Hole in Me Head

Suddenly it was 1993 all over again last night at the Hole in the Wall. The vibe for the Wannabes' 20th anniversary show was that of a high school reunion. Soaking up the ambience, I quickly downed a few beers and cultivated a nice glowing buzz before switching to water for the rest of the evening.

The packed showroom became fully jammed when Sincola took to the stage for their first full set since breaking up in 1997. Despite the layoff, the band's altogether unlikely chemistry came through loud and clear on tunes like "Rundown," "Happy M.F." (which Chepo noted went to #30 for a week in the U.K.), and the obligatory set-closer, "Bitch." It was jovial and fun but spot-on when it had to be.

Trivia note: 12 years ago this month at Kilamanjaro (now Elysium) on Red River, Sincola headlined the first-ever Peenbeets show. We opened with a jerky 15-minute set and then another new band called Spoon played. I'm not sure whatever became of them.

The Wannabes were up next. They gamely plowed through old faves like "Itchin' Jenny" and "Ex-Girlfriend Record Review," to name but two. They even had original vocalist Mike Comiskey join in the excitement. As 2am approached, the unabashed covers came out. Among them were Duran Duran's "Hungry Like the Wolf" (which I remembered them doing at a KTSB-sponsored "New Wave Hoot Night" I emceed in 1990) and the Tubes' "She's A Beauty." I was dancing and having beer spilt on me and I didn't mind one bit.

Somehow I made it out this afternoon when Hunter invited me for a post-show lunch at El Patio, but I'm not sure I'll be going anywhere tonight. Between the beer and Tex-Mex, my brain and body just don't bounce back like they used to.

Meanwhile, my mom just called from Houston to say she's going to see Paul McCartney. When you're being out-rocked by your mom, it's time to start yourself asking some serious questions.