Upon entering the HOB, I was routinely searched by Staff Pro but this time with a twist, there was no pat down, just a hand held metal detector, which picked up on the lighter I had in my pocket. Good thing I kept the good stuff stashed away back in my friends' truck. In order to enter the place, you have to walk up a flight up stairs to the outdoor balcony area and you're immediately greeted by a bar that is nearly the length of the balcony. I don't know if it's due to good planning or what but the restrooms are the next thing you encounter as you proceed inside. From there, you walk into the showroom, which to my surprise is amazingly small. I think a good comparison would be to say it's about the size of a 7-11 parking lot, and that's being generous.

So we grabbed a beer or two before the show and then we heard the opening band start to play so we went inside to check 'em out. The opening band was "Secret Hate". They're also a band signed to "Skunk Records". I'll admit, I didn't give them much of a chance but they just didn't do it for me. I've seen bands that are much worse but I couldn't recommend spending any money to see them unless it's at a backyard kegger party. So we walked back up to the outdoor patio balcony for a smoke and another beer and tried to swindle a couple chicks with aftershow party passes into getting us into the aftershow party, but that plan fell through. It didn't take me long to find a dude smoking a doob behind the entrance door and I just had to take it upon myself to offer him a light. The timing couldn't have been more perfect. So we then worked our way back inside and planted ourselves against the back wall and flirted with the waitress (Christina) until the show started. Damn, I can't believe I can actually remember her name. Anyway, both my friend (Drake) and myself, were quite annoyed that the club was projecting the Disney Logo (Mickey Mouse ears) up on the stage curtains but as soon as the curtains were raised and the band broke into the opening song, all animosity was forgotten.

LBDA is fronted by long time Sublime friends, Opie and Ras 1 . You may recognize Opie, he's the dude on the cover of the Sublime CD "Robbin' The Hood" and he does all the Sublime & LBDA artwork. So LBDA kicked it off with a new reggae styley song that I wasn't familiar with (if memory serves me right) and then broke into one of their best songs, "Rosarito". And I swear to you that if you shut your eyes, you would swear that Brad is alive and onstage, regardless of whether it's Opie or Ras 1 singing. Granted, Opie is not the handsome blonde beachcat that Brad was, but lyrically, vocally, & partifly (Pronounced "Party-flea", does it work???), he's just as good of a singer and makes for an awesome frontman. Whether it was Opie or Ras 1 singing Sublime songs such as "40 oz. To Freedom", "Scarlet Begonias", "Waiting For My Ruca", "Summertime", "Garden Grove", etc., the Nowell similarities were eerie. And I mean really eerie. Eerie to the point where it gave me goose bumps and I am convinced that Brads spirit was truly in that room that night overwatching the show. I don't believe in ghosts but that was almost enough to convert me into a believer. All players in the band sounded superbly clean and tight and I think the perfect word to describe the show is "Magic". It was simply a magical evening and I wish to extend a heartfelt "Thank You" to the band for bringing life and magic back into music.

Maybe some of you caught LBDA at last years VANS™ Warped Tour. I missed it but now I know for sure to never ever ever miss another show that they play locally. Everything that LBDA has, is, and will do in the future, is nothing less than a pure gem and if you don't get your ass in on this party, then you're nothing less than a fool and you need to go grab a black marker and draw an giant fucking "L" on your forehead. Then again, on second thought, if you don't get in on the party, that will keep it all nice and intimate, just the way I like it. Don't believe me? Interested in making up your own mind for yourself? Then Click here and check out the groundbreaking, innovative, and worlds very first interactive music video (aka webeo) of the LBDA remake of Sublimes' classic, "Saw Red" (Brad Nowell and Gwen Stefani (No Doubt) duet). If the link doesn't work, just go to www.longbeachduballstars.com or www.skunk.com and follow the links to the webeo or download some video clips and MP3's from the sites or go to Napster (if it's still up) and add "SANCHOWILL" (me) to your Napster Hot List and download some LBDA songs and once you've determined that they are the shit, go purchase the LBDA CD "Right Back".

Just a quick mention of some other bands to keep an eye out for: Slightly Stoopid, P.O.D., Outkast, Kottonmouth Kings, Crazytown (fuck "Butterfly", check out the other shit on the CD, it's killer), Linkin Park, Coldplay, Dido, I Mother Earth (1st CD "Dig"), Queens Of The Stone Age, Alabama Thunderpussy, Redline5, just to name a few. Put a "www." in front and a ".com" at the end of any one of these band names and chances are it will take you to their websites so you can have your eyes opened to some of the greatest new (and not so new) music that is out there for you to discover.

On a final note, keep an eye out for what develops from the recent departure of Zach De La Rocha from Rage Against The Machine. Word is that Chris Cornell (Soundgarden) may be taking up as the new lead singer, outta be real interesting.

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