The first band that played was the briefs and their bass player tripped me out because he was walking around in a very strange fashion. creepily robot-like. per tyler: devo-like. strange. did i mention two of them had the ultra thin heroin look going on? yipe. however, i was impressed with their music. [see video here] this being my first punk show ever (having feared being trampled in the past and therefore avoiding them like the plague), i didn't know what to expect, but they were good. the second band was the bouncing souls. they were really great. i love it when i can hear a band for the first time and like them right away. their lead singer did not look like a typical punk band singer though. he looked more like one of the mighty mighty bosstones, but whatever. you can listen to one of the songs i liked here. me first and the gimme gimmes were freaking rad. though they didn't do my favorite two songs, they did do "stairway to heaven," "rocketman," and "the two gayest songs ever" - "tomorrow" and "somewhere over the rainbow." it was hilarious to see all of those kids act too cool for everything and erupt in a huge pit during those songs. heh. between that and the guys in their powder blue tuxedos....the show rocked. i have to admit that my favorite of the songs they performed was "sail away." another thing that cracked me up - before every third song one of the guys in the band would say, "this one's a cover." ha ha.

HOUSE OF BLUES CONCERT: Group puts new spin on old hits

Me First and the Gimme Gimmes perform punk covers

By DOUG ELFMAN
REVIEW-JOURNAL

You don't have time to listen to the classic songs of yesteryear anymore. So step right up and experience Carly Simon's 1970s ballad of lovemaking, "Nobody Does It Better," as a two-minute punk song, no longer as Simon meant it to be -- as a sumptuous song that originally lasted forever, like, four minutes.

And check out R. Kelly's "I Believe I Can Fly," not in its original form as an R&B inspirational, but as a rapid-fire punk cover that uses sheer quickness to sap the song of its self-improvement earnestness.

That's right, just in time to satisfy today's attention-deficit, American-on-the-go, these hits and others have been shrunk down to snack-sized nuggets by your new best friend: the punk supergroup Me First and the Gimme Gimmes. Although you probably missed hearing them on Saturday night at the House of Blues, since only 2,100 fans could cram in there.

The socially healing power of Me First and the Gimme Gimmes is that it crosses generations in enjoyable ways. People who remember Led Zeppelin's classic-rock extravaganza, "Stairway to Heaven," might have been pleased to hear it made anew by the Gimmes. The rhythm and melodies were the same. The singing arcs were the same. It was just about four times as fast and four times as short, at 90 seconds or so.

Younger fans who may have never even heard of Paul Simon's old hit "Me and Julio (Down By The Schoolyard)" were so familiar with the Gimmes' quicksilver version of it that they sang along. But then, lots of fans sang along to every song, to REO Speedwagon's "Take It On The Run," Elton John's "Rocket Man" and "Tomorrow" from "Annie."

The cheeky bubbliness of the Gimmes was as dorky as it comes. Two guitarists, playing instruments shaped something like shiny rocket ships, hugged and whispered and pointed at each other, and laughed. Bassist "Fat" Mike Burkett, his zipper wide open, chatted.

"We're fun, but it doesn't take a lot of talent," he said, "as long as your guitar is tuned, and you're wearing nice suits."

Oh, right, they were wearing powder-blue tuxedos and white, ruffled shirts.

Singer Spike Slawson appeared as if he were the passion of the punk. His blond, surfer-dude hair fired upward. He and the Gimmes transformed the quite-overdone Styx song "Come Sail Away" into the funniest and briefest of atrocities. Slawson fell to his knees, raised his arms, tossed his head back, and emoted with the efficacy of Celine Dion, "... to carry on!" Then, he stood and judged: "I think we stopped just short of a train wreck on that one."

The Gimmes are no musical slouches. That's what makes them so good. They're five musicians who usually perform in political and sociologically mindful punk bands. They're leftists or think-for-yourselfers who have gone AWOL to do this national Gimmes tour of fun and frivolity.

The songs they chose to perform sounded pretty much exactly as they have on the radio, but super fast.

So everything seemed familiar but devoid of saccharine. There was, therefore, no schmaltz left in their nearly thrashing version of Loggins & Messina's "Danny's Song," if you know how it goes: "Think I'm gonna have a son; he will be like she and me, as free as a dove, conceived in love. Sun is gonna shine above."

The only song that retained a rhythm similar to its original was a cover of the Beatles' "All My Lovin', " which is 4 decades old. Have there really been that many slower ballads in between "All My Lovin' " and now for the Gimmes to lampoon lovingly, like John Denver's "Country Roads" and Boys II Men's "End of the Road?"

Apparently, yes. And fans loved them, even if Slawson, formal and pleasant, kept them in check while he left the stage: "Considering we didn't write the songs, your applause is not very gratifying. But thank you, anyway."