Sat, Oct 18, 2008
	Rockin' Halloween Pary

	Thu, Dec 31, 2008
	Mother Hips New Year's Eve Party

(click to enlarge)	Wednesday, February 3, 9:00	$5
	Reni Lane w/ Matt the Electrician
	Alternapop Acoustic/Pop www.renilane.com www.matttheelectrician.com
	The best kind of song is familiar and illuminating all at once, and if you’re lucky, its creator is too. Such is the case with Reni Lane, the 21-year-old whose edgy beauty belies her geekier side. A campus figure at Columbia University, this classically trained artist extraordinaire is ready to turn heads in the music scene - while finishing her homework first. Reni's musical experience began at 7 years old with a Casio toy piano bought from a yard sale, but her natural ability quickly became apparent. At the age of 18, Reni moved to Manhattan and found her way to the Sidewalk Cafe, a breeding ground for other songsters such as Nellie McKay, Regina Spektor, and Beck.        In 2007 she toured Holland with her band, playing the famous Melkweg in Amsterdam. Upon returning to the states Reni was officially “discovered” by MTV talent executives and featured in their First Ladies of Rock campaign, sponsored by Virgin Mobile. She also began her sophomore year at Columbia University with a bang, where she built a small stage (spot lights included) in her dorm room. Six months later, she signed a record deal with Custard/Universal-Motown. While performing she captured the eyes of NYC fashion casting directiors asking if she’d ever done a print ad or beauty campaign, her answer, “No thank you”.    Once upon a time, there was a youg man named Matt Sever. He lived in Austin, TX, and he worked as a journeyman electrician. Every morning, when it was still dark outside, he would go to work, and wire houses all day long in the blistering Texas heat. When he would come home, again, it was dark outside. And then, sometimes, with no time to shower or change his clothes, he would go straight to the bars and nightclubs of Austin to play his songs for whomever would listen. And he would apologize for his appearance, and explain to the audience that he was an electrician, and he found a certain nobility in this, even if no one wanted to sit too close to the stage. So they called him Matt The Electrician, and he did not mind this, for he was proud of himself, for there is no shame in a hard days work.        But eventually, he quit his job as an electrician, to spend more time writing and playing songs, and the name stuck with him, because everyone needs an electrician sometimes. And there are some who say, that when the moon is full, and Jupiter is aligned with Mars, you can often hear Matt The Electrician in the distance, wiring a house, and whistling softly to himself.

(click to enlarge)	Thursday, February 4, 9:00	no cover
	Rockstar LBK
	Rock-n-Roll / Karaoke www.rockstarlbk.com
	YOU ARE THE ROCKSTAR!    RockstarLBK puts YOU in the spotlight as the vocalist in a Live Rock Band. Choose from an ever-growing songlist of popular Rock, Pop and Country songs. The lyrics are presented on a video monitor and the band is ready to help with background vocals. This is WAY more fun than regular Karaoke... this is Rockstar - Live Band Karaoke. RockstarLBK brings you over 100 years of collective live performance experience in such well-known groups as Honeyspot, Tattooed Love Dogs, American Karma, Seventy and MindX, just to name a few!    Also known as Johnny Favorite, the band is:    Adam Donald - guitar and vocals    Scott George - lead guitar    Gerry Pineda - bass    Larry Schiavone - drums and vocals    David Van Dusen - keyboards and vocals     Get there early.! Drink specials! If you love Karaoke, then you'll go ape-snot over ROCKSTAR - Live Band Karaoke. These guys are top-notch players with decades of live band and studio experience... all designed to make YOU THE SINGER sound great.    Thursday Night Live Band Karaoke, only at Marilyn's. Make requests, sing along, tap on your table, hit the dance floor... it's casual, it's fun, and it's up to you. Live Band Karaoke is back with a fresh repertoire, VIDEO LYRICS MONITOR, and new faces in the band. Ever wonder what it would be like to be a rock star with a real live backup band and singers? Find out Tuesday nights! Later, servers from local establishments gather, since it's also Industry Night. Join in the fun!    Click on the link above for playlists, requests, video, and more.

