's All Good bar. The night started with a large crowd due to the exciting end of the Lakers playoff victory. It only got bigger as the night progressed and the siren song of IRM's tuneage wafted onto Main Street and lured in the unsuspecting patrons. Bartender Jimmy was the DJ during breaks and broke out some Mickey Avalon. If you haven't heard "Jane Fonda" and "My D*ck", you need to surf over to iTunes and check it out. And they say that nice jewish boys cannot rap; well, given Mickey's tatoos and colorful history as a male escort on the street of Hollywood I'm not sure that "nice" would apply. Just like a complex Pinot Noir, every sip into Mickey's simplistic beatbox and rhymes brings new pleasure. Anyway, IRM is off to do some charity work today with a free concert to the masses gathered at Buena High School Football stadium for the annual Cancer walk fundraiser. Come for the free food, free music, free exercise and topless sunbathing (males only).

IRM rocked The Star Lounge very close to Ruben's B-day. How close was it? Well, close enough for two women to bring gifts and an awesome cake that they shared with everyone. Ruben and his main squeeze are now off to Las Vegas to see if they can scare up any luck. The gig was fairly uneventful except for an incident in the second set. Some intoxicated people came in and a gentleman started dancing with a lady who had incredibly skinny legs squeezed into white pants. Ruben kept looking for panty lines but couldn't find any. Apparently she was free ballin' it that evening. Anyway, Maggi ended up giving her some underwear just in case she wanted to slip it on. Well, the drunk guy flashed a $100 bill at the band and requested some Journey. Although he was spurned by IRM as they don't know any, he dropped the bill into the band's fish bowl tip container and continued to dance. When a second drunk guy joined the heavy tipper and the white pants lady on the floor, things quickly got out of control. The second drunk guy fell into Maggi's stage space, wiping out her mic, stand and Bose controls. The bouncer picked the dude up and asked he and his friends to leave. Maggi wound up with some equipment in need of repair but at least the $100 was still sitting safely in the tip jar.

IRM rocked a ballroom full of attorneys at the Mandalay Beach resort in Oxnard. The private event was part of an continuing legal education meeting for public defenders based throughout California. These weren't the starched shirt white-shoe attorneys preening at a cocktail party, but beer-swilling liberals who support permissive drug laws. They danced early and often. With a shout-out to their clientele, they thoroughly enjoyed the Sublime tune "Smoke Two Joints." Hey, isn't medical marijuana legal in CA? Yes, but apparently the feds continue their war on drugs and regularly bust the state-legal dispensaries. All you can do is chill and wait for the man to catch up to current culture. Anyway, the event was fun and some didn't want the night to end, even though the hotel workers were giving IRM the dreaded "stink eye" as they waited for the crowd to disperse so they could change up the ballroom. The band announced their two last songs and after that, one female patron promised either male band member a special treat if they would only play one more song. IRM has played alot of gigs over the years and invariably there are always some who require just one more despite the hours of music that preceded the end. Such intoxicated patrons usually either yell at the band or throw $s at them. This was a unique approach that would have required the female to eventually kneel in front of said band member and administer a personal breath analyzer test. Anyway, the attempt fell flat as this was certainly not Vegas and there was no spirit of "what happens in Oxnard, stays in Oxnard." Yet, on an unrelated note, Mr. DelaRosa is planning to celebrate his Cinco De Mayo day birthday in Vegas with his main squeeze and has promised to place a roulette bet on lucky 33 and split the winnings with his bandmates.

The old town was hoppin' last night even before IRM took the stage (or actually corner of the floor) of It's All Good. A portion of Main Street was blocked off and hordes of skateboarders sought the autographs of people whom IRM had never heard of before. Let's face it, the middle-aged band is hopelessly out of touch with today's youthful culture. That is until they whip out their old-school classic rock that somehow still remains hip for today's youth. IRM had a fantastic crowd at It's All Good and they stayed with the band for the long night, dancing and singing like nobody was watching. This club continues to get better and better for IRM (with the exception that the venue pays IRM the least of any place they perform). Well, if things continue to build each month as they had, IRM is definitely going to ask for a raise. The club did tremendous business throughout the night, as some cute women graced the dancefloor. The night ended with a group sing-along to Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit." Next up, a private party for Ventura's Public Defenders attending a conference.

