Inna Rude Mood: News

IRM thoroughly enjoyed rocking the capacity crowd last night at the internationally-ignored Palms club in Carpinteria, CA. Coming off an extended vacation during the month of July, IRM showed no signs of rust despite not seeing each other since the W2O gig. To accommodate the need for a quieter dinner set while patrons finished their self-cooked meals, IRM broke out some SRV tunes that they hadn't played recently but had played often during the past nine years. Like an old pair of jeans, the SRV tunes were comfortably familiar and achieved their purpose of easing the band back into trio coordination. People started dancing despite the low-key dinner set tunes and eventually the band changed to uptempo songs that matched the party mood. After a raucous version of Sweet Home Alabama/Freebird, IRM took it's first break and promised to return promptly.

True to their word, the break was short and IRM quickly pumped up the intensity and volume to a packed dance floor. Some old friends were in attendance and enjoyed getting their dance groove on. The crowd was a great mix of twenty-somethings and older patrons who freely mixed and matched dance partners as IRM kept the soundtrack pumping. IRM showed off it's versatility by easily transition from funk, alternative rock, 80s tunes, classic rock and hair metal. The second set closed with everyone singing along to Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'" and Bon Jovi's "Livin' On A Prayer." 

The third set featured a few Happy Birthday thong giveaways and plenty of Sublime tuneage, with "Bad Fish" quickly becoming a crowd favorite. After jumping aboard the Crazy Train and erupting into Beat It, everyone was satisfied. For some, the evening's highlight was the quick "Marilyn Monroe" moment occurring for Cari as she stepped onstage and her short dress was blasted toward the sky by Ruben's high-powered fan. What kind of underwear was she wearing??, we'll never tell. IRM ended by promising to return Sept 1st. Next stop, The Star Lounge.

IRM enjoyed rocking the Saturday night crowd at Watermark's W2O rooftop lounge. The weather was perfect, the roof was fully opened and patrons were in the mood to party. It apparently was "Shani Night" at W2O, with many of her friends in the audience. Check out the photos tab on this website to see some action shots from the evening's festivities captured by Shani's camera. The band had taken the first part of July off but got back into the groove fairly quickly, building momentum through their first set. After a drink or two, the crowd got into the dancing vibe and pretty much kept it up throughout the entire evening. All in all a great response from the capacity crowd and a great evening in downtown Ventura. IRM is scheduled to return to W2O on the third Saturday night in August. Put it on your schedule and check it out, as there is nothing in downtown Ventura quite like the upscale rooftop venue.

IRM is now taking the latter part of July off and then will resume it's monthly gigs at Palms and Star Lounge. Rumor has it that IRM might even make a reappearance back at JJ Brewsky's in Camarillo. Stay tuned and see what develops.

IRM rocked the sleepy town of Carp at the internationally-ignored venue The Palms, or at least everyone whom they could find awake after 9pm. Rather than finding a raucous Friday night summertime mob and hot-rod car show crowd, the band found things somewhat sedate in Carp. Not sure whether it was the recession or balmy overcast weather, but the crowds were not thronging the main drag on Linden avenue as they reliably have for the past few summers. Oh well, IRM made the best of the situation with the awake and alive patrons of the Palms and did their best to generate some energy in the town night life. The early spark for the evening came in the form of hospital-based employees from CMH who had traveled up from Ventura for the gig. They ate their meal and then danced off the calories during the first set that eventually extended into a second set without a break. The night continued into a third set with the underwhelming crowd (more like a few dozen unruly drunks) requesting some SRV and heavy metal, in addition to the dance tunes being dished forth by the flexible band. IRM gave Jane's Addiction's "Been Caught Stealin'" and No Doubt's "Hella Good" out for an initial spin, but the crowd favorite had to be the Sublime tunes. IRM once again regretted breaking their "this band is not a karaoke machine" rule by allowing a bar patron who identified himself as Warrant's lead singer to sing on Sweet Child of Mine. Although IRM is a sucker for 80's metal bands and, in hindsight, this guy might be a good singer with strong pipes, but at that moment he was wasted and unable to stay on anything close to the proper pitch. After shattering all of the bar glassware with his high pitched free-form wails, the song mercifully ended and IRM returned to their normal lineup. 