(click to enlarge)	Friday, February 5, 9:00	$8
	The Ralph Woodson Experience
	Jimi Hendrix Tribute www.ralphwoodson.com
	Ralph Woodson certainly knows his Hendrix.    He has studied his idol to the point of being able to play the guitar behind his back, and with his teeth. He has all of the recordings and videos, including the bootlegs, and if you ask him about anything Hendrix, you’ll walk away knowing more than you did before you started the conversation. Ralph’s a Hendrix authority, and it’s obvious when you see him perform.    The youngest of nine, he grew up in Richmond, CA, and was initially struck by the sound of the “Band of Gypsys” record. His first band, Togetherness, won a Battle of the Bands highlighted by a 12-string acoustic version of Jimi’s “Hear My Train A Comin”, and went on to open for the likes of Sly and the Family Stone and Buddy Miles. Ralph then toured with Hedzoli Sounds (of which Hugh Masekela was a member), as well as The Mighty Diamonds, Lady Bianca, Faye Carol, and a Bill Kreutzmann (Grateful Dead)/Sy Klopps (Herbie Herbert) collaboration called the Trichromes. With the Trichromes and later with the Sy Klopps Blues Band, Ralph played on big stages opening for Tower of Power, James Brown, ZZ Top, and Lynyrd Skynyrd, among others. He is an active musician in the North Bay area of California, regularly doing session work and playing solo dates throughout the Bay Area. He’s appeared at the College of Marin and on KFOG-FM with author/Hendrix expert Steve Roby, demonstrating the sound and techniques of Jimi Hendrix.    Ralph formed the Ralph Woodson Experience in 2001, focusing on the Hendrix material that he grew up with and always loved. The Experience has gained a steady following in the Bay Area and knock people out wherever they go. Ralph’s showmanship and command of the Hendrix material is second to none. See it for yourself!

(click to enlarge)	Saturday, February 6, 3:00
	TOUR:SMART Seminar, featuring Martin Atkins If you're a band and looking to go on tour, attend this seminar at Marilyn's and find out how it's done. If you've been on tour, find out what you wish you had known...
	Seminar www.toursmart.com
	The world of touring musicians is filled with dangers, obstacles, and roadblocks, both literal and metaphorical. Join TOUR:Smart and Break the Band author Martin Atkins for a candid and hilarious discussion of what bands can do to beat the odds and survive on the road intact.    "Four Stars! The ultimate touring manual..." MOJO      For over three decades, Martin Atkins has been at the cutting edge of where the entertainment industry is and where it's headed, whether through his work with Johnny Rotten's band, Public Image Limited, playing with Nine Inch Nails, touring the world with his own band, Pigface, or working with Beijing's emerging indie rock scene. Martin was a member of Public Image Ltd and Killing Joke, has contributed to Nine Inch Nails and Ministry and founded industrial supergroup Pigface, The Damage Manual, and Murder Inc. Martin is a producer, drummer, documentary film maker, DJ, professor (Madison Media Institute, Columbia College) and most recently started his own entrepreneurial school, revolution number three. He has been organizing, booking, and managing multi-band package tours for over a decade. In discussing his definitive book on touring, Martin will not only share valuable insight into his methods on booking and touring, but also a discussion of mistakes and failures.

