Sweet & Tender Hooligans at the Casbah, 12/28/07

If you read this blog frequently, you know how disappointed I was at Street Scene that even though I was backstage and got to meet a ton of bands, I missed out on meeting Joe Escalante. Joe is in the Vandals, and plays bass for Sweet & Tender Hooligans, but he's also the morning host on Indie 103.1, his show aptly called "The Last of the Famous International Morning Shows". I caught the band for a piece of their 3 hour set at Street Scene, but that was in no way a proper preview for seeing them last night at the Casbah. Not that the band was any less perfect than they were at Street Scene, but the crowd was something I never expected.

The fans clearly love The Smiths and Morrissey, but they equally love Sweet & Tender Hooligans. I arrived to a packed bar and the crowd was fanatical, with girls sitting on the stage, people jumping onstage to hug and kiss Jose, and literally ripping his clothes off. To be honest, I don't even know if Morrissey himself gets that kinda love anymore.

Here's the setlist from Friday, and I was told by Jose that tonight's show will have a different setlist.


Sweet & Tender Hooligans Setlist, 12/28/207, Casbah San Diego


Maneuvering to the front was a challenge, but I was able to snatch a spot on the side of the stage to get some pics of my hero, Joe Escalante. I'm bummed because I cannot stream the radio from my new job, but Joe still has some podcasts that can be downloaded. I still always highly recommend checking out his "Barely Legal Radio Program" where he gives entertainment industry related legal advice. As a blogger, the info he gives on trademarks, copyright law, and music law are immeasurably valuable.


























The show itself was amazing, and if you closed your eyes, you wouldn't be able to distinguish between Jose's voice and Morrissey's. Any fan of the Sweet & Tender Hooligans will tell you the same.

After the show, I got to meet Joe and his wife, and I was giddy like a teenager. And the two of them were nice enough to put up with me rambling and gushing.






People were asking for merch, so I asked the band why they didn't have any and they told me they just didn't have anyone to sell it. So here I am, sitting on the smoking patio, selling t-shirts and CDs while Adam Gimbel wraps up his Too Cool For Karaoke segment of the night. But it's clear, the natives are restless, and the weekend warriors are out in full force. Last night, as I arrived, four guys had already been kicked out for being too wasted and/or obnoxious. If I can, I'll try and sneak up for some more pics tonight, but truth be told, I'm just happy to be here listening.