IRM is taking most of the month of July off for family vacations and that will enable Scott to take his abused guitars into Tracy's shop. The well-worn SRV strat needs a new fret job and overall tuneup. Rumor has it that he's also going to install a Floyd Rose locking tremolo on another guitar so that he can drive the dive bomb guitar hero cliche right into the ground at the end of every song ala Mick Mars of Motely Crue. IRM will definitely resurface in July for only one gig, Saturday July 18th at Watermark's W2O rooftop lounge, so plan your life and summer vacation accordingly. In the meantime, you'll have to satisfy your need for speed by checking out "Steel Panther" on Youtube. Are those guys hilarious, or have you lost your inner funny bone? I recommend "Death to All But Metal", "Thar She Blows" or "Turn Out the Lights."

IRM had a thoroughly enjoyable time rocking their newest "favorite venue", the rooftop W2O Lounge at Watermark Restaurant. School was out and a group of elementary school teachers camping out in one of W2Os couch sections were giddily high on life, or was it something else? Also, W2O fixture Israel was doing his best to rile up the dancing crowd early in the first set. There was also a strong contingent of party people from a local hospitalist group. They claimed to be conducting community marketing regarding some alleged "path to partnership" and possibly that involves consuming large quantities of alcohol while showing off your best dance moves. But, more likely it doesn't, although we've got to admit that one Hospitalist physician in particular surprised us with his break-dancing skills on Billie Jeanne. Meanwhile another employee of the group was doing shots and screaming out for IRM to play anything by AC/DC. Anyhow, the party people enjoyed dancing during IRM's two sets and then especially singing at the top of their lungs when IRM broke out their new version of "Umbrella" and "Don't Start Believin'". One more gig this month at Carp's Palms and then the band takes most of July off (apparently Maggi and Scott cannot get on the same page with Maggi vacationing with family in Utah at start July and Scott heading East for a hometown Boston beatdown towards end of July). Regardless, they'll all be in town during the middle of the month for a return to W2O on the third Saturday night of July (the 18th for those who never carry around a calendar). Hope to see you there.

IRM ventured across the eastern border of Ventura/Oxnard to invade the quiet enclave known as Camarillo. The band was hired to provide the soundtrack to Tamara's 40th Birthday Party held at JJ Brewsky's. The venue was cool and everyone had a great time. Tamara had a huge turnout of friends who were in the mood to party down and they danced the night away to specially requested 80's hits. The band eventually provided Tamara with their signature thong underwear, just in case she needed a pair for later that evening when thanking OJ for the party. When Tamara requested some Van Halen, IRM pulled out Eddie Van Halen's Eruption guitar solo and then stuck it directly into Michael Jackson's Beat It. All in all, a very satisfying experience for any woman but may tend to dredge up painful memories for certain younger boys who may have or may not have shared Michael's bed at Neverland Ranch. Anyway, 10 out of 10 staff members at JJ Brewsky agreed that IRM was an improvement upon the bands that the venue has been featuring. They begged the band to return and IRM will do just that to see what kind of crowd they can generate among the quiet townfolk of Camarillo. Stay tuned and you'll soon know when IRM will return to JJ Brewskys and rock whomever they find.

