Despite the excited rumors flying around - and despite an earlier post on this blog - Flogging Molly WILL NOT BE PLAYING tonight at Water Street Music Hall. The Street Dogs and The UV Rays are still playing tonight at Water Street. Flogging Molly's guitarist, Rochesterian Dennis Casey will sit in with The Dogs and some of the band will be hanging out, no doubt, so buy 'em a beer and dig the show at 7 p.m., $10.

I've always believed that Meghan Taylor's voice superseded her band, Bee Eater. That's not to say it isn't a great band, but Taylor possesses a star quality even she isn't fully aware of.

Over the past few years I've watched this band grow from a well-oiled hard rock quartet that borrowed and Frankenstein'd its music to an incredibly tight, powerful, and original band. The current line-up is top-notch and I really enjoy watching Brian Dudley rumble and twang his guitar. Grimey beats the drums directly with a casual ease and minimal distraction. And 5Head's former bottom-end hot dog Steve Pizzuto will remain in my heart forever as the only guitar player on earth that can play both guitar parts to "Detroit Rock City" at the same time. (Yeah, I know Jet can probably do it too...)

Anyhow, the curve ball came, and Taylor really shined when the band started up its Wednesday night set opening for Boston's The Charms at the Bug Jar with a smoking, sulty, sexy, seductive, unnerving, unhinging, version of "Cry Me A River." Hell, I almost did.

The Charms were a little more on than when I saw them a while back with the New York Dolls. The band broke out some shiny new material and rocked --- as it always does --- in a way that oughta keep garage rock fresh and exciting for a couple more years anyway.

Burned most of a Lincoln on steamy cup o joe

Situatin' in Venu for Fathead to come and blow

The man was cool

Perched on his stool

He rapped all tiptoe quiet

But when he laid attacks

On his sax

Man he honked a riot

He poured it out for the hipster set and for Brother Ray

Giving way for detours so his band could shine and play

Making the scene

Seemed mighty keen

With cosmos, cocktails, and kind

And when Fathead blew

All the fine folks knew

Georgia's still on his mind

Despite the Flogging Molly rumors that flew --- and that proved to be wrong --- The Street Dogs show Monday, March 5, at Water Street was one of the best Irish-drenched punk shows I've seen in a long time. Ex-Dropkick Murphy frontman Mike McColgan exudes blue collar pride and ethic in his music and in the way he carries himself. The band was fast and loud, the tunes anthemic and inspiring, including a Stiff Little Fingers cover in the encore slot. The exuberant vibe on the dance floor (which can get overridden with frustration and testosterone) was positive and fun, especially when McColgan surfed on top, bringing his message straight to the kids. Flogging Molly's Dennis Casey got up for a couple of tunes playing so fast he looked like a guitar-weilding Venus de Milo.

I got there as The UV Rays were winding down. I know this is a raw band that everyone digs screaming in their faces in little joints, but put ‘em through a real big PA and, holy shit, they sound outstanding.

The Rays were followed by Swedish punks Two Point Eight, who rocked old-style punk a la the Clash. The audience went nuts for these guys even though they're relatively unknown. It was cool to see guitarist Fredrik Eriksson sit down to tickle the ivories in the dressing room after the set. He wailed jazzy and ragged like a drunken Muppet.

A show like David "Fathead" Newman's Thursday night engagement at Venu will put some cut in your strut and some glide in your stride. It does the same thing to my speech sometimes. Dig:

Burned most of a Lincoln on steamy cup o joe/Situatin' in Venu for Fathead to come and blow/The man was cool/Perched on his stool/He rapped all tiptoe quiet/But when he laid attacks/On his sax/Man he honked a riot/He poured it out for the hipster set and for Brother Ray/Giving way for detours so his band could shine and play/Making the scene/Seemed mighty keen/With cosmos, cocktails, and kind/And when Fathead blew/All the fine folks knew/Georgia's still on his mind.

It took me a minute to get up to speed (or perhaps slow down a bit) with Holly Golightly and the Broke Offs last night at the Bug Jar. The Broke Offs were really more of a Broke Off; one dude on a completely foot-driven drum set and guitar, which added slippery and reverberated atmosphere to Golightly's country and wisteria sound. The songs were simple, thoughtful, fragile. I think i might have heard a Howlin' Wolf cover.

El Destructo & The White Rose Simply get better every time i hear them. Loose never sounded so tight... 

It took me a minute to get up to speed (or perhaps slow down a bit) with Holly Golightlyand the Broke Offs Tuesday at the Bug Jar. The Broke Offs were really more of a Broke Off; one dude on a completely foot-driven drum set and guitar, which added slippery and reverberated atmosphere to Golightly's country-and-wisteria sound. The songs were simple, thoughtful, fragile. I think I might have heard a Howlin' Wolf cover.

El Destructo & The White Rose preceded Miss Golightly and simply get better every time I hear them. Loose never sounded so tight. I missed openers Blue Spark and Flame, but have caught them before. Much like the late Yer Mom, BS&F takes the unassuming female duo approach mixed with a lo-fi threat to get to some extremely visceral rock 'n' roll.

While folks spent time downtown drinking until they saw little green men, on Saturday I hit the Thruway and headed east to Fuul. It was The Veins, The Grinders, and The Hounds Of Hell who rocked a full Fuul in the fluffy white Canandaigua tundra. The Grinders were ridiculously loud (so loud, in fact, I ended up pulling an earplug out of my nose), but still sounded fantastic. Man, you gotta love the band's new single, "My Poor Dog," and its nods to The Coop and Johnny Thunders.

The Veins were really a treat as the first half of the early a.m. set was all classics like "Walkaway" and "You Belong In Movies" (which may or may not be about local Playmate Julie Cialini). The Veins are heavy and a million times more genuine than most contemporary heavies that fall short by spending more time shaving --- and driving nails --- through their heads and scaring parents. The Veins are the only legit heavy rock band I actually believe. OK, maybe Monster Magnet too.