Rich's R'n'R Rants & Raves: Bob Log III, Strawberry Fist Cake, Jerk!, Prophet Greene at the Dive Bar, Halloween night, Tues Oct 31, 2017

Bob Log III is a helluva entertainer as a one man band and performance artist and when I heard that he was returning to the Dive Bar, I hit 'em up to see if my own solo performance as Prophet Greene could be the opening act. Surprise, surprise, The Dive Bar said yes! I played a set of early blues number s- Mississippi Fred McDowell, Howlin' Wolf, Robert Johnson, Son House, etc. - along with a drum machine (for the first time) and got a good response from the early arrivals. Good times!

(above photo by Chris Moinichen)

(2 photos above by Rob Bell)

Following me was Vegas locals, Jerk!, who played a fun set of Ramones/Queers-like punk-pop - simple, straight-forward, rockin' and melodic. They were dressed as Revenge of the Nerds (2 members are pocket protector nerds and one as leather-jacket-wearing Booger) and entertained the crowd with their punk-power, harmonies and melodic guitar lines.

All the way from Australia was Strawberry Fist Cake, a kinda hard-core combo led by a female singer, with guitar, bass'n'drums backing her. Strong drums, uncomplicated music, a few technical issues (borrowed equipment) and a wireless singer who meandered the club and ordered a couple of drinks while singing songs during the set! There were some group sing-alongs (a little bit of Oi in the sound), with members of Jerk taking the mic and singing along and then the band gave Jerk their instruments and let them finish the set while the singer sang while standing on the bar! Entertaining.

Bob Log III is a guitar'n'drum playin', motorcycle helmet-wearin', performer who never fails to captivate and, while the audience was a bit sparse (there was a lot going on in Vegas this Halloween), he still gave it his all! He made his opening appearance while playing his guitar wireless-ly and walking in from outside in a white suit, serenading the audience before retiring to the stage. After a couple of songs, he stripped off the suit, revealing a gold, sparkly jumpsuit, he provided the audience with balloons to blow up and then stomp on, he poured champagne in both a dog bowl and a wading pool to see what the people would drink out of (the wading pool won), he invited people to sit on his lap and talk selfies while he played (only men took him up on it this time, whereas normally this is something that women do) all as he provided a unique soundtrack. He plays his open tuned guitars with a fast picking style, sometimes using slide frantically, while changing up the rhythms with his mini drum kit. He is quite the entertainer even in between songs, keeping up a regular monologue and interacting with the crowd (high fives abounded) and singing songs like "I got my fucking guitar". Great fun and a great way to spend Halloween night!