Inna Rude Mood: News

The party people were out in force Saturday night at The Watermark, flooding the entire upstairs lounge affectionately called W2O. IRM was happy to see so many friends, fans and random patrons all gathered in one place with the single purpose of having some fun. From the first song to the last, the crowd danced and boogied in their seats to IRM's timely tunes for those with the textured taste. It was especially great to see so many people from Community Memorial Hospital having fun. The band certainly felt safer knowing that if Ruben had palpitations from drumming his kit so hard, that help was a few feet away. Only downer of the night came when the three band members paid their family/friends tab for the night of revelry and realized they had broken even on the difference between the gig's pay and bar tabs. Well, if it's a wash, then the drinks were actually free and, since your body can't own alcohol--only rent it temporarily until it flushes down the toilet--the band came out ahead by enjoying a fun evening. Look for IRM to play at W2O next month (think it's a Friday night this time).

 

IRM had the honor of playing the main stage at Ventura's huge 4th of July Street Festival and rocked the crowd. Playing the best of the best cover songs from among their large repertoire, the band's music appealed to the all ages crowd. Conveniently located next to the Food Court, the band entertained prime lunch hour from 12:30 to 2:30. What better way to start the 4th of July celebration than eating a pulled pork sandwich while watching IRM perform? As always, the band recognized many friends/fans among the crowd and appreciated the support. This was one of the largest crowds that IRM had ever performed for and it featured some colorful street people jigging up a storm near front of the stage. Rumor has it that someone was videotaping segments and if we get our hands on the footage, we'll post it on this website. Next up is a fun July 17th gig at Watermark's W2O Lounge. Come on out and enjoy a fun night on the town at Ventura's most happening hot spot.

Inna Rude Mood enjoys playing to all the young hipsters who pack into The Good Bar. I guess we need a light on the camera as the bar is dark (the way guys like it when they dance) and you can't see alot in the video, but you can sense the energy of the place. IRM plays at this club the first Friday of every month and if you want to see it really hoppin, pop into the club between 11pm and 1:30am. You won't be sorry.

IRM rocked the W2O rooftop lounge at Ventura's most upscale club last night. The evening started off promising with date night couples chilling with favorite beverages and grooving to the tunes. The club has the best wines-by-the-glass list downtown. We recommend Berringer Reserve for a fruit-forward big red. The first set was fun with three parties celebrating their birthday at club tables. Craig's party was especially well represented for his 46th Birthday. The party people arrived at the start of the second set and youngsters enjoyed Katy Perry's "I Kissed A Girl", Lady Gaga's "Just Dance", and Ke$ha's "Tik Tok." Maggi has become quite the pop queen female rapper when the tune calls for it. Look for more current hits to be added in the next few months as IRM continues beefing up the current pop/dance side of it's setlist. As the summer night continue to heat up in downtown Ventura, IRM hopes to see you at their upcoming gigs.

Getting a little behind on reporting gig news, so here's a recap. IRM has enjoyed a string of excellent gigs in and around Ventura County. Despite the economic downturn, party people are still crawling into venues that feature IRM and the band is most appreciative. In fact, after The Good Bar got into a little hot water with the local PD regarding filling up beyond capacity, they implemented a strict cut-off at club capacity that resulted in an entry line snaking away from the front front. Haven't seen that since Halloween night. Also, gigs at Palms in Carp and Star Lounge have been very well attended from the second set onward. That's generally when the true party people are shaking off the rust of their hangover and seeking a little hair of the dog that bit them. No, seriously, the only club goers that you can rely on these days are people in their 20s who still feel good about spending money on a good time at a club. These kids like to drink and they like to stay up late. Good thing because without them, downtown Ventura would not be the happening place that it has become over the past few years. IRM doesn't know whether it's because of Guitar Hero or the lack of decent new rock songs, but people in their 20s know all the songs that IRM plays and enjoys them. IRM has also adjusted their third set to accommodate the kids with popular 90s alternative songs, party anthems that have crossed over to all styles, and even the poppiest of pop tunes performed by Lady Gaga and Ke$sha.

