THE
UNINVITED /
THE CONDORS
Nicholby's; Ventura, CA;
07/07/00
Reviewed by R. Scott Bolton
It was one of those cool nights where we just did something on a whim and were damn glad we did. My brother called, wanted to know what we were doing tonight. I said, as usual, "Nothing." He said, "We're going to see The Uninvited over at Nicholby's. You should go. They rock!" Yeah, right, I thought. I'd heard of The Uninvited but never HEARD them and had the feeling they were one of those underworld punk bands that seem to constantly tour the local pubs. But - as I mentioned - we didn't have anything else planned so we headed over to Nicholby's. If nothing else, they make a good Lemon Drop.
We got there in plenty of time to play some pool before the bands began. Yes, I got beat badly. Finally, mercifully, the opening act took the stage: The Condors.
The Condors are the kind of band that almost have it right. They play straight forward, rock'n'roll that was a bizarre blend of John Cougar Mellencamp and the Rembrandts. The music was played with charisma and zest but was still a little bland. My advice to The Condors: add a second guitarist and really beef up that guitar sound.
After a short break, during which Nicholby's offered $2 kamikazes which were basically half-filled
Dixie cups (no, thanks), The Uninvited took the stage. The difference between the Uninvited and
The Condors was stunning. The Uninvited are a truly professional band who have a blast doing
what they do. Their music is a combination of pop-punk, hard rock and Weird Al Yankovich and
the band delivered it with incredible charisma. As I said, the Uninvited obviously love what they
do and the fact that they were having such fun on stage in Ventura that night bled over into the
audience.
Having not heard their music before, I was pleasantly surprised by its punch, its humor and its
delivery. Beginning with the pop-kick "I Shoulda Been An Astronaut," the band's performance
never waned. They were strong throughout their entire 90-minute plus set, including an encore
that consisted of a number of cover tunes and the Uninvited's (I later discovered) classic, "Too
High for the Supermarket."
And it's not just the band's charisma that should be commended but their musicianship. These guys are serious musicians and the excellence of their performance made the sometimes funny/sometimes poignant lyrics (especially in the case of "I Talked To God") all that more impressive.
The Uninvited promised to come back to Ventura "next month." I hope so. Already, I can't wait to see these guys again!
For more information, visit the band's website at http://www.uninvited.com or check out their section at http://www.mp3.com.
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Revised: 06 Oct 2019 11:48:58 -0400.