(click to enlarge)	Saturday, February 6, 9:30	$12
	Albino
	Afrobeat www.albinoband.com
	The SF Music Award-winning ALBINO! is a ten-piece Afrobeat ensemble that honors the fiery legacy of Nigerian musical revolutionary Fela Kuti. ALBINO's high-energy grooves and explosive stage show thick with hypnotic percussion, a heavy horn section, African dance, outrageous costumes, and infectious group choreography have established the band as the West Coast's premier Afrobeat act.    Fusing classic Afrobeat, Latin funk, and acid jazz, the dozen-plus members of Berkeley's Albino offer a torrent of hard-grooving jams designed to make Mojito-gulping weekenders shimmy right out of their low-rise jeans. The sound is aggressive and brassy, informed by world fusion artists like Fela Kuti and Zimbabwe's Thomas Mapfumo, and brought up to date with a mash of spacey global inflections (think of Herbie's Headhunters shanghaied in West Africa, and you'll be up to speed). The ass-inspiriting percussive engine comes from a rhythm section of local all-stars, including drummer Michael Pinkham, bassist Kevin "Bam Bam" Blair, keyboardist Bob Crawford, percussionists Trevino Leon, and dancer Kim Agnew. Together, they form rhythms based in the West African Ewe tradition (which holds at its heart the inseparable union of drumming and dance) colored with Afro-Cuban structures. Atop the band's rhythmic maelstrom ride tightly figured five-part horn lines directed by founder/tenor player Nathan Endsley. His section enlists the formidable talent of Seattle jazz trombonist "T-Bone" Charlie Wilson and a snarling dual baritone-sax yawp from Jonathan Hoops (featured soloist for Burning Man sensation the Mutaytor) and Michael Bello. Though the 2-year-old band is still something of a pup on the scene, Albino's members' résumés include experience in local heavies from every niche of the city's musical spectrum, including Starvin Like Marvin, Monkey Knife Fight, Spearhead, CK Ladzekpo, and Hamsa Lila. This is world music that lives up to the name. --SF Weekly 2005 Music Awards Issue    "This is world music that lives up to the name...Fusing classic Afrobeat, Latin funk, and acid jazz, the dozen-plus members of Berkeley's ALBINO! offer a torrent of hard-grooving jams designed to make Mojito-gulping weekenders shimmy right out of their low-rise jeans." -SF Weekly    "ALBINO!'s hour proved to be the most crowded set at the entire (Joshua Tree Music) Festival, bringing in all sorts of festivarians looking to get the tribal beats in their soul and the jig back in their feet. They held down a funktified groove that was backed by the ultimate of beats, percussion and flying horns that shouted out at the crowd that had formed." -JamBase.com    "This Afrobeat band deserves the exclamation point following their name: everything that they do and play is exaggerated, energized, and enthusiastic, deserving of said punctuation mark... From dress to dance (and please, lets not forget the music) ALBINO! is on fire...one thing you can count on is a wildly fun night that you never want to end." -TheOwlMag.com    "ALBINO!'s propulsive grooves, jazzy horn arrangements, and socially relevant commentary turn the dancefloor into a forum of politifunkification" -East Bay Express    "All 11 ALBINOs stomped, stepped and swayed to the beat, making it hard for the audience to resist doing the same. Members of the horn section (three saxophones and a trumpet) were the stars, treating their instruments like dance partners and playing with such animation as to appear almost cartoonish." - The Durango Herald

(click to enlarge)	Tuesday, February 9, 9:00
	Twosdays with Beyond The Grove
	Rock/Alternative www.myspace.com/beyondthegrove
	Formed in 2008 Bad Rocket is a refreshing sound in a time when original sounding bands are hard to come by. Bad Rocket blends genre lines to create good catchy solid songs that you will be singing the next day. Great song writing and great live performance means a great experience for you. Climb aboard the Bad Rocket!

(click to enlarge)	Thursday, February 11, 9:00	no cover
	Rockstar LBK
	Rock-n-Roll / Karaoke www.rockstarlbk.com
	YOU ARE THE ROCKSTAR!    RockstarLBK puts YOU in the spotlight as the vocalist in a Live Rock Band. Choose from an ever-growing songlist of popular Rock, Pop and Country songs. The lyrics are presented on a video monitor and the band is ready to help with background vocals. This is WAY more fun than regular Karaoke... this is Rockstar - Live Band Karaoke. RockstarLBK brings you over 100 years of collective live performance experience in such well-known groups as Honeyspot, Tattooed Love Dogs, American Karma, Seventy and MindX, just to name a few!    Also known as Johnny Favorite, the band is:    Adam Donald - guitar and vocals    Scott George - lead guitar    Gerry Pineda - bass    Larry Schiavone - drums and vocals    David Van Dusen - keyboards and vocals     Get there early.! Drink specials! If you love Karaoke, then you'll go ape-snot over ROCKSTAR - Live Band Karaoke. These guys are top-notch players with decades of live band and studio experience... all designed to make YOU THE SINGER sound great.    Thursday Night Live Band Karaoke, only at Marilyn's. Make requests, sing along, tap on your table, hit the dance floor... it's casual, it's fun, and it's up to you. Live Band Karaoke is back with a fresh repertoire, VIDEO LYRICS MONITOR, and new faces in the band. Ever wonder what it would be like to be a rock star with a real live backup band and singers? Find out Tuesday nights! Later, servers from local establishments gather, since it's also Industry Night. Join in the fun!    Click on the link above for playlists, requests, video, and more.