The only place IRM has been struggling to fill to capacity recently has been Watermark's W2O. It's definitely the classiest venue that IRM frequents and has gotten a little bit of a reputation for being pricey. The older people realize you need to pay a little extra for ambience and style, but they don't always come out and party like it's 1999. Hopefully, that trend will reverse itself this next Saturday since W20 has recently reduced some of it's food/drink pricing as well as loosened up on the dress code. So, if you haven't checked out Ventura's classiest party club yet or recently, come on down and see what all the fuss has been about. It's definitely an asset to Ventura's club scene with the owner's featuring some of the best local and regional bands available. It's a great place to start the night with small plate apps and a decent glass of wine that you frankly can't find in any other club downtown (unless your idea of a good wine is one that gets poured from an airplane size screw-top bottle). Start your night with IRM at 9pm at W20 and, if your above 30 years old you can end it when IRM wraps up at midnight, but if you're still in your 20s you know that you can still hit a few bars when IRM winds down since a bunch of clubs are hopping around town until 1:45am. 

IRM enjoyed another outstanding weekend performing for music lovers in downtown Ventura. The weekend gigs were characterized by the ying and yang of Main Street. First up was Friday night at the upscale W2O Lounge at the top of the Watermark Restaurant on one end of Main. The clientele was dressed up to party and patrons enjoyed sipping fine wines, micro-brewed beers and mixed exotic drinks while rockin' to the beat. Victoria was celebrating a birthday along with a pack of very attractive middle-aged women (ie, "cougars"). Along came some male college students attending the local Brooks Film Academy and soon it was like watching an episode of Cougartown. One brunette in particular gave a young man all he could handle on the dance floor with an energetic dance that was fun for all to watch. Who knows what happened later that night because our cameras didn't follow them like they would have done in the TV show. Anyway, that little snippet was one of many very fun moments during the gig and IRM enjoyed seeing some old friends who made the gig. If you haven't been to W2O yet, you need to check out IRM when they play there next month on the third weekend of April.

Next up was the Saturday night gig at The Star Lounge; a place more akin to a classic dive-bar marked by two pool tables, a dance floor and a country-western-themed decor. Here, the patrons are dressed more casually and generally like to drink any of the domestic beer that is ice-cold and on tap. You'd be out of place ordering wine here unless you like it served in little screw-top bottles like they give you on Southwest Airlines. IRM tends to play a little more SRV and blues during the first set as patrons like to chill, rather than dance. From the second set on, however, things livened up when a posse of well-dressed people descended on the scene. The band recognized the owner of Watermark (who also owns The Star Lounge), who also had the head security guy from that venue tagging along. Just as Scott was about to tease him for needing a bodyguard while walking around his club, Maggi recognized that Leann Rimes was in the posse. IRM was blazing through their "Play That Funky Music" medley and the band noticed that Leann knew all the words to the old school rap tune, "Rapper's Delight." Leann was enjoying a night on the town and looked fantastic, in a tight black dress and spike heel shoes. She was quickly convinced to perform a song with IRM and chose the 70's rocker "I Want You To Want Me." After singing it very well, she called out another song and IRM launched into "Folsom Prison Blues." Finally, Scott asked her to help sing the female parts of "Jackson", where she harmonized with Maggi, and then she called it a night. This is now the second time that IRM has backed up Leann and we appreciate her being such a great sport in performing for her appreciative fans. As this was a total surprise, IRM has no video footage to document the occasion, however, people were clicking pictures like crazy with their cell phones and maybe someone will send one to us to post on this website (Postscript note: "thanks Melissa"). Until then, you'll have to take our word for it that it was an exciting moment during the night and one that we hope to repeat again in the future when Leann hits town and unwinds. In the meantime, maybe IRM could learn one of her songs to play next time so that she really showcases her outstanding vocal ability.

Check out the cell phone pictures of LeAnn Rimes singing with Inna Rude Mood in the Photo Gallery Section of this website.

IRM had a most excellent time playing timely tunes for those with the textured tastes at the Palms in Carp Saturday night. Many many familiar faces were in attendance and patrons danced from the opening chord to the closing drum-kit reach-around stick-bash. IRM has met many locals over the years while playing gigs at the Palms and it's certainly one of the friendliest small towns you'll find on the central coast (even if some of the menfolk do enjoy engaging in drunken fisticuffs every so often). IRM debuted a few new tunes including "Bad Things" and "Rock & Roll All Night." The jury is still out on bad things but R&Rallnight went over well. Next on the nonstop tour of the Central Coast brings IRM to the tale of two cities; it's the upscale W2O Lounge at Watermark Restaurant and then the biggest little classic dive-bar that we affectionately call The Star Lounge. It's going to be a rocking weekend so get alot of rest and sleep this week if you plan on joining IRM on one or both nights.

