Alas, I wasn't able to pry myself from under the Christmas tree Christmas night in time to catch Velveteen Fox like I wanted. But it's just as well. You ever hear a band that's so good it makes you mad? Well, this Rochester soul-sensation pisses me off. And if the new demo is any indication, there's going to be a lot of angry people in this town just shakin' their asses. This stuff is furious and infuriating. Unbelievably good.

Saturday night at Abilene, Dave Donnelly was sitting down conjuring up the ghosts of honky tonks past and looking back on Luckenbach, Texas, along with guitarist Don Christiano and crew. Donnelly sings with a ragged, world-weary resolve and wisdom that is all but gone from commercial country music - music from an era when artists weren't Ford tough, they were just tough. An era when they drowned themselves in alcohol, not the wave pool at Disney World. Donnelly's reserve does little to mask his rough 'n' tumble life. He may be just the thing for folks who think they don't like country music.

The Bug Jar was packed with post-yuletide revelers there to see the Isotopes, The Emersons, and the reunion of The Blastoffs. Let me address The Blastoffs first by saying this: I like them, and I liked them before, but I don't remember them being this good. The band was incredible, incredibly tight, and incredibly loud. A Les Paul sledgehammer, a four-barrel enema; it was like Social Distortion, only faster. And it adhered nicely to that blink-and-you'll-miss-it segue that makes it hard to catch your breath. The Blastoffs' set was like the soundtrack to a rock opera performed at a NASCAR speedway by meth addicts, midgets, and porn stars.

The Emersons warmed up the joint with a frenetic set of more traditional punk rock. Self-deprecation aside, this band is accurate, honest, and authentic with what it does. My man Iron Mike spun the classic stuff between sets. It was déjà vu all over again. I remember going to shows at Idols back in the mid- to late 80's where Mike's choice of music (vinyl at the time) used to really get the crowd rolling. I also remember it culminating with Motorhead's "Ace Of Spades." I brought this up to Mike Saturday night and he spun Battalion of Saints' version. And don't forget the joker...

What can I say about The 'Topes that I haven't already? I'm afraid I've exhausted all my surf guitar and dancing girl metaphors. Or maybe I'm just saving them up for Agent Orange, when that band shows up next week.