Jesse James and Matt King of The Lights Out with Linnea Herzog of Linnea's Garden

It’s been a hell of a fall season for the rock community. We suffered some recent deaths with Skippy (Michael Abraham), Jay Potts and Michael Weddle last month. Then Cowboy Mach Bell suffered a heart attack and underwent heart surgery this month. Meanwhile, I got displaced from my apartment from a fire and have been scrambling to get my salvageables out and boarding with family, friends and, finally, my building manager-subsidized Holiday Inn room until my pad gets fixed by next month.

Anyway, I managed to get through this catastrophe and checked out a real cool bill at The Jungle. If anything screamed community then this was what it was that evening! The audience was a who’s-who of faithful regulars, and the acts featured members guesting in other’s sets and cheering each other on.

Crow Follow

Crow Follow started with their arty, film noir-tainted rock ‘n’ roll, tearing into “Indiana Line” (with Linnea’s Garden drummer Hands O’d guesting on guitar) and “54” (featuring guest Emily Grogan honking on sax) and Tim & Judy Sprague, Carolyn Corella, Ramona and John Keegan took us to the “Ride of Our Lives” in their “Doom Buggy,” with lead Gardener (and rad hostess of this gala) Linnea Herzog and her bassist Amy Galaviz along as happy passengers!

Agent Judy (Crow Follow) with Erica Mantone and Emily Grogan

Emily Grogan Band was next, and Emily, a true veteran rocker and multi-instrumentalist, ably displayed her melodic songwriting chops and vocal prowess with a set that climaxed with her new single “Join Together,” and, true to its call to arms, brought Crow Follower Judy Sprague and belter extraordinaire Erica Mantone to the stage. Her band, Matt Girard on bass, Michele Cavaliari on keys and Larry Dersch on drums, brought her works to a sublime level tonight.

Lights Out

Following that stellar set was the Lights Out, but the power was actually still on! I personally wasn’t familiar with the band until that evening but they impressed me with their deft mix of alt-power pop with a splash of ska rhythms. “Primetime,” “Gotta Get Away” and the atmospheric “I Dreamed of You Again” stood out and lead vocalist/guitarist Rishava Green’s Elvis Costello-like quaver lends itself well to the material with lead guitarist Adam Ritchie, bassist Matt King and drummer Jesse James providing great harmonies with their solid playing. And Linnea Herzog lent her support on spirited vocals for one of their numbers, a gesture always loved!

Linnea's Garden

Speaking of which, the headliners Linnea’s Garden really needs no big introduction - or, actually they do!! - as this trio of colorful (literally and figuratively) and engagingly subversive characters has been the toast of this Covid and post-Covid era of local rock! Linnea Herzog, who put this whole shebang together, has been charming the scene for a decade with her twisted, suggestive pop rock tunes and relentless enthusiasm and activism. Tonight this Garden bore some great, strange fruit with “No Bra,” “Like the Patriarchy,” and “Rat Ppl” and her cohorts Amy Galaviz on bass and Hands O’d on drums were the perfect accomplices to their crimes of bashin’! This evening was truly a celebration of diversity and community in our little rock bubble and it couldn’t have been a better diversion from the horrors of the outside world. Welcome to the Jungle indeed!

Amy Galaviz - Linnea's Garden

Agent Judy and Emily Grogan - Crow Follow

Agent Judy, Tim Spraque with Linnea Herzog and Amy Galaviz - Crow Follow

John Keegan with Hands O'd - Crow Follow

Emily Grogan Band

Hands O'd - Linnea's Garden

Linnea Herzog- Linnea's Garden