IRM rocked It's All Good or Good Bar or Great Bar on Friday night. Opening band from local Cal State Channel Islands drew a bunch of college-age fans, some of whom stayed a while through IRM's first set. Like any night at Good, audience builds from first set to packed house for second and third set. That happened again, despite the rain outside and the damp chilly weather. It was good to see old friends and make some new ones by end of night. Check out IRM who will be playing Good the first Friday of every month starting in April. Due to a scheduling snafu for March, there won't be a gig at Good unless another band flakes out.

IRM's stoked Watermark's crowd last night of premature Valentine's Day party people. They say absence makes the heart grow stronger and that may have been the case. IRM has been MIA at W2O in 2010 due to a combination of booking screwups and desire to spend weekends skiing in Utah. Prior to the gig start, owner Mark Hartley informed Scott that the band had made the venue's walk of shame. There is now a picture on the wall leading to the bathrooms showing IRM jamming with Ms. Rimes from a few months ago. Cool! Also, he informed the band that they would now be broadcast on the TVs around the bar since cameras had been installed that were focused on the band. Now the barflys can both hear the band and check out the action like voyeurs.  Had IRM and their plethora of fans gotten rusty during the layoff from playing W2O? No worries, IRM's supporters more than made up for it with a strong showing throughout the entire gig. Hitting the dance floor often and early, a corner seat filled with IRM friends was a hotbed of activity. Some sampled the sushi from Watermark's restaurant while others preferred Kobe beef sliders and martinis. Wine flowed plentifully as well and the crowd was in the mood to party.

Scott showed off his special red converse V-Day tennis shoes amid much envy and acclaim. (Note: You too can own your own pair by purchasing them online from the Eastbay sportswear website.) Some were dressed in red due to pre-VD celebrations and/or plans to celebrate it on VD once the clock struck midnight. If you are a MMA fan, you must know who Bas Rutten is. You know the bald dude with the sense of humor who co-hosts the popular MMA talk show "Inside MMA." Well, if you want to see his twin, you need to meet Steve at W2O. He's the well-dressed bouncer who can be seen eyeing the crowd for trouble and speaking to someone in his earset mic. Talk to Steve and he'll tell you that Bas has met him a few times and commented on their similarity. Apparently, Steve may act as Bas' stunt double in an upcoming feature film. 

IRM debuted a few new tunes that were not really new tunes for the world, only for being performed by IRM. Hole's "Malibu" sounded good, as did Billy Idol's "Rebel Yell" and Doors "Love Me Two Times." Things really started to heat up once Scott announced that the next song would make a perfect Hallmark VD card, AC/DC's "Shook Me All Night Long." Anyway, eventually it was disclosed that 23 year-old Mallory was celebrating her birthday at the venue and IRM serenaded her with their signature Happy Birthday mashup. Mallory also gladly accepted IRM's gift of signature "Inna Rude Mood" thong underwear and quickly slipped them on for the crowd to check out. Scott reminded Ruben that he could by Mallory's father and then it was back to the tunes. All in all, a most fun evening of revelry in an upscale establishment that ended with Maggi telling everyone in the place to "Beat It" like Michael Jackson. Check the calendar for IRM's next date and hope to see you there.

IRM rocked the house at The Star Lounge in downtown Ventura. Many fans and old friends showed up for the start and the crowd was great throughout the night. The Star has cut down to one bartender due to some slow nights recently, but Daisy was hopping around all night filling drink orders. It was also her birthday and IRM serenaded her with their special version of Happy Birthday. Scott debuted his "Garth Brooke's style" headset mic and liked it alot; although he needs to work out the kinks so that he doesn't cough into a live mic.  IRM debuted  "Rebel Yell" and has some other ones that they didn't get to, maybe next time.

Are looking to celebrate Valentines' Day but can't stand the crowded and overpriced scene? Then join IRM at W2O on February 13th for a fun Saturday night and leave the 14th for the suckers. You'll be able to sleep in the next morning and continue the celebration.