IRM thoroughly enjoyed rocking the fine patrons of The Star Lounge last night in downtown Ventura. The night got very lively when a bachelorette party featuring "Harmony" showed up to get their party on. Harmony had on a fine outfit featuring a black leather vest and skin-tight white pants with laces that went complete up-and-down each side. Add a fine pair of stiletto heels and a body that was made for dancing and this girl was ready to party down with her gaggle of hens in tow. Although lonely guys at the club were hoping to get in harmony themselves, there was no way that anyone was going to disrupt that group of women dancing and drinking the night away. Harmony apparently also teaches dancing to private students, including pole dancing. Check out her website at http://harmonymotion.com Although Scott offered her the use of his pole for a private dance lesson, apparently Harmony already has six poles at her dance studio for such lessons and they are much larger than what Scott was offering. Anyway, she had a few of her students in the group who also claimed to be Brides-maids-to-be at the upcoming wedding planned for the beach. The stories from the ladies about the wedding got larger as the night wore on. Harmony claimed that she was getting married in a bikini and bridesmaids would wear only pasties and then one bridesmaid later claimed that they would all actually be nude. Harmony ended up inviting everyone to her wedding but who knows if she'll remember when the buzz wears off this morning, also the groom-to-be sounds like a big dude, so I wouldn't go showing up to the wedding uninvited no matter what anyone plans on wearing or not wearing. The most important thing is that Maggi identified all of the party people in the audience and got them signed up for IRM's email list and the band hopes to see Harmony and her pals at future gigs in downtown Ventura. Towards the end of IRMs last set, Mark (owner of Star Lounge & Watermark) showed up to appreciate the bands' last few songs and order them up a round of drinks. He is a great guy and a patron of the City of Ventura like no other. Hope everyone keeps supporting his various businesses in Ventura so that he continues to be a leader in the development of Ventura's emerging nightlight. Next for IRM is a private party event this evening at JJ Brewskys in downtown Camarillo and then the following Friday night IRM returns to Watermark's W2O for what should be a crazy night of drunken revelry.

Does IRM really stimulate party attitude? As they say in Minnesota, "You betcha!" Responding to the rash of bleak economic news, IRM recently announced a special Celebration Stimulus Relief Package. For a limited time only, IRM can be pimped out at your party for less than 50% of their usual price for private party gigs. IRM has recently played at private events and received $1200 to $3000. Now, for a limited time only, they have agreed to accept a few private party gigs for only $600. Again, that's more than 50% off the regular price, but that's not all. For the first five party hosts who act now, IRM will take off an additional $100 to bring the total all-inclusive party package price to an amazing $500. Well, that's not entirely accurate either, because the band just booked another private party this morning and that leaves only 4 more party hosts who can qualify for the special $100 off pricing. Don't miss this special opportunity. Act today without delay. Contact the band and treat your party guests to an experience that will last much longer than their hangover. And...always remember that sobriety conceals what alcohol reveals.

IRM enjoyed their debut performance in the adult lounge (W2O) at the top of The Watermark restaurant in downtown Ventura. The standing-room only audience was primed for fun and danced the night away. It was hard to escape the feeling that you were attending someone's raucous wedding reception as the crowd embraced IRM's many new medleys of familiar staples, like Dancing Queen (aka "Nancing Queen"), I Feel Good, Shout, and YMCA. The crowd also celebrated the Birthdays of Natasha, Brad and Zack, who all graciously accepted their gift of IRM signature thong underwear. The earlier than normal midnight ending also enabled the band to keep the energy up with only one short break. The night came to a close with the audience singing Beastie Boy's "Fight for Your Right to Party" and then Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody."

W2O is a great fit for IRM's uptempo party music and the owners were very pleased. They observed that IRM seemed to generate more excitement from an audience than any band that had played at the rooftop lounge to date. It was exactly the vibe they had sought out to achieve on a Saturday night when first creating the concept for W2O. The owner has asked IRM to perform on a regular basis going forward and the band will soon book a gig for the third Saturday of each month. It will likely start in June. This will replace the same gig that IRM used to play at It's All Good and provide an even better lounge environment for IRM fans to get their groove on. The summer should especially prove fun when the retractable roof of the lounge will open to expose the night sky. In the meantime, IRM will perform a rare Sunday afternoon gig at the Watermark on May 8th. This happens to also be Mothers Day and Watermark plans an upscale brunch in their main restaurant and a much less formal affair in their rooftop lounge. Both feature outstanding food and will be something that a truly caring son or daughter would want their mother to experience. Then stay and enjoy live party music from 2-5pm.

