The Jackets, the Schizophonics and the Loons at the Soda Bar, San Diego, Friday Oct 12, 2018

When we heard that our pals and fave current band, the Jackets, were once again coming to America from Switzerland, we knew we had to check 'em out again. When we found out that they were playing with equally stunning groups the Schizophonics and the Loons, we made the trek to San Diego for a fab night of garage-laden rock'n'roll!

We got into town with enough time to relax a bit at our great air b'n'b, then have some excellent Thai food in University Heights and off to the Soda Bar! Got there as the bands were just arriving and chatted a bit with everyone until the Loons hit the stage.

Led by SD legend Mike Stax (Crawdaddies, Tell Tale Hearts, Ugly Things zine and much more) and his lovely wife Anja (Diaboliks, Thee Cherylinas, Ugly Things and more) along with superb guitarists Marc and Chris and drivin' drummer Mike, they put plenty of power into their brand of psych rock and got the crowd up front right from the start. Live, they are more hard rockin' than their fine records, with excellent vocal harmonies, dual lead guitars (with tasteful use of effects, including a hip organ simulator) rollin' bass lines and punchy drumming. They songs were pulled from their various albums, as well as a new upcoming 45 and covers from the Chocolate Watchband and the Damned! Amazing start to the night!

We first saw the Schizophonics 3 years ago at a Tiki Oasis room party and were totally knocked out by their brand of garage rock'n'soul and by the insane live show, particularly frontman/guitarist/ vocalist Pat who can't stand still for a second while on stage and is constantly dancin'n'flailin' about like a cross between James Brown and Jimi Hendrix all while singing lead and playing lead guitar! I've seen him a number of times now and still can't quite comprehend how he does it all! I love how he can put his guitar down just long enough to do a dance step and some splits and pick it up again right on the beat! But, he is not just all show - he plays some mean guitar and has a terrific, soulful voice. His lovely wife, Lety (also of the Rosalyns and others), is the powerhouse drummer, and they have gone through a variety of bassists, and I'm afraid that I did not catch the name of the cat who provided the low end this evening, although he was great with them. From the opening "Black to Comm" to the crazed finale, they roared through a set of non-stop rock action with superior originals and hip covers. They are difficult to photograph do to the incessant motion, but I caught some pauses in the mania!

All the way from Bern, Switzerland, the Jackets are just tonight (Sunday) finishing up a short tour of the coasts and knockin' people out everywhere they go. They should be destined for big things! After playing with them last year, they became my current fave live act and I only wish that I was able to see more of their shows! Led by singer/guitarist/performance artist Jackie, who is backed by drummer extraordinaire (and old friend of mine), Chris, and Mosrite-driven bass master, Sam, they blast through a set of energetic and well-written garage classics. While Chris and Sam are rock monsters, Jackie tends to be the lead focus as her guitar bursts out fuzz, tremelo and reverbed riffs, while she screams, croons and dances in mime-like fashion throughout the set. She is truly one of the more unique performers around today and like Pat in the Schizophonics (who is another of the best and most individualistic contortionist/rockers around), she can be difficult to capture on camera (at least for an amateur like me). But, she dances like no one else I've seen, stage dives, crowd surfs and hypnotizes the crowds all while keeping the guitar fuzzin' through the tunes. The songs are stellar garage rockers, as well as a couple of covers here'n'there and the whole band works together to provide a fantastic rock'n'roll machine!

A huge thank you to Ugly Things and the Soda Bar for this unbelievable night of garage-infused rock'n'roll! Truly one of the best all-around nights of live music I have seen in ages! Check out all of these combos for true rockin' magic!