Local acts recently reviewed in other cities:

When the Plot to Blow Up the Eiffel Tower played the Talking Head near Washington, D.C., they "took the stage in their pseudo-fascist uniform of black, button-down shirts decorated with red armbands printed with the band's logo.... The lead singer, Brandon Welchez, beer in hand, announced that it is Chuck Rowell's birthday and proceeded to make out with his newly 22-year-old guitarist. Welchez then lay on the floor to play saxophone, as the guitar stops working. Rowell ends up borrowing a guitar from Josh Atkins of [opening band] AttaStratta and prepares to get the show going with drummer Brian Hill and bassist. However, Welchez takes the opportunity to climb onto the bar, fall off of it, climb back up onto it, scream a little bit, yell about 'Bore-timore,' which he calls a 'city full of squares,' that was 'neutral in the Civil War.' Welchez is a small, earnest young man, and the effect of his passionate, drunken hatred was mostly just funny, and few people present seemed to mind him very much."

(The Johns Hopkins News-Letter; October 29, 2004)

Kill Me Tomorrow, after playing October 30 at the Neurolux in Boise, Idaho, was described as "a three-piece cyber punk band from San Diego. The guitar is a strange instrument in the hands of band member Dan Wise, a sound [sic] he achieves by mixing his guitar through the keyboard and his guitar amp, and by using a litany of pedals. K8 Wince plays bass and sings, while Zack Wentz (married to K8) drums and sings. Their music is less about making melody and more on making strange sound. Kill Me Tomorrow could be described as a tidal wave for the auditory senses, leaving the ears feeling a bit soggy when all is said and done. A most entertaining moment, however, was when K8 suddenly set down her bass and pranced off the stage, disappearing to the front of the bar for a moment. In a peculiar spectacle, she danced her way back with a foot-tall replica of Godzilla she purchased at the Edge earlier that day. She climbed on stage and literally played the remainder of the song using Godzilla."

(www.arbiter.com, November 4, 2004)

"The Hot Snakes are reminiscent of a time when indie bands actually rocked. This San Diego four-piece does away with the atmospheric pretensions of the indie scene on its third full-length, Audit in Progress.... The two main driving forces of the Snakes are its guitarists, Rick Froberg (formerly of early-'90s screamo forebears Drive Like Jehu) and John Reis (of Rocket From the Crypt and a thousand other projects). Froberg's garage-rock block chords set the foundation for Reis's unique six-string style, a mix of Dick Dale surf twang and post-punk jaggedness. The rhythm section serves as the springboard for this guitar duel, and the result is some of the densest punk since the Clash."

(Riverfront Times, St. Louis, Missouri, November 10, 2004)

"By just going about its work, the Hot Club of Cowtown is quickly gaining popularity with fans and critics alike. The high-energy group consists of guitarist Smith, violinist Elana Fremeran, and bassist Jake Erwin. The Hot Club of Cowtown has released four CDs since forming in San Diego in 1996 [and is now based in Austin, Texas]. The trio plays vintage swing music, infused with a jazzy twist, and recently wrapped a 22-city tour with Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson. 'I really like the gypsy swing music that the Hot Club plays,' said [bluegrass musician Dan] Hicks. 'They are an exceptional group, but the thing that really sets them apart is their guitarist. [Smith] is really a virtuoso.' "

(San Bernardino Sun; November 8, 2004)