If you are reading this because you saw IRM for the first time, or heard what a great time a friend had, provide your email address as indicated in this site and join the hundreds of people who receive Maggi's inspired gig announcements. Don't miss your only opportunity to always know where you can have fun with IRM in 2009. Act now, and keep trying to submit your email address if the web traffic is too high to accept your submission.

IRM rocked the infamous Keynote Lounge in East Ventura this past Friday night. The club features a stage and ample dance floor as well as a fine set of regulars who are always amped up for a night of drinkin and carrying on. Friday proved no different as patrons enjoyed the band's three sets and finally had to be bumrushed out of the place at closing time.

IRM rocked little old Carp last night from the stage of the Palms Restaurant. As usual, the evening started with a dinner set that built in intensity as the crowd accumulated in the bar area. The band busted out some new tunes and saw some old friends. One had an unfortunate work-related accident where she broke a middle finger. We're not going to repeat the story of how Scott told the crowd how it happened, as he is often not a reliable source for such information. Yet, his version of the events was much more interesting than what allegedly occurred. A request by a well-lubricated female drummer to pound the skins on Sublime's "Caress Me Down" had it going the speed of a funeral dirge. When someone in a bar tells you that they are great on an instrument and that "no, they hadn't had too much to drink", that's usually a bad combination. But in contrast, Maggi's bass-playing friend from Russia proved to be a talent worthy of taking the stage on Respect and Superfreak. The night ended with a soulful rendition of Little Wing dedicated to Melissa. All in all, not a bad night on IRM's everlasting tour of Ventura County hotspots.

This Friday, March 13, Inna Rude Mood will boldly appear at THE PALMS RESTAURANT in Carpinteria, in full spite of this superstitious date. Fear of Friday the 13th, paraskavedekatriaphobia, is actually a fear of two things: Fridays and the number 13. Fear of Fridays dates back at least to the Canterbury Tales (from the 1300s!) and may even be attributed to the Norse goddess Frigga, for whom Friday was named. Frigga was the free-spirited goddess of love and fertility (wanton lust?) until the people converted to Christianity and banished her to a mountaintop. Maybe that's when she invented the word 'friggin'' to describe her new living arrangements. Fear of the number 13 has to do with its unlucky proximity to the number 12. 12 is considered complete as in the 12 months of the year, the 12 hours on the clock, the 12 Tribes of Israel, etc., and the number 13 transgresses this completeness. It's like being a guitarist unfortunately scheduled to play a solo after Eddie Van Halen. Fear of the number 13 is really the fear of bad timing. Some other fears: Ablutophobia- Fear of bathing. Displayed by most children between the ages of 5 and 10. Allodoxophobia- Fear of opinions. No, they don't want to hear what you think. Anuptaphobia- Fear of staying single. The seminal axiom of dating websites. Consecotaleophobia- Fear of chopsticks. A distinct disadvantage in the Orient. Sesquipedalophobia- Fear of long words. There's an irony in here somewhere... We could go on, but we wouldn't want to cause an outbreak of apeirophobia (look it up). Instead, we invite you to placate your fear of staying home on a perfectly good Friday night by joining Inna Rude Mood at THE PALMS RESTAURANT in Carpinteria, 701 Linden Ave., from 9 pm to 1 am on Friday, March 13. Carpe diem! Scott the Scotomaphobe, Maggi the Mageirocophobe, and Ruben the Rupophobe

IRM rocked a filled to capacity Star Lounge last night. The crowd was pumped for action from the 4th song on and much beer was spilled on the dance floor. It was great to see some many friends/fans turn out and kick up their heels. Daisy and Amy did a great job serving up drinks and keep the crowd well lubricated. IRM was happy to see their old friend Crissy Primiano visiting from LA where she works as a session vocalist. She joined the band on lead vocals for a few tunes and also added some tasty backups. If only Scott and Ruben could sing like that. Anyway, Crissy said she's moving to Oxnard and looking for a band to start playing around town. If anyone reading this is interested, Crissy can be contacted at cpvocals@aol.com

During the second break, Club owner Mark spoke to Scott again about playing at his new rooftop restaurant bar, The Watermark. He was very happy with the huge crowd at Star and also the energy flowing through the place while the band performed. Looks like this is something that will soon happen and provide IRM fans with a local venue with a top notch wine list (if you're in to that sort of thing). There is a dress code at Watermark where guys need a collared shirt and ladies need to show a little leg just to get in (sort of like Spring Break, skin to win).