IRM enjoyed performing at the Star Lounge. Par for the course, the venue has improved with each month. Now they have a brand new black ceiling and larger dance floor area. They still have the cleanest bathrooms in any venue in downtown Ventura. Next month, owners promised a new light show aimed at bands. That's probably good because IRM's light & sound system blew a fuse at the venue on their last song of the night. Patrons were left to an acapella version of Sweet Child of Mine. What could have caused such a problem? IRM had the same sound system, lights and fans running that they have for over a year of gigs at the Star. Wait, what was that little thing plugged into Maggi's power supply. Could it have been her little personal heater that she tried out for the gig because she was cold? We won't know for sure what caused the power outage until the CSI has finished all of their analytical tests and cleared the crime scene for Karoake on Saturday night. Yet, strong money is betting that the source of the power failure was sitting at Maggi's feet, keeping her warm. Oh ya, it was also the anniversary of King's assassination and IRM marked the occasion with the U2 tribute "Pride, In the Name of Love." At least that song didn't get cut short by the power failure.

It must be spring if the Palms again has a 90 minute wait to get a table in the dining room. After a slow winter, the venue is picking up again in anticipation of the huge summer crowds that are drawn to the quiet little coastal town. IRM had a great time playing for some old friends and making some new ones. The dance floor was rarely empty and all present seemed to enjoy the music and good times. If you haven't tried out the Palms, don't miss IRM when they play there next Month.

IRM also had a decent write up in the newspaper about its recent participation in a Camarillo Fundraiser. Check out the article in our press/reviews section on this website.

IRM had a most excellent time rocking It's All Good this past Friday night. The club was looking rather fine with the new black backdrop for the corner stage. IRM's lights have never looked better. Bartender Jimmy was blasting the tunes all night and the place was never empty when IRM started doing their thing. Whether dancing or listening to the cool tuneage, the crowd was amped from the get go. IRM substituted it's usual tip jar for a "Relay for Life" container for American Cancer Society. Patrons contributed over $50 to the container over the course of the night (way to go!!). Although Ruben offered free breast exams to check for unusual lumps, no one took him up on it except a large man with large mammories. Ruben passed on that offer and eventually left with his drum kit and dignity still intact. Next up is The Palms in Ojai, be there or be someone that's not there.

IRM had a fun time rocking out with the kids at little Johnny Messina's school fundraiser. The occasion was a fundraiser spaghetti dinner featuring a silent auction and live music by IRM. John performed drums on two songs as his proud mother, who happens to have an "in" with IRM as it's feature bass player, beamed as she sang lead vocals. John also had a friend playing guitar on the Green Day song, "American Idiot."

IRM attempted to spread Valentine's Day cheer at Good but was denied by the limited number of patrons. It all started when the owner of Good asked IRM to change from it's normal Friday night gig to the Thursday night, in an attempt to capture more business from a VD crowd. The band was skeptical and has always avoided gigs that don't fall on a weekend night. Although the people who did show seemed to enjoy themselves, it was a fairly empty venue for most of the night as IRM bashed out their uptempo classic rock sets. The sidewalks of downtown Ventura were mostly deserted and it seems like many party people decided to postpone VD revelry to Friday night. We'll see, as members of IRM attempt to make up Good's VD massacre to their significant others that were left behind.

