Inna Rude Mood: News

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.

IRM celebrated the Thanksgiving Day weekend with a double-bagger of gigs. First up, the legendary Palms restaurant in the sleepy hollow of Carpinteria. The locals pretty much slept through the gig but the band brought it's own cheering section of youngsters from Southern parts unknown. After grilling their own steaks and getting hopped up on caffeinated beverages, they proceeded to take over the dance floor and show the oldsters how it's done. It just might have been the most active "dinner set" that IRM has ever played at the Palms. Once the kids got kicked out at 10:30pm, the place became inhabited by the denizens of the local campgrounds. Apparently, it was so cold at the campsite that the parents decided they needed to fuel up on alcohol in order to survive the night. One such happy camper was a guy who identified himself as the original "Bubba" (aka, the owner and namesake of the Thompson Avenue dive bar that spawned the first few gigs of the scrappy upcomer, Rude Mood). He got a little too excited during Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" and lept across the stage banister to land on top of Ruben's drum set. Wait, did I mention that Bubba weighed at least 380 pounds and believed he had the mobility of a swan lake ballerina? Well, things didn't turn out too good for him. He fell backward into Ruben's drum kit and almost crushed Ruben along with the tom tom drum siting atop the kick drum. He then lept over the rail and fell onto the dance floor as steam began to escape from Ruben's ears. Later Bubba apologized to Ruben and tried to impress him with a story about he had once spit into Kurt Cobain's mouth while working security at a double-header gig in LA that featured Nirvana and Rage Against the Machine. We cannot say that Ruben was impressed because he really was not.

Things went much better for Ruben on Saturday night at Frankys. Although no one was present at 8:59pm, once the clock struck 9pm, the club crawlers slunk into Frankys. The crowd was up for a good time and Frankys was soon turned into Studio 54 with owner Joe's flashing light show. It's a different type of crowd that finds Frankys, usually one that did not intend to go out dancing. They walk past the club and cannot help but check out the scene. As a result, IRM picked up some new names for it's e-mail list and handed out some thong underwear to some hotties. Anyway, we'll see if the one in the wife-beater t-shirt returns for part two next weekend.

IRM played it's first wetting down party at a private shindig thrown by a bunch of seamen. Apparently it's traditional for advancing Navy pilots to spend a portion of their paycheck on a party for their friends. Then their friends thank them for the generosity by throwing them in the drink. Here, we weren't on a ship but we did have quick access to Oxnard's own Love Canal in the rear yard. Or, they could have just put them in the center of the room for a group golden shower of thanks. But no, nothing of that sort took place as people were too busy having their own good time. In this case, it was a great group of guys who are serving in the Navy out of Point Magu. Some fly planes onto aircraft carriers that sail out of San Diego. The bed-wetters were Dave (Raw Dog), Nate (Benedict), Mike (Poon-Kakes) and Will (TUFI). We just want to point out that Raw Dog also means War God when the letters are rearranged but that's a little off subject. Anyway, they are renting a great party house in Oxnard and had everything needed for a good time. A bartender named Clint, a beer pong table, a keg tapped from inside a refrigerator, a roaring backyard fire, a margarita machine, a pinata & ax handle, pigs in a blanket, thirsty people, a fog mahcine and, of course, IRM. In fact, if we could find anything to complain about it would have to be the ratio of men to women. There were way too many guys drinking alone as the poles far outnumbered the holes. The band rocked the party and kicked it into high gear when it eventually turned into karoke night. First off, Moonpie gave his best Johnny Cash impression on Cocaine Blues and RIng of Fire. Then, Mike of Poon-Kakes fame belted out Sweet Child of Mine and Enter Sandman. Finally, the four guys throwing the party gave their best on a rendition of Louie Louie. Luckily no one was recording the jam session so we can still claim that everyone who performed was an excellent singer. All in all, it's great to see that the military is made up of such great people and let's all hope that these guys don't find harms way and continue to enjoy life. IRM blue flames it all the way up to Carpenteria this weekend so check it out after you gorge on turkey.

Well, IRM rocked the house at It's All Good last night amid much drinking and general debauchery. Friends were plentiful in the audience, with even Captain Ron from Ohio making a rare appearance and scaring all the single women. He was in town to shape up John's sailboat and prepare it for the journey South for the winter. He was telling his usual tall tales and even took a turn at the mic later in the evening, doing his best Marty Robbins impersonation to some Johnny Cash tunes. Did I say that some bass players were in the house? Ok, I"ll say it. Some bass players were in the house. Another killer blonde who claimed to be Maggi's bass teacher strapped it on for a song or two and showed that more than one chick knows how to finger a G string properly and rock some classic rock tunes. Later in the evening, a bass player who claimed to have played with Steve Miller jumped onto the stage (well the area that a stage would have supported the band had there actually been more than just a level concrete floor) and strapped on his upside down top-to-bottom stringed bass, looking like a wild Jimi Hendrix. He soon began beating the tar out of the strings and jumping around like a mad man on some superfine funk bass lines. After a few tunes that got the crowd on their feet, he called out for some Jimi Reed and then proceeded to lay a swath of funk that cut through downtown Ventura and can still be smelled today if the wind is blowing in the proper direction. All in all, it was a good night at the club but not the best since much of the audience called it an early night and left the band holding their proverbial jock straps for the third set. Luckily just as the empty seats outnumbered the ones with cheeks, a gaggle of Navy seamen pilots stormed the club and injected some new life. Well, it's likely more of the same tonight as IRM has engaged itself to perform at their private event in some supersecret hanger location in Oxnard. If you never hear from IRM again, just send the search party to Oxnard with instructions to sniff out any place with an inordinate amount of empty containers that once held some type of alcoholic beverage.

