Guitarist Dave Arnson has been leading various incarnations of the Insect Surfers across the country for over 3 decades now. Though the line-ups change, the quality always remains the same, for Dave manages to find some of the finest players to work with at all times. Arson himself is an excellent and imaginative guitarist who still ping-pongs and windmills across the stage without missing a note and while playing intricate harmonies with his fellow players.
The band this night was all new to me, but obviously were all seasoned players who fit right in with the vision of high-energy, instrumental rock’n’roll, played with finesse and style. Most of the tunes were reasonably new, though some classics, such as “Polaris” (borrowing slightly from Patti Smith’s “Dancing Barefoot”) and “Tiger Shark” were also featured.
Along with fellow Los Angeleans, the Black Widows, the Insect Surfers are among the finest instrumental bands playing today.
Unfortunately, due to receiving inconsistent information regarding time slots and our need for a nap before going out, we missed the local opening band, Thee Swank Bastards and their hula-hooping go-go dancer, but they sounded damn good over the phone when I called for set times!
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