IRM rocked The Palms in Carp last night with some new tuneage from Mr. Jackson, Mr. Wonder and Mr. Nowell. Many familiar faces in the audience and some striking new ones as well. Lauren, bartender formerly from O'Learys, was holding down the fort behind the bar for the night in her new digs, The Palms. The wolves were on the hunt and quickly surrounded any isolated ovary that took the dance floor. The pair of ovaries grinding their way through the night attracted much interest but all were eventually denied as, apparently, this pair was really into themselves in the biblical way. Sounds good to me. Next stop on IRM's 2008 world tour will be a special one-off Valentines Day gig this Thursday night at It's All Good in downtown Ventura. Pair up with your favorite pair of ovaries or testicles and join in the fun.

IRM hit the shores of It's All Good last night and performed like barking seals for the masses of seamen and seawomen who washed up into the reef. Per usual, at least a few friendly faces were in the crowd, some of whom IRM hadn't seen in a while. Good to see that everyone's enjoying the start of the New Year.

The owner of It's All Good asked IRM to move it's usual 3rd Friday of the month slot ahead one day to line up with Valentine's Day. IRM agreed, despite the negative comments and reaction from significant others and spouses. Does this mean that Ruben and Scott are off the hook this Valentine's Day from making any effort whatsoever? Probably not, but they are likely to start out in the doghouse and will need to do something worthwhile later that weekend if they want to get back into good graces with the womanfolk. Does this mean that you now have a fun place to gather after your Valentine's DInner where you no longer have to engage in meaningless chatter and feign interest in your dinner partner's day? A place where you can further liquor up and lose any lingering inhibitions prior to engaging in that perverted activity that you have been planning for weeks? A place where you can test the waters by dancing dirty and women can receive IRM signature thong underwear if they forgot to wear their own pair? A place where you can limber up and stretch your appendages adequately enough to attempt that unusual position later in the evening without throwing your back out? If this is the type of experience you have been waiting for this Valentine's Day, look no further and make sure that you stop by It's All Good for a nightcap on Valentine's Day. Even if you don't have a date and feel like a loser, don't sit at home stewing over your wasted life, instead join IRM and see if one of them will dance with you. If you are really lucky, maybe Ruben will sing a special song verse to you and ask that you accompany him home to spend the night. Apparently it doesn't seem to matter whether you are male or female, much to the chagrin of his significant other. I guess they are always open to a threesome.

IRM regrouped in 2008 with a kickoff gig at Frankys. Every time IRM performs at Frankys, the owner has always upgraded the restaurant/bar in some manner. This time was no different as much of the interior showed recent signs of a facelift. The owner, Joe, has some new partners and all have big plans for the business. We wish them much luck going forward.

friends showed up to groove and IRM shook off the rust from an extended break over the Holidays. IRM debuted a few new tunes and the crowd was into paryting mood. Not one, but two Birthdays were celebrated. Darryl and TIffany each had a posse of celebrants partying through the night. Towards the end of the gig, a killer blonde with friends showed up and had fun dancing and singing along to some tunes. Ends up the killer blonde was Terri Nunn, the lead singer of Berlin. You know, the band in the 80s with hits such as "No More Words," "Take My Breath Away," "Sex," and "The Metro." Apparently she had just performed an acoustic set at the Pierpont Inn for a children's charity event and was looking to unwind with her friends. Unfortunately IRM didn't know any Berlin material so that she could jam with the band, however, Terri was excited to receive a pair of signature IRM thong underwear. Apparently on the right person, it can serve as either women's undergarments or a fashionable pirate eyepatch. We even have the blurry iPhone picture to document this momentous occasion. Onward and forward.

IRM banged out a double-header this weekend respectively at It's All Good and The Palms. The Friday night crowd at Good swelled to one of IRM's largest of the whole year. People were out in downtown Ventura ready to P A R T Y. Standing room only as various party people got their groove on with their best dance moves. Yes, we did see a few people doing the "dice move" too many times (just like in the movie "Knocked Up"). What can you say when you have so many funky white people packed into such a small place. IRM debuted the full spectacle of their upgraded LED light system and, despite Ruben complaining of burned retinas, the system seemed an improvement from the past floodlights.

