I'll bet you can all already predict these recaps by now. During the good times and the not-so-good times, I always have fun at the Yorba shows. Even when turnouts aren't terrific, I still have fun. Turnout at this Yorba show wasn't fantastic (though part of that could have been due to the weather; there was a pretty bad storm this evening) but my attitude has always been "whether it's 5 people or 500 people, those people came to see a show and I will damn well give them a show." I don't care if I'm only playing for the other bands and their girlfriends or even just the soundguy and the bartender, I'll still put everything I have out there on stage.

Anyway, the recurring theme at this Yorba show was rebirth. I choose this theme because multiple performers came from defunct bands that went kaput for whatever reason, but from the ashes arose something even better... or at least something experimental.

The show opened with Neal Nerdypants. This ex-Sullen Door bassist has occasionally taken the stage with solo acts involving him not only playing bass, but entertaining audiences with a cavalcade of surprisingly convincing cartoon voices. He was invited to play the show two nights ago and in those two days, he took this schtick to another level by incorporating set pieces into a wraparound conceptual journey about self discovery. He also debuted some original vocal songs, one with singing and two rap songs. This guy sure loves being on stage.

Paul from Asylum was next. Asylum is on hiatus while they seek out a new drummer, but that didn't stop from doing an acoustic covers set. This project was pretty much formed in one day, and it's no surprise there were rough edges. They opened with "Freebird" but few people seemed to get the joke (you know, at every bar gig some jackass in the crowd starts yelling "FREEBIRD!!!!"). The musicians themselves called their set "a trainwreck, but a very happy and fun trainwreck." This was a side of Paul audiences had not seen before; a far cry from Asylum.

The next band, Cheating Proctors, featured Matt B. and Matt D. (formerly of Point Blank and S.I.G.) and a new singer/guitarist. They offered up a dose of hair-flying, fist-pumping, ballsy, bluesy hard rock. They had a thick wall of sound, despite being only a 3-piece, and a high octane stage presence. The new vocalist had this really great, gravelly, blues-rock voice. I would say half their set was originals and half was covers. Though covers are nice because they're songs we all know, I thought that the band's originals were much better. Next time I see these guys play, I'd want to hear more of their originals.

Button is one of a whole slew of bands that rose from the ashes of No Damn Problem. For a long time it was ex-NDP drummer Andrea and guitarist Tom; both shared vocal duties. It was upbeat, happy-sounding punk music with strong opinions. But it seems Button has added a 3rd member to its lineup: a bassist. It's still the same Button we all know and love, but with some extra low end.

Karma Bat was next. Bassist Caleb from Crack Filler also plays bass in this band. Karma Bat is a highly eclectic rock group featuring the experimental musings of prog rock, the fallout and intensity of punk, spurts of jazzy drumming, and a pop sensibility that makes these experimental ideas musically appealing and not an alienating "WTF?!?!" like a lot of experimental music tends to be. The young lady in the band was an excellent singer, a great keyboardist, a darn good guitarist, and could hold it down on bass. There were times when the guys in the band would do vocal duty, but the screechy vocals from the main guitar player were love it/hate it. The band had a very engaging stage performance as well.

Ashtray Dirt is a sludge/doom/stoner duo featuring Rob (from Malakoi) on bass with another drummer. The slow, plodding, deliberate pacing of this style of music is very much a love it/hate it thing. Loud, distorted bass with noisy effects, heavy-hitting drumming, and harsh vocals peppered throughout lengthy and often meandering songs is not everyone's cup of tea.

Only at a Yorba show can a hip-hop act like Ten-13 follow a sludge band like Ashtray Dirt. Ten-13 has become a Guild stalwart. They have played every Yorba show this semester and can always be counted on to be professional, reliable, and consistently good performers. As each show progressed, they've just gotten tighter. It's honest, soulful hip-hop from the heart. An R&B singer (nicknamed R&B) performed a bit with them and he was smooth. His voice was smooth, his stage moves were smooth, and when he did some solo stuff, his guitar playing was smooth. Ten-13 seems to enjoy showcasing guest talent each time they play out, and that's definitely cool.

The end of the night treated us to the rock/ska stylings of End of Story- another band borned out of the ashes of No Damn Problem. This is the 3rd time I've seen them (saw them once during the summer and twice this semester), and they are a really fun band with loads of talented musicians. Bob has shown himself to be a capable lead guitarist and bassist Jason is really freaking good. Their cover of "Rock You Like A Hurricane" by Scorpions is always a crowd pleaser. This is the second time I've seen them bust out that song.

Special thanks to Button for use of their PA. Special thanks to End of Story for loaning Button a guitar during technical difficulties and loaning Ten-13 a microphone cable. Special thanks to Neal Nerdypants for loaning his bass rig to Ashtray Dirt and End of Story.

A good time was had by all who attended and it's nice to end the semester on a positive note. To all those who didn't attend, you really missed out.