IRM had a great time performing at the Star Lounge in downtown Ventura last night. All the signs of a hot night were present before the opening bell for the first set as Cowboy Will loomed into view and Melissa grabbed her favorite table across from Ruben. People kept filling the place like sardines in a tin can and the new dance floor took a lickin' while displaying the light show recently improved by Maggi. IRM test drove some of their new tunes as many friends showed up for the evening and even more interesting interpretive dancers broke out their best moves. After singing Happy Birthday to a patron, the band slipped into overdrive and the capacity crowd kept wanting more, even as the set was set to wrap up. IRM bowed to peer pressure and played three more songs until finally throwing in the towel on the evening, sending the throngs back into the streets upon completion of last call. Overall, the gig was one of the more memorable ones for the band and bodes well for the venue in 2008 as IRM has already committed to playing the first Friday of every month next year. If you haven't been to the Star Lounge ever (or even in the past six months), do yourself a favor and check it out. Since being under new ownership, the place gets nicer every month and the next scheduled improvement is a raising of the ceiling and coverage with cool black ceiling tiles. This will improve the acoustics of the venue even further and set it up to be a destination spot for party-people in search of great live music.

IRM enjoyed performing at It's All Good this past Friday night, once again connecting with many new people. The club "It's All Good" continues to get better for IRM everytime that they play it. The night started with many local musicians relaxing with a drink and checking out IRM during the first set. Downtown Ventura is establishing such a great live venue scene that there are many places for patrons to hop from as they hit each bar in the scene. Good probably still has the best location of them all given its huge windows overlooking the middle of Main Street and prime location next to the movie theater that dumps out fresh meat every half-hour or so. LIke a spider attracting flies to its enticing web, the movie goers first peer into Good's storefront and then soon join in the revelry inside the club.

In contrast, O'Leary's has been struggling lately due to its location. It's really too bad since this has been a great social gathering spot through the years and the owners work hard to maintain an inviting atmosphere. Once a destination spot for neighborhood denizens on the East side near the Government center, its popularity has taken a huge hit with the emergence of popular new clubs in downtown Ventura. With those clubs staying open until 2am now, they even struggle to attract the "last call" crowd that used to fill up the place even on dead nights. IRM performed at O'Leary's as best they could on Saturday night but failed to generate much excitement from the small crowd. Did I say small? It was so small that IRM knew almost all of the patrons in the place, including the owners who were trying their best to be excellent hosts. IRM did have some fun playing some tunes that they hadn't played for a while and also, late into the third set, they took requests from the 4 remaining patrons in the club. It didn't matter that IRM didn't know the songs, they played the requests anyway and even let one of the female patrons sing some karoake to a song she had requested. Except she was more drunk than anyone had anticipated and quickly forgot the words once the spotlight was on her performance. See, it's not as easy as it seems when you're singing along in the seats. If you don't know the words cold, you often cannot remember them and it's easy to panic with a blank mind. That's of course why Ruben still carries the words to "Funky White Boy" to every gig and glances at them despite having sung the tune for more than six years and on thirteen different continents (actually I made that last part up, but not the part about needing to look at the lyric sheet every gig). If you don't believe me, check him out whenever he sings. Anyway, did I say that no one was in O'Leary's near the end of the third set? Well, that's how Maggi was able to walk the entire length of the bar during the last song and not have to worry about kicking over a drink or step on someone's hand. IRM has enjoyed performing at O'Leary's for the past six years. We've made many friends and enjoyed countless good time. But, there is only time for so many gigs each month due to band members other lives and, going forward, IRM will not be gig monthly at O'Learys once the new year starts. So, if you want to catch IRM playing their final two 2007 gigs at O'Leary's, then come on down the first Saturday of November and December. Be sure to request a song, any song, and IRM will play it if you also happen to only be one of a few people sitting in the bar at the time.

IRM had an outstanding weekend with fun gigs at Star Lounge and Palms. First up was Star Lounge on Friday night. The crowd was amped and cowboy Will kicked up the energy at the first song with his enthusiastic dancing. Who is cowboy Will you say? We're still not sure but he showed up with a cowboy hat and the women in the bar couldn't keep their eyes off of him. Like a male exotic dancer, he shook his thing while executing splits, twirls and skippy jumps. Ruben was definitely jealous of Will's dancing skills, especially after Ruben's dorky dance performance. The crowd swelled quickly and often, with another outstanding evening ripping it up at the Star Lounge. It now features a new wooden dance floor and still has the best maintained public restrooms of any dive bar.

Saturday was the avocado festival in downtown Carpenteria and the biggest night of the year at the Palms. Security was on hand to keep the large crowd outside the club calm as they waited for the capacity Palms to empty. But who would leave such excitement? IRM could not believe their eyes when Cowboy Will showed up for the second night of the row. Is this a new stalker for bassist Maggi, or just some guy in a cowboy hat, tank top and tight jeans who truly loves to dance? It turned out to be the latter. Will joined the capacity crowd of dancing fools and everyone had a great time. Does IRM have any pictures to show the widespread mirth and merriment? Of course not because no one brought a camera. Well, there's always next year.