I got to The Empty Bottle in time to meet Hawk. He gave me a bear hug as usual and we talked a bit, until he excused himself to try to pass a bribe. He held out a fist of bills to the sound guy, who told him don't bother, he's getting paid the same as anybody else here. "OK," said Hawk. "Don't use any white lights on us. All the other colors, but no white." No problem.

The band took the stage in the dark and began with a distinct Leonard Cohen vibe. The carefully crafted vocal harmonies between Hawk and Brittney were backed by swelling drum work and some smooth, brassy guitar and organ sounds. Hawk's soaring soul-screams brought the song to a head, exploding in a flurry of real, honest, and gorgeous rock n' roll.

Hawk on percussion

I marveled at Steve playing the second drum kit behind his immense Kwai MP9000 keyboard, while Ali's Theremin wailed above all and Brittney's sedate leading vocals made me feel like I was on an endless trip.

Brittney on the mic

I felt like I was roaring through the desert in a classic convertible--even the name of the band was perfect. Gabe sneered as he ground away on his bass. After three songs, a guy walked up to the stage and told Travers to play his guitar dirtier. Travers just shook his head. He knows what he's doing. The sound was big, and I couldn't get enough, but it did end, all too soon.