Finally, the third set always gets interesting wherever IRM plays since the amateur party people have all gone home to bed and it's just the die hards still raging on into the next day. Scott had a female stalker stand in front of him during the whole set, mimicking his every move and attempting to sing along into the mic. Not sure what she was on or had been drinking earlier in the night. Finally, some other females came to his rescue and formed a human dancing wall in front of Scott to give him some personal space from the chick.

Final, final, Scott recently joined the 21st century by opening up a Facebook profile. If you are on Facebook and want to be Scott's "friend", just ask and show a little leg.

IRM enjoyed rockin' the Keynote Lounge on Friday night. In addition to seeing some of the many friends who check out IRM at downtown gigs, the band was pleased to see some old friends from East Ventura. The audience was in a celebratory mood with various groups honoring not one, not two, but three Birthdays. IRM showered the Birthdayees with signature thong underwear while the Birthdayers sand along to Happy B-day. No one took Ruben up on his offer from the third verse but that's nothing new as he hasn't seen that work going on seven years now. At least he can always count of his faithful companion (name starts with an M) and sidekick (name starts with an A). The Keynote remains a great club for people seeking alcohol, friendly patrons and a decent sized dance floor. The crowd partied on the dance floor from 9pm to 1:15am, especially when IRM blasted out some Prince and Michael Jackson. Well that's all for the month of February and we look forward to seeing you in the month of March.

IRM enjoyed rockin' the crowd at The Palms in Carp last night. It had been 3 months since IRM performed at the club and it was great seeing the locals and others who come out dancing each time IRM hits town. Tim was holding down the bar and serving up drinks for those braving the blustery weather. IRM broke out some new tunes throughout the night and each went over very well. The band has plans to continue adding new songs over the next few months, while continuing the same vibe of mixing classic rock and the best of funk, alternative, hair metal, punk, etc. This marks IRM lineup's 8th year performing around Ventura County. Something truly remarkable as IRM watches other bands/musicians come and go. One day they are the hottest draw in town and the next they implode. IRM has built a steady following through email and Maggi's tasty gig reminders and we can always count on people showing up at any given venue. IRM has been enticed to perform in East Ventura at the venerable Keynote Lounge this coming Friday. It's very close to the band's old stomping grounds, O'Learys and we hope to see a few of our friends who call east Ventura their home. Happy Valentines Day and come out to see us real soon.

Eddie Rabbit likes to sing how everybody loves a rainy night but usually, club operators don't since it tends to keep people at home. Regardless, there were plenty of bodies filling up the Star Lounge last night as IRM partied with the crowd until late in the evening. IRM debuted a few tunes, notably Amy Winehouse's lamet "You Know I'm No Good", Sublime's booty call "Caress Me Down" and Motorhead's mosh-pit inducing "Ace of Spades." IRM managed to get patrons excited and on their feet for most of evening. The owner of the Star Lounge, who is also the owner of the Watermark Restaurant, stopped in and asked the band if they were interested in playing on the top floor club of his new restaurant. That sounds like a plan as the band has been seeking a second downtown Ventura venue to patronize since dropping It's All Good from the monthly rotation. Keep posted and we'll see what develops.