(click to enlarge)	Friday, February 12, 9:00	$7
	Dave Rude Band, Prieta , Forget About Boston
	Rock / Alternative / Classic Rock Rock / Rock / Rock Alternative / Rock / Classic Rock www.myspace.com/daverudeband www.myspace.com/prietaslays www.myspace.com/forgetaboutbostonfab
	Carry Me Home CD Review-There is one thing I always worry about when it comes to reviewing and critiquing music... I worry about being repetitive when it comes to getting my reviews and thoughts across to the reader. I don't want to get stale, and I always try to keep in mind that my review must stand up to the album I'm reviewing and also the test of time in the few short word I'm about to lay before you EACH AND EVERY TIME ... Once its written, it will most likely be in cyberspace for the rest of digital time... I guess the reason why I'm even bringing this up to you is because I have received Dave Rude's NEW CD "Carry Me Home". Some may recognize lead singer / guitarist Dave Rude, as multi-platinum rock band Tesla's newest guitar hero. I want to make sure I give this exciting NEW album got it 's rightful due...        I have listened to this album several times now and "YES" it does grow on you. If you like unabashed, uncompromising, highly melodic hard rock that is both unique and instantly recognizable... Then Singer / Songwriter / Ax-Slinger Dave Rude could be your next New Rock Guitar Hero ... Dave and the band's modern flair and take on classic rock is clearly evident. However, with the classic rock guitar sounds of yesteryear mixed with today's technologies (recording and production-wise), you get a live-in-the-studio album that had such a great vibe that they decided to only add a few overdubs, give it a good mix, and release it as is. They truly didn't want to take away from the vibe they were capturing. One listen and you'll you'll hear what I'm talkin' about...        "Carry Me Home" is the band's brand new CD and its sound has been quite accurately described as "Shinedown" doing shots with "Buckcherry" at a "Kings Of Leon" after party. I know of Shinedown and I've seen Buchcherry in concert and I have to say... There are some similarities there. But ... I think Dave still has his own vibe and groove too. Actually, I hear many, many of Dave's musical influences and they go much further back in time then the aforementioned bands. All the songs are well-crafted w/ kick ass vocal melodies and nicely done guitar laden hooks.        Between the Music, The Album's Artwork and overall production, it's all top-notch. I highly recommend this stellar Album to the masses. Right in time for the Winter Solstice !!!        Favorite Song: Devil's Embrace... I couldn't help but jump around and air-guitar to this one and I'm 47 years young!!!        Other great tunes are "Dumb" - Rock Ballad - Now I can hear this song as a sound-track to a Television Season's NEW hit series for the younger crowd ... The song conjures up all sorts of music videos in my minds eye...        And Lastly, The tune "Patiently Waiting" Whew !!! Yeah Baby !!! Is all I can say about that one...    "Prieta kicked my ass.    The Sacramento band, which includes Stockton natives Mat Woods, Brian Breneman and Ian Maclachlan, rolled into the Blackwater Cafe June 30 and play a brief but vicious set of modern blues-rock. It was tight, loud and rollicking, one part Buddy Guy/Muddy Waters and another part Queens of the Stone Age.    As a result, the band’s sound is both cutting-edge and classic, and it can draw devil horns from middle-age professionals relaxing after a day of work as well as 20-something punks out for a good show.    And both helped pack the Blackwater June 30, a rare feat for a Monday-night performance. Others from the Stockton music scene also came out to show their appreciation for the return of Breneman, Maclachlan and Woods, including members of Pretty Mama and the Not So Hots, Simmerhorn, the Icarus Jones Collective and the Stockton Royale.    The crowd loudly showed their appreciation for frontman Alex Ayers’ powerful, bluesy wail and locomotive harmonica work. Woods, meanwhile, wielded his guitar like a machine-gun armed Joe Perry, while bassist Maclachlan and drummer Breneman kept the band’s beastly beating heart. The band’s power and rhythm were big enough to bowl fans over and had them demanding an encore.    It was the type of performance that has made Prieta a favorite of the Sac music scene, earning it radio play and shows at the city’s best-known venues. You can check out Prieta performing throughout northern California this summer."    -Ian Hill 209vibe.com    The Stockton Record    Forget About Boston is a San Francisco based Rock and Roll band taking rock music back to its roots. The band has been playing in and around San Francisco for over 3 years and has developed a significant fan base as well as a solid reputation for playing a killer show. All of the band’s music & lyrics are original though they have been known to pull out a brilliant cover from time to time. Their influences include The Rolling Stones, Oasis, The Beatles, Jet and The Black Crowes, among others.        The band has rocked local venues such as Cafe Du Nord, Elbo Room, Bottom of the Hill, RockIt Room, Red Devil Lounge, Biscuits & Blues, etc. More recently, Forget About Boston won the Regional Emergenza Music Festival and played the Key Club in L.A. for the National Finals.