Saturday night brought a date with the slutty little Palms in Carp. The restaurant and town were nearly deserted when IRM was setting up but quickly came to life when the first squeal of feedback escaped from Maggi's too hot mic. The party people slunk from all dark corners of the town (similar to Michael Jackson's "Thriller" video) and quickly gathered at the only live place in town. Although there were rumors of a fight in the men's room, it turned out to just be a few of the fellas messing around. What is it about Ruben's male Latino cousins and their inability to keep their shirts on in the Palms? Not sure, but it happened once again. IRM knew what to do whipped out their sublime tunes for a low-rider sign-a-long. One girl in the group got a little carried away and apparently believed she was still working at the Spearmint Rhino, rather than it really being just her night off. Anyhoo, she went down on the floor and did some things with her long legs that would be inappropriate to describe here. But if you want to know, just ask Ruben as he couldn't keep his eyes off this fetching Latina. Speaking of Ruben, he doesn't deserve his girllfriend. She is the most loyal fan he has ever had and helps him almost every gig with his equpment. She is simply the best at handling his equipment. Not only that, but she often handles Scott's equipment as well. And if that weren't enough, she has even been known to handle Maggi's equipment. Maybe some day Ruben will make an honest woman of her, but I wouldn't hold my breath as she apparently is not waiting for a visit from Jared anytime soon.

IRM is off for a few weeks and hopes to see you in the new year. The band promises to learn some new tunes and freshen things up for 2008. Enjoy the Holidays and we'll see you on the other side.

2007 has been a most enjoyable year for IRM and there is only one more weekend of gigs before a little holiday break. The band would like to thank everyone who supported them over the past year and flip off those who did not. IRM has harvested quite a few email addresses with real people attached to them over the past years and we love that some fans show up regardless of zero advertising in the local rags. A very special and warm thanks go out to the Messinas, Carlsons and Melissa/Amy combination. Melissa wins the prize for attending the most gigs in 2007, followed closely by John. Yes, Melissa is still alright, even though she refuses to dance ever and totally dominated both Ruben and Scott in Fantasy Football this season!

Looking ahead into next year, IRM has already locked in a monthly gig at their three favorite hangouts, Ventura's "It's All Good" & "The Star Lounge" and Carp's "The Palms." It's doubtful that the band will gig much more beyond that as a certain guitarist bandmember's work commitments are expected to increase in the first six months of 2008. But, don't let that fool you, even when Scott is supposedly working at the various trade association conventions that he attends, he always manages to work in some fun. You can see in this picture how he recently was insulted by none other than the very old comic, Don Rickles. Jesus, Scott looks almost as bad as this guy who could be his grandfather. Although Don smelled like cabbage and told Scott he looked the Nazi in "Sound of Music", Scott was able to eventually pry the mic out of the old man's fingers and sling a few insults in Don's face as well. Apparently that is not usually the case with Don's chosen targets and after sharing the audience's laugh at his expense, Don hugged Scott and told him that his wife was very good the prior night.

IRM rocked O'Learys for the last time after deciding not to book a monthly gig for 2008. It was a band decision of just having too many venues to book on a monthly basis and too few available dates to gig.

IRM first started playing at O'Learys in 2001 when downtown Ventura was dead and people went to the East side clubs for nightlife. Over the years, the downtown area has become the local hub for people seeking live music and dancing while O'Learys has turned into more of a sports bar for darts, shuffleboard and pool players. IRM's set has evolved over the years away from blues and catering more to a dancing crowd, so their gigs have been much better attended at downtown's dance clubs. With day jobs and family obligations competing for limited weekend nights, IRM needed to prioritize gigs for 2008 and O'Learys drew the short straw. IRM left the door open to play at O'Learys again in the future and wishes the owners much success. The last gig was fairly typical with 2/3rds of the bar ignoring the band while the few others danced and got into the groove. IRM will soon wrap up their 2007 gigs over the next two weekends and then take an extended holiday break for a fresh return in the new year.