IRM had a most excellent time rockin' the kindly folks at Ventura's own venerable Star Lounge this past Friday night. It was fun to catch up with our many friends and hear what their holidays. Despite the economic downturn, there were patrons a-plenty at Star Lounge. Although Marie is no longer working as a bartender, Amy continues to lead the work crew and the club has added a new bartender, Daisy. The club continues it's upward trend from dank dive bar to classy dive bar. Yes, it's true that the current owner also owns the new restaurant downtown, The Watermark. He has big plans for the Star Lounge and the similar sized facility on the second floor of the club. Check it out when IRM continues to play there on the first Friday night of each month!! Hope to see you around Ventura County as IRM resumes it's never-ending tour.

IRM has played it's last gig of 2008 and thanks everyone who has supported our gigs this past year. We're lazy and like to enjoy the holidays with family, so we won't be doing any more gigs in 2008, even for New Years Eve. We tried a new schedule this past year, limiting ourselves to basically three clubs that we played on the same weekend of every month. It led to mostly all strong turnout gigs at Star Lounge, It's All Good and Palms. Also, the band stepped up it's private parties and enjoyed some great times over the past year.

It's hard to believe that the same lineup of IRM has been performing together for seven years. Many of the people whom we see at our gigs are people we have known for a few years now. It's always great when they bring new friends and then those people become regulars as well.

What's on tap for next year? Who knows. Scott has turned over the primary booking responsibilities to Maggi and Ruben. They are seeking a venue to play at in Camarillo and also a return to East Ventura, most likely with occasional gigs at the Keynote Lounge. It's unlikely that IRM will play gigs at It's All Good in the near term. The club has always been one of the lowest paying local venues. With the owner claiming even more financial stress, the club offered IRM even less money to perform going forward in 2009 and we have declined. IRM has enjoyed some great times this past year at the club, which has some very nice staff, and looks forward to playing there again in the future if the owner's financial situation improves enough to pay the going rate.

Also, the band intends to work on new songs during December and January and then freshen up the setlist. People who attend our gigs frequently tell us that they like hearing all the classics that we play, but the band also likes to work in new numbers. We look forward to working the new songs into the three sets and building upon what the audience enjoys. Our habit of putting more dance tunes into the second set and more alternative rock and current tunes into the last set has worked well and we will continue that trend in 2009. This has helped the band stay relevant with vintage baby boomers who like to party until about midnight and then also appeal to the twenty-somethings who dominate the bar scene until the wee hours of the morning. Happy holidays and we'll see you next year.

IRM has been rocking up and down the Gold Coast for the last few weeks. Although every gig has been fun, two stand out of recent note.

First up was the date at the Palms in Carp during the Avacado Festival. Like last year, the club had a private security firm engaged to keep the riif raff in line and only allow in the pretty party people. When they ran out by the second set, everyone was let in and by then people's beer googles had everyone looking like a 10. The place was packed and the crowd was singing along to IRM's survey of the greatest classic rock tunes of all time. Then, the band started playing Sublime's "Smoke 2 Joints" and, sure enough, a familiar smell began to permeate the scene. It wasn't until that Maggi declined a hit from the joint that the perp in the front row was discovered by security and the offending jay was confiscated. I'm sure that it was later smoked by the dreadlocked private security guard of the african-american persuasion, but I'm just saying.

Next up was a hot time in the old town as IRM spanked the costume-wearing crowd at It's All Good's Halloween party. Again, a packed club filled with people ready to have a good time and who better to provide the soundtrack than IRM? No one, as that's what you call a rhetorical question where the answer is obvious to the questioner. Anyway some scary clowns, Jason, Freddie, Joker(s), robot, Pigs, French Maid, hippies, train engineer, Nun, pope, etc were all in attendance. But the best dancer of the night had to be the man dressed as a VHS cheerleader. He had the leg kicks and almost splits down and it was difficult for IRM to play while watching the dude dance. Anyway, Scott got to live out his fantasy of wearing his weekend Nun costume out in public and so did Maggi who wore what she usually only puts on around 1am on Saturday nights. Ruben? Well let's just say that he left his wig at home and people had a hard time guessing what his costume was. Maybe he will dress up better next year when Halloween falls on a Saturday. All in all it was a great night of fun at the club and IRM had one of the best times ever rocking out over the course of the evening.