(click to enlarge)	Saturday, February 13, 8:30	$8
	Valentine's Mardi Gras with Light Rail
	Rock, / Funk Folk Rock / Gospel / Country Rock / Folk Rock / Pop / Folk www.myspace.com/nevadabackwards www.myspace.com/trainwreckrevival www.myspace.com/lightrailmusic www.tomfreund.com
	Nevada Backwards (Ad'a-ven): verb: The natural blending of somewhat unconventional instruments and musical styles (rock and roll, country, bluegrass, hip hop, funk, crazy) to create fun, energetic, and original good time music--mostly hit songs.    High on adrenaline, Ballentine dives from PA stacks, bashes an already-battered guitar and sings his lungs out. Mick Stevenson, a friendly banjo-wielding skinhead who frequently carries Ballentine around on his shoulders, looks about twice his size onstage. Violinist Nikelle Gessner typically looks on in wry amusement, as she and backup vocalist Rachel Fowler drive home propulsive rhythms laid down by drummer Troy Kimura and bassist Rodg. Somehow, they manage to keep it all from flying off the tracks and, along the way, make some beautiful noise.    YES, we know we are a rather motley looking group of dudes whose influences range from Dylan to Tool, however, what we lack in polish... we make up for in good old fashion Musicianship. It's true, you will rarely see us wearing eye shadows... or hair spray... but that's ok because they (whoever they are?) say that 7 out of 10 stripper chicks like their music relatively Organic. There you go, that's us ....Organic Rock and Roll... with out all the plasticy after tastes and that hate yourself in the morning feeling. We know (as a band) that music can have a dramatic impact on us as people. We are dedicated to following through on our dream of making quality music with quality messages that can help make this world a better place. It starts by first of all not giving up on Ourselves... and most importantly not giving up on the world by settling to make mediocre music. We hope to see you at the shows. Thanks for stoppin by the station to get wrecktified! ALLLL ABOARD!!    “Warm and cozy.” That’s how Light Rail singer and guitarist Tyler Williams wants to make you feel. And along with life-long friends and bandmates Shane Kalbach (violin), Chris Banuelos (guitar, vocals), Brian Moran (bass guitar, vocals) and Damien Ware (drums), his aim is true. The five-piece gathers wool with a sound all its own, resulting in a 50/50 blend of cotton and country that ends in nothing other than reverie for the unwitting listener. Those droopy eyes and big ol’ goofy smiles ain’t from the liquor (OK, maybe a little); it’s the true-to-form fiddling with winsome melodies that are easily snuggled up to. Embroidered onto the blanket of Americana are threads of Technicolor range—alt rock, pop, singer/songwriter, smooth jazz, blues, surf, punk, folk. Perhaps that’s why the ensemble chose Dream in Audio as the title of their recently released CD. Sleep tight, and pleasant dreams.    -Kimberly Brown, Sacramento News & Review    "Every year the mounting landfill of new releases that threatens to bury the working music journalists yields a few unexpected gems, and Tom Freund is one of them." - THE NEW YORK TIMES        "A fitting soundtrack to 'On the Road': Gorgeous wide-open spacious scenes, explorations of the young heartand quests from personal truth unfold in its literate, rootsy songs." -NEW YORK POST        "Freund clearly delights in enigma. His vocals could go from laconic to impassioned without such obvious trickery as cranking up the volume. His lyrics are full of curveballs." - WASHINGTON POST        "Journeyman Freund is soundtrack ready. He made an album that is all at once addictive, stylistically diverse and honest to the core." -MSNBC        "An organic collection of songs and stories, breathing with an acoustic richness and lyrics that capture slices of Americana in a way that many attempt, yet very few actually master." - NO DEPRESSION        "If Tom Petty and Nick Drake had a love child." - BLOGCRITICS.COM        "Tom Freund is indeed one of the great singer-songwriters. He constructs a unique world, defines it, and then burns it to the ground. Truly unique and absolutely brilliant." - ALL MUSIC GUIDE        "I get shivers down my spine on almost every tune. Along with Lucinda Williams, Freund is the best singer/songwriter operating today." - GRAHAM PARKER