IRM returned to Ventura's local music scene by rocking the hell out of Good. While patrons filtered in during the first set, from the second set on (approx 10:30pm to 1:20am) it was standing room only. The Good bar attracts a younger crowd than W2O and IRM enjoys seeing twenty-somethings reacting well to classic rock. Melissa and Deb took the night off, so no new video footage is available to show you what the scene was like. Take our word that it was hoppin' all night long. IRM plans to continue a monthly gig at Good throughout 2010, so if you missed them in January, you can be sure to see them in February.

IRM wrapped up it's final gig of 2009 at It's All Good. It was an unusual night as IRM combed it's back catalog for songs sung by Scott and Ruben. Maggi has come to dominate the lead vocals in the band but was down for the count with a severe cold. Her inability to sing made it an SRV and George Thorogood night. Things went as best as could be expected but no question the band is best when Maggi is 100%.

IRM is continuing their tradition of not playing deep into December and not taking a New Years Eve gig. Maggi, Scott and Ruben will spend time with family and friends over the holidays and then pick things up again in January. One of the band members maintains a vacation house in Utah and will soon hit the slopes on the challenging trails.

The band would like to thank everyone who has come out to see them this past year. [Of course those who did not come out ever can piss off.] IRM has been fortunate to count many people around Ventura County as fans and this has been one of the most successful ever. We added Watermark as a new venue this year and have had some great times there. It's also been fun to play at Good monthly and connect with youngsters who enjoy classic rock, funk and alternative. Happy Holidays to all and see you next year!

IRM rocked W2O patrons for the second time in three weeks. The crowd was amped to celebrate the Holiday season and the band was celebrating Maggi's Birthday. Mr Hofer and Mr James were in the house and did shots with Scott at the break. Then Bushnell's office party joined the crowd and all hell broke loose. We're not sure but there appeared to be people dressed in Christmas costumes and taking way too many pictures with their stuffed Santa. All in all another most excellent night of fun at Watermark's W2O. IRM's next gig at W2O will be on February 13th when most people will be celebrating Valentine's Day. Make your plans now.

IRM has only one more gig in December before taking their customary break. See you next weekend at It's All Good.

IRM rocked the fine fine patrons of The Good Bar last night. This downtown venue has been attracting a young late night crowd and Saturday night was no different. Band started at 9:30 to a few patrons and slowly started drawing people in who were strolling downtown. Eventually the place filled up with youngsters and they enjoyed IRM's eclectic sets, especially any classic rock song they recognized from playing Guitar Hero and Rock Band. A Star was born around the third set as a fairly intoxicated young lady decided to join the band. Initially she was a go go dancer next to Maggi/Scott, then she decided to sing into Scott's ear and finally she bumped and grinded against Scott during his lead of Sweet Child of Mine. Ruben thanked the young fan by giving her his drum sticks at the end of the night and she promptly sat down at his set and started hitting the drums. That prompted an angry bouncer to bounce her by throwing the drum sticks into the street. She pushed him and quickly retrieved her sticks. Violence was unfortunately in the air downtown as IRM witnessed a minor melee across the street from the club as they were packing up their stuff. A group of young men fought each other for a while, with no one really getting hurt, until finally the bouncers from The Good Bar went across the street and broke it up. By the time the cops were on the scene, no one was around. All in all, a fun night downtown and one IRM will seek to replicate when they play at The Good Bar again on Dec 11th. Be there and get a front row seat to the action.

IRM rocked the party people enjoying W2O's rooftop lounge. Check out some youtube footage shot by a new camera operator that IRM was auditioning for band videographer.It's a little shaky and a little dark, but you get the idea of how much everyone was enjoying their evening out. Why weren't you there? We don't know but we do know that IRM will return to W2O each month and you need to check out the scene.

Check out the pictures posted today from IRM's Halloween night gig at The Star Lounge. The pics are courtesy of Melissa/Amy and documents their night at the Star Lounge. We couldn't post all pictures because we like to keep this a family-oriented website. But, take it on good authority that as the night got later, the pictures got more, shall we say revealing. If you'd like us to post your Halloween pictures from the Star, please send them to us. Also, please remember to delete any after-party pictures that may also be on the same roll so you won't find yourself in the same compromising position that Melissa and Amy now find themselves in.

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.