This was a good idea from the get go. DJ Kogar the Swingin' Ape spinning Crampcentric tunage while go go dancers alternated on dancing cubes in the low light of the Middle East Down. The women are part of a large burlesque troupe: Dinah Deville and the Bloodstains. Their primary gig this night is to collaborate with The Ego to pay homage to the wicked and wayward world of The Cramps. Now, there ain't nobody on earth or in purgatory that can create an infernal rocking snow globe like the sadly departed Lux and the MIA for far too long Ivy, but this crew give it a go.

   They keep it simple, aren't slaves to perfection, keep the big beat at the core and keep the psycho in the billy. The Bloodstains shimmy and slime into The Cramps side show freak songs. A Rubenesque beauty gives us a tawdry Human Fly. Clothing peels and pasties flash as the troupe and The Egos assure us that All Women Are Bad. The Military Industrial Complex meets its match when it gets flanked by that Bikini Girl with Machine Gun and a take no prisoners marching order.

The dude keeping burlesque safe for men kind gives us the Garbage Man - tossing all kinds of nasty shit into the audience like GG Allin on a creative jag. In the dark, in the back, two dancers keep the go go going. They looked dreamy and surreal in the backlight. Tramps, cramps, vamps and camp. The price of admission feels squared and there is still one more band to go.

   The Skeleton Beats push the peg up another notch. They benefit from a set list made up of their own tunes and a smattering of garage covers and kitschy Cramps' detritus. The crowd has thinned but the holdouts have made a collective decision to have car trouble in the morning. The Skeleton Beats are a revved-up hard rock outfit with well-integrated influences - a little Pretenders, a hint of Patti Smith, a dash of 50's rock, a sparkle on the cusp of 80's hairband metal, punk. A streak of girl group pop - minus the girls - jump up the choruses. The energy doesn't flag. The band has a gang of regulars singing along up front and there is a palpable threat of dancing.

   Amy Von Eerie on lead vocals and rhythm guitar is clearly in charge of this Hydra headed crew. Joey Two-Fingers takes care of the melodic base lines and vocal support. K-Rock has his way with terse, hooked up riffs and hard rock leads minus the showboating. Johnny "Too Sexy" Carlevale, keeps things moving on rhythm guitar. Both support the vocals. Mike Rancid keeps the beat hard, fast and in the pocket.

   The Bloodstains make a few seemingly less than planned cameos. This turns to best effect when a slave in a full-leather B and D head mask gives guitarist K Rock some rhythmic, self-serving leg attention during The Cramps ode to pet rescue, Can Your Pussy Do the Dog. The sound mix is solid. The lyrics of Skeleton Beat's tunes are probably clearly audible to unimpaired ears. Snippets reveal sly, rock feminist takes on relationships. Like this one from their fine Love Death Danger ep - Paramore's reverse butterfly kiss homage to Chrissie Hynde - "He's Special. I'm not." The Skeleton Beats have tight tunes, great lead vocals, ripped guitar lines, crunchy rhythm hooks and good taste in covers. And then come the big choruses. Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah // Yeah.

Not By Punk Rock Alone Super Mega Fest, Tara Framingham, November 22, 2014

Super Mega Fest is a Comic con thing; booths, costumes, trash culture and the Bat Mobile. Mick Lawless, the bass player in Moose and the Mudbugs and the leader of the Mike Nesmith loving Loose Salute books and plays pick up band for the after party music. Tonight the crowd is a bit lame - the seats don't help - but the music is a successful, oldies, cover-heavy mix.
   Nikki Luparelli and the Total Blam Blams previewed their cocktail Bowie show. The band is swingin'. Nikki is playing the subdued chanteuse this evening. Maybe she's saving a little. Check her out - with Burlesque - at Oberon this Friday night, November 28. She will be the lady grinning soul. Oh, and bring a date.

   One hit wonder, Gary DeCarlo, warms up the crowd with a smile inducing version of Na, Na, Hey, Hey, Kiss Him Goodbye. Classic rock trivia question - what did they call the band?
   Next up, the man everyone is waiting for, Mickey Dolenz. He looks like you remember plus a few years. He whips through Steppin' Stone, the Davy Jones tribute Day Dream Believer, Last Train to Clarksville and I'm a Believer. Whata voice.
   Last but not least the Oh No's. Deep cut Beatles and Beatle side project tunes. Absolutely worth catching with a group of well lubricated, like-minded friends in a suburb near you.