Upcoming Shows

(click to enlarge)	Saturday, March 6, 8:00 Catch their live interview on Good Day Sacramento Saturday morning !	$12 ($10 adv) Get tickets now
	Reggae Show Feat. Lakay and Mystic Man
	Reggae/Fusion/Latin/Calypso Hip Hop / Reggae / Dub www.myspace.com/lakaymysticman www.myspace.com/djthirde3
	The 9-piece band known as Lakay was founded by Mystic Man – the lead-singer, composer, and arranger of Lakay's music. Mystic Man was born in Haiti and by the early age of 7 he caught the bird and fell in love with music. He's been playing ever since.        In addition to singing, Mystic Man plays many different instruments as music is his one true passion. He is influenced by many different styles of music, which is what makes him so popular – his versatility and variety.        From Africa to the Caribbean to Latin America, Lakay's music consists of many different styles such as Calypso, Reggae, Soca, Zouk, Kompa, Latin, Soukous, Highlife, Rara, and more.        Lakay & Mystic Man is one of the most popular bands/artists in the world-music genre throughout the Bay Area. Lakay & Mystic Man have shared the stage with many legendary top artists and bands in the state, such as: The Caribbean Allstars & Sweet Foot, Native Elements, Tito y Su Son de Cuba & his band, Motor Dude Zydeco, and the late Carlos & Fogo Na Ropa, his well known Brazilian band.        Lakay is currently a popular headliner in some of the biggest venues in Northern California such as: Ashkenaz, Pier 23 Cafe, Oasis in downtown Oakland, Boom Boom Room in San Francisco, the Agenda Lounge in San Jose, Karibbean City in Oakland, and Jelly's in San Francisco.    DJ ThirdE3's Hiphop scratchin', Reggae airhorn droppin, Playin the chink on the keys, Smooth singin, Pressin complicated buttons to dub it all out live n' direct and does those world Famous Reggae "po po po's." ThirdE3 started off as the DJ for Chico local Hip hop legends the Dialecs then Exploded on the Scene with PYRX and helped propel them to Reggae Rising and has continued to perform with many talented artist in the past year.

