Frank's off on a cabin getaway, so I get to fill his shoes (it's hard; I'm used to heels) and tell you about some music I caught this past week.

Juanita and the Rabbit's "punky love rock" was sandwiched between sets by Buffalo DJs and Rochester's DJ A-KO last Tuesday night at the Bug Jar. The San Francisco husband-and-wife duo (married for eight years, but a band for just eight months) played a set of standout songs, including terrific covers of Barrett Strong's "Money (That's What I Want)," Bill Wither's "Ain't No Sunshine," and the band's own hilarious "So Hip" ("So hip / I think I'll be sick / and it sure doesn't help / that you smell like shit"). Brett Cline (six-string bass, vocals) tossed the lyrics out in such a way that made the song at once catchy and biting.

Elizabeth Cline (drums, vocals) sang from behind her kit while playing some mean beats, and added to the fun, light-hearted feel of the show. The "love rock" thing sounds like a joke, but it's actually true: at the bar, Brett said he'd played in bands since he was 12, with various drummers, and found Elizabeth to be better than all of ‘em. Besides, I figure it'd be pretty impossible not to love the little girl grin she bestowed on Brett (and the crowd, when we were lucky) while she played. It was instantly endearing.

Tommy Brunett and Pancake (his guitar) were equally endearing on Thursday night at Abilene. There's something about naming an instrument that infuses it with even more life, and Pancake had plenty of it. Brunett slung her on real low, and got a huge sound out of her. The two were there to please the crowd, and Brunett asked questions ("Where does the witch live? If you can answer it right, I'll give you a free CD.") and took requests. He played with his back to the small garden in Abilene's backyard, so that when the parking lot lights went off, it looked like he was coming at us out of a haunted forest.

A cover of "Chim Chim Cheree" from "Mary Poppins" was an unexpectedly wise choice; Brunett really got inside the song, and the result was spooky and Waits-like. He also kicked out covers by Billy Joe Shaver, Johnny Cash, and the Rolling Stones (with added vocals by Too Tall Paul, and the lovely Velvet Edge girls, who played fiddle and sang).

My favorite song of the evening was inspired by words of wisdom passed down from Brunett's dad and grandpa: "Some of the best times in my life I can't remember / Livin' hard and drinkin' the same way / I think of all the wasted days and start to tremble / and son you're better off not to do the same." This rang real close to home. Think what you will, but while everyone else was laughing, I reached for a drink and fought back tears.