The week started early, on Monday, Sept, 19 with Wildlife, Young Rival and Hollerado playing Average Joes with special guest Mayor Rajko Dodic.
While I missed Wildlife, I caught Young Rival, who after a couple bursts of shrieking feedback, laid down some Sloan-style pop rock with generous dollops of rockabilly and Who tinged rock.
The band sounded a little like the Dickies singing a set of Buddy Holly songs and had the good sized crowd clapping and dancing along.
Everyone was waiting for Mayor Rajko Dodic to join Hollerado on stage. The band introduced him as “the funniest mayor we’ve met” on their Meet the Mayors Tour.
“ I don’t usually play Telecasters and Stratocasters, I’m more of a Gibson man,” he told the enthusiastic crowd.
He did himself proud on an instrumental jam on the bluesy “Who Do You Love,” before being coaxed into learning Neil Young’s “Rocking in The Free World,” which had him watching the band intently for the right chords.
He won himself a room full of enthusiastic young fans who chanted “Dodic, Dodic, Dodic,” with gusto after his songs.
Hollerado, outfitted in Todd Lacharite’s “Shuffle Up And Deal” T-Shirts was there to party after that on a long, upbeat set of Weezer tinged originals, many from their CD “Record in a Bag.”
Their catchy, upbeat rock had most of the crowd on their feet. Americanarama was one of countless highlights from the show.