(click to enlarge)	Saturday, April 3, 9:00	$14 ($12 adv) Get tickets now
	An Evening with Hot Buttered Rum
	Bluegrass/Jamband www.hotbutteredrum.net
	"Stunning instrumental and vocal virtuosity." – Relix Magazine    "Few things rejuvenate the soul like a warm fireside drink after an exhausting day in the snow. Hot Buttered Rum has that effect. Their original songs are instantly familiar and inviting, and their easygoing versions of timeless classics (the Beatles, Hank Williams) belie the intricacy of the arrangements." –San Francisco Chronicle    Initially formed as an acoustic string band, seven years of constant touring has transformed Hot Buttered Rum into a plugged-in, percussive powerhouse that wows critics and fans alike. Their left-coast rock reveals an access to jazz, country, and world music that few groups can match. While the band's music belies simple categorization, its songwriting and stage chemistry delights listeners at every turn.    The widespread appeal of HBR’s music stems not only from the band’s musical versatility and prolific songwriting, but also from the magnetic chemistry the group creates onstage together. It was this chemistry that drew the group together, and that holds it together still through the rigors of their involved professional life together. It is this chemistry that audiences are consistently drawn to and caught up in, comment on effusively at shows and in online chat groups. It is this chemistry that is propelling the band to ever greater success.    Hot Buttered Rum is just as comfortable plugging in at a large-scale rock festival as it is inviting the audience to enjoy its quieter repertoire at an acoustic folk session. Perhaps this is why the band has enjoyed success at such diverse festivals as the Newport Folk Festival, Bonnaroo, Grey Fox, High Sierra and the Telluride Bluegrass Festival. HBR has managed to do all of this without the use of drums, opting instead to channel their music through the guitars, mandolins, fiddles, banjos and string basses of traditional bluegrass. These, along with their occasional flutes, accordions, and other sundry instruments, are amplified with both electric pickups and microphones, giving them the volume and punch to carry through even the largest sound systems.    The band has shared the stage with some of today’s most accomplished artists, such as Phil Lesh, Bela Fleck, Ben Harper, Chris Thile, Mike Marshall and Peter Rowan, the last two of whom worked with the band on its recent critically-acclaimed studio release, Well-Oiled Machine. The support and encouragement the band receives from these and other musical elders is important, since HBR has such a great love and respect for American musical traditions, as well as those from Africa and Europe. Blues, folk, bluegrass, jazz, and rock permeate the group’s performances, while the members’ varying degrees of classical training lead them to invest heavily in group composition. One of the things the band enjoys most is its ability to turn on a dime and leave its audience wondering what new realms their songs will explore, while at the same time assuring them that, above all, the music’s purpose is not to impress but to entertain and to inspire.    HBR is committed to achieving its musical goals in an environmentally sensitive manner. Since 2003, the band has toured in vehicles that run on vegetable oil and biodiesel instead of fossil fuel products. Doing this has not been easy, especially in the early days. But, being in a business that requires driving thousands of miles each year, HBR knows that using alternative fuel is one of the most effective ways it can reduce its ecological footprint. The band enjoys performing for educational assemblies and benefit concerts, and many of their songs seek to raise awareness about the socially and environmentally volatile era in which we live. Above all, HBR’s goal is to satisfy their audience’s minds, hearts and dancing feet with a unique and uplifting blend of progressive American music.    The new lineup has recently emerged from San Francisco’s Mission Bells Studios, where they recorded Limbs Akimbo under the watchful eye of producer Tim Bluhm (The Mother Hips). Featuring guest appearances by Jackie Greene (Skinny Singers, Phil Lesh and Friends) and Zach Gill (ALO, Jack Johnson), the album marks the beginning of a new creative phase. Limbs Akimbo now signals the arrival of a highly matured, impressively listenable, stirringly rocking, and pleasantly poppy sound. Proving himself a forceful producer, Bluhm has struck an impressive balance between highlighting the multi-instrumental, cross-genre elements of the band’s sound while avoiding the contemporary trappings of music that is complex and different merely for the sake of complexity and difference. The result is beautifully paradoxical: a tremendous, minimalist pop album full of hints, teases, and cameos of the band’s complex musical personality. In “Something New,” Keefe recites the familiar wedding adage “something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue.” And right there, in a nutshell, is Limbs Akimbo: an album that is both an elegy and reincarnation of Hot Buttered Rum’s past sound, that borrows heavily from the rock pantheon while sprinkling in just a little of everything else. Limbs Akimbo is an album that evidences the acoustic string band of yesteryear while unapologetically propelling into the scene a mature left-coast, drum-driven, pop-rock band.