Papa Wood and the Sea Monkeys

So, this last weekend I had nobody to go out with me and I decided to go alone and just stay close to home and make it a cover band weekend. So Friday night I headed out to BoozeHounds, my favorite neighborhood bar, to see Papa Wood. That’s been on my to-do list ever since Nathan told me they do Blind Melon’s “No Rain.” I love that song. (Funny, cuz I used to hate it. When it first came out, it was so overplayed...I swear they used to play it like once an hour at Sneakers and I was SO sick of it. But now, with time, I seem to have developed a liking for it.)

Just Had to Throw a Blind Melon Pic in Here

So I headed up there to check it out. Of course they did “No Rain” and did great justice to it...well worth the trip! I didn’t keep up with my song list as much as usual, cuz damn I drank a lot of beer! But I know they played Lenny Kravitz “Are You Gonna Go My Way,” 7 Mary Three “Cumbersome,” Collective Soul “Gel,” The Toadies “I Come from the Water,” Puddle of Mudd “She Hates Me,” NIN “Hand That Feeds,” Foo Fighters “Everlong,” Green Day “Holiday,” Weezer “Hashpipe,” Metallica “Enter Sandman,” Danzig “Mother,” Tool “Sober”...Dave sang “Beverly Hills,” there was some Alice in Chains, Jet, Pearl Jam...great setlists as always!

Papa Wood

This is the 3rd time I’ve seen Papa Wood, and I always enjoy them. What I realized this time was how many of the people in there actually went there to see Papa Wood. It’s not always easy to tell how many people are there just because that’s their favorite bar and how many are there to see the band. But that night I could tell. So many people waved to the band on their way in. And several women told me in the bathroom (that’s where we talk, lol) how much they love Papa Wood. One girl said the thing she likes the most about them is that whatever song they do, they sound just like the original band (though I’d have to disagree somewhat...though they’re faithful to the songs, they still sound like Papa Wood to me). Definitely these guys know how to please the crowd!

Papa Wood

And it’s no surprise. They are a talented bunch of guys. Nathan has an awesome voice and a quiet charisma. Dave and Todd always impress me with their flawless guitar solos. Fred kicks ass on the drums. And new bass player Guido, whom I saw filling in on vocals for Nathan last time, did a great job, too. Check out a video clip of Papa Wood performing “Warpigs” over on the Video Page. Thanks guys! I had a great time!

But wait...it’s not over yet. If you’ve been over at the forum, you know of the cover band vs original band war that’s been going on over there. And it all started with someone complaining about the Sea Monkeys. He saw them at Hooligan’s and thought it was messed up that so many people were there to see a band that doesn’t even play their own songs. It irked him that they were up there with a cordless mike, lights, smoke, PA’s, like they were rock stars, but playing other people’s music. His opinion was that cover bands don’t qualify as real bands and that they don’t deserve the money and popularity that they receive, (while his original band struggles to promote and only gets a few people out to see them).

So Saturday, I decided to re-enact this guy’s experience and go check out the Sea Monkeys at Hooligan’s. From that guy’s description, I was expecting some elaborate setup, but the band’s equipment wasn’t over the top at all. It was pretty much the basic equipment every band has. Instruments, amps, pa’s, mikes, etc. Yeah, lights, whatever. All the things a band needs to put on a show.

Sea Monkeys Singer

And they put on a great show! The Sea Monkeys, besides being funny and personable on stage, also have a ton of talent. The singer (I think his name was J.J.?) has one of the best voices I’ve heard here in town...cover band or original. Florin is a kickass guitarist. Rikk on bass, the drummer (don’t know his name)...they’re just all very talented and a lot of fun. My favorite line was, “We’re the Sea Monkeys...just add alcohol and watch us grow!”

Rikk

They did a lot of the usual songs I hear cover bands do...Tool “Sober,” Sublime “What I Got,” Toadies “Possum Kingdom,” Radiohead “Creep,” etc. But they also did some I don’t hear much. Black Crowes “Hard to Handle,” AC/DC “You Shook Me All Night Long,” and a medley of “Rollercoaster” and “Play That Funky Music.” Also a bluesy number sung by Florin...I don’t know the song, but he did a great job. And now, just to prove that hater guy wrong....there is a video clip of the Sea Monkeys playing AN ORIGINAL over on the Videos page!

Florin

Now, of course everyone is entitled to their own opinion. Some people prefer to go hear original music. Some people prefer to hear music that they know and go see a cover band. Hell, some people don’t even care about live music and would rather have a DJ spin their favorite songs. As I’ve said before, I enjoy both cover bands and original bands, and actually prefer bands that do both. As long as they do a good job of it, I’m happy. And both Papa Wood and the Sea Monkeys do an excellent job, so in my opinion, they’re talented bands and worth checking out.

You can check out Papa Wood at The Bitter End tonight (Wednesday March 1st) and at Tripp’s in Universal City on Friday March 3rd. I don’t have a schedule for the Sea Monkeys, but maybe Rikk will help out and post their upcoming gigs in the comments?

Oh, and thanks to the guys who shared a table with me and bought me beer and a shot, and who tried to get me to go dance with some chicks that were checking me out! Lol, it’s not every day I have GIRLS checking me out, but sorry, I don’t lean that way!

One more thing, to the girl who got up and sang Happy Birthday to her friend...I’m sorry, but PLEASE never do that again! OMG, it was like Rosanne and the National Anthem all over again!