One thing's for sure though, IRM will not likely be playing at It's All Good next year. It' currently the lowest paying gig that IRM has and the owner is facing hard times and seeking to cut costs even further. So keep posted to IRM's email list and check out some new venues with us in 2009!

IRM did their monthly duty of shakin' things up at the Star Lounge on the first Friday of each month. The crowd came in waves through the night as is typical of the venue. Some good friends were in the house and one, returning from Russia, sat in for a few numbers to display his prowess on bass guitar. All in all, a rather typical night at the well-known dive bar with the possible exception of unconfirmed reports of an incident of public exposure. Star Bartenders Amy and Marie are sticking to their story regarding how they cut off one denim-skirted patron who then proceeded to expose her panty-less posterior and demonstrate unspeakable acts that will surely make it worth a trip to church on Sunday.

People often ask members of IRM whether they book private parties and the answer is a resounding "yes." Frankly, the pay for club gigs hasn't increased in three decades and IRM enjoys playing to private partiers. Over the past seven days culminating in the labor day weekend, IRM rocked three private Parties.

First up was superfan Russ Loco's Birthday blowout at Bernadettes. IRM enjoyed catching up with old friends at Bernadettes and playing some new tunes to the small crowd as if it were a Tuesday night rehearsal.

Next up was a swankier private birthday party (60th) at a house in the Ventura Hills. IRM performed under Maggi's hoopa and had a fine time sampling the various libations.

Finally, IRM rocked a neighborhood block party in the vicinity of Gale Street. Adults and kids mingled in the blocked off street, enjoying food and beverages while IRM serenaded everyone. There was a special appearance by Fido at IRM's half-time between 2nd and 3rd set. Then IRM broke out some dance tunes until it got too dark.

If you want IRM to perform at your next private event. Talk to a band member and know that about $600 will buy you an evening that you won't soon forget.

IRM rocked an overflowing capacity crowd at It's All Good in downtown Ventura last night. Maggi ventured out on the street a few times, testing the limits of her wireless bass technology. Ruben sported his signature white sunglasses and Adam celebrated his birthday with shots of Patron. Just another hot night in downtown Ventura where it seems that new businesses open every week to service nighttime revelry. IRM made it's best discovery of the night after packing up. Jimmy's pizza by the slice is located a few doors down from It's All Good. It serves slices of pizza until 3am to everyone who wanders in. IRM sampled the pepporoni and cheese, liking what they saw. It appears a new post-gig routine has been started. Also, the Watermark was hopping as the newest "it" restaurant in downtown. It's dress code and valet parking are geared to keeping the riff-raff at bay that might spill in from San Sewer and it's been doing great business since opening. All this nightlife opportunity is great for the downtown area as it is increasingly attracting people from all over the county to sample Ventura. Great times for local bands and also for people who like a fun night on the town.

Well, I guess IRM passed the audition and it didn't even require the band to send Ruben to the owner's casting couch. IRM played their little hearts out to a small but vocal cadre of die-hard party people on a rare Sunday night showcase intended to determine whether IRM and Keynote wanted to date. Apparently, it was a better match than could have been predicted by the local temple's matchmaker. Thanks to Natalie for making it all happen and it now looks like IRM's East Ventura's life dreams have been realized. Yes, IRM will again be gracing the East side of Ventura with its substantial presence on a regular basis starting in January of 2009. IRM hadn't played at the Keynote for 7 years and was pleased to see that the stage was larger, the dance floor was big and the club was set up for people to groove, not watch TV, play pool, throw darts or argue over shuffle-board calls while doing their best to ignore the band (aka a certain Irish-themed sports bar in the general proximity where IRM has been known to play regularly prior to 2008). While IRM was not really looking to play more gigs, the band will likely switch a Keynote gig off with another existing club on an every other month basis to keep things fresh in 2009. Don't say that we didn't warn the trailer parks.