The Bakersfield Music Scene Pays Tribute to One of their Own
Friday night I headed downtown for the much anticipated Peter Will Tribute Show. The tribute show was a two-part, two venue show with a great line-up of bands performing. There were acoustic sets at Dagney’s Coffee House from 5-8pm with a rock and roll show following at Kosmos Bar and Grill. I had never met Peter Will. I really didn’t know who he was. But I understood that Peter Will had touched the local music scene and they wanted to remember him.

There was quite a good crowd already at Kosmos when I arrived a few minutes after 8pm Friday Night. Bands were unloading equipment and setting up on stage. People were milling about in expectation of the night’s music; NL and I went in search of food.

They have grilled ham and cheese sandwiches! I gleefully exclaimed in my head. The last time I ate at Kosmos they didn’t have grilled ham and cheese sandwiches on the menu. Of course, I had to order one. I love grilled ham and cheese sandwiches and I’m on a quest to find out who has the best grilled ham and cheese sandwich in town. So far in my quest, Zingo’s Café is #1.

“This sandwich ranks up there with Zingo’s.” I told NL as I happily ate my grilled ham and cheese sandwich.

“Wow! You gave it high marks!” He replied.

By the time we finished eating Jimmy Holliday and his band Sioux City Sarsaparilla were taking the stage.

Jimmy Holliday and his band Sioux City Sarsaparilla had played an acoustic set earlier at Dagney’s but now they were electrified and ready to rock the house with their special blend of rock and roll/country/folk music. Dressed all in black, wearing a cowboy hat, 70’s style glasses and a miner’s light “for going deep” Jimmy Holliday was a huge rock star that filled up the room as he screamed out his brand of honest sarcastic lyrics and played a mean guitar. Sioux City Sarsaparilla was tighter than I had ever heard them before.

“They’re really good like this!” I leaned over and said to NL.

“Yeah they are!” He exclaimed.

We were sitting with a group of Sioux City Sarsaparilla fans that knew all their lyrics and sang along, clapped and showed their excitement for rock star Jimmy Holliday and his band. Sioux City Sarsaparilla’s music gets better and better every time I hear them. They are the new favorite band on my list of favorite local bands. They ended their set with an energized, electrified version of Fakin’ Bacon that got the crowd all riled up.

Hard rocker’s Sick Trigger sat in chairs across the stage and performed one of the best acoustic sets I’ve ever heard. Those guys can really sing! I had never heard Sick Trigger before and the power rock songs and power rock ballads I was hearing amazed me.

“Do they sound like this when they’re not acoustic?” I asked Matt Munoz of Mento Buru who was standing next to me listening to Sick Trigger’s set.

“They’re harder electric but they’re good.” Matt explained.

“I really love them acoustic style like this!” I told Matt.

“They remind me of Tesla.” Matt said.

“They do!” I exclaimed.

Tesla. That’s why I loved what I was hearing… somewhere hidden deep in my CD collection at home were Tesla, Scorpions, Bon Jovi and Boston CDs. I know I just dated myself with that sentence. Sick Trigger put on a great acoustic set and everyone in Kosmos was really into their music.

“LIKHY2’s manager just asked me if Matildakay was black.” Matt told me.

“Really? That’s strange.” I said confused.

“I told him that was Danielle Belton, but Matildakay was here tonight.” Matt explained.

Apparently LIKHY2’s manager had written to Danielle Belton to promote LIKHY2 and she had written him back, but now he had our names mixed up.

“Wow! Someone actually thought I was Danielle Belton! That’s cool!” I exclaimed reveling in my one moment of being a Bakersfield fake famous that Danielle Belton writes about.

How cool is that! People actually know my name and read my little blog. I thought smiling to myself.

A little bit later I ran into a very pretty girl with dark hair and glasses in the bathroom.

“I’m ****, by the way.” She said introducing herself.

“Matildakay.” I replied.

“Yeah. I know who you are!” She stated ominously.

Oh! I wonder what she meant by that?

“Nice meeting you.” I said as I left the bathroom.

Perhaps being fake famous isn’t all its cracked up to be.

The Filthies took the stage next and put on a great rocking punk show. NL, Flower in the Dale, and myself along with a crowd of fans all gathered close to the stage trying to get closer to the Filthies brand of rural rock punk music that we all love and sing along to. They performed fan favorites: The Donut Shop, Take my Ass Home, You Look Dead to Me, and On the Radio along with a few others. But the special treat of the night was when the Filthies debuted their Hockey song Condorstown. Kenny and Gus coached the crowd on screaming GO! FIGHT! SKATE! at just the right moment in the song and in my mind I could hear the thousands of Condors fans screaming GO! FIGHT! SKATE! right along with us during the upcoming Condors season home games. Condorstown by the Filthies will definitely be a Condors fan favorite this year!

There were still several bands left to play after the Filthies including: Mento Buru and Empath. I always love hearing Mento Buru and Empath has one metrosexual band member that Flower in the Dale and I love, but it was getting close to 1am and I had to take my fake famous self home before I turned back into a great big giant pumpkin head.  posted by Matildakay at 7:28 PM