It's got to be a big show to get me there when I'm flying solo: the Electric Six, Wilco, Cobra Verde. Suburban Sect didn't have that power back in the day (wait, it isn't a fair comparison. I didn't drive back then. I didn't go to any shows by myself. Allow me a little artistic flourish. Thanks). Sure, they were the best band around, but they were a local band. You could see them all the time. I think I've seen them perform the second most of any band (a gold star for whoever can guess who I've seen the most. Wait, probably only my brothers would know this. It's the Frampton Brothers).

Anyway, after eight years, a Suburban Sect reunion show has the power to get me out there without hesitation. It was kind of strange to go into the 31st Street Pub, and, there by the door, are Joe Dello Stritto and Tim Thomas (and probably the drummer. Sorry, man, I don't know what you look like). That's half of Suburban Sect. I sat down at one of the tables to waste a little time and watch a little tv (they had the Cartoon Network, E!, the Golf Channel, and Comedy Central on), and who's sitting at the next table? Bob Gilbert. I've gone back in time ten years. The only thing missing were the teenagers.

The show itself started out a little slow. I'm surprised they didn't have bigger bands opening for them (or maybe those were big bands and I'm just out of touch). But by the time it was time for the headliners the place was jumping.

I ended up down front. They started off with Radio Static and the place went wild. They may have started Radio Static twice. They had a couple false starts to songs but that just gave the crowd more opportunities to cheer. Next, they played Policewoman, which was dedicated to Love's Arthur Lee who died on Thursday. From there it was just pure bliss. They did a long, jamming version of Killdeer Siren and just about every song on Margo Bird except, maybe, Instant Sunshine (Plastic Elation). Some guy in the crowd tried to get them to play Applehead a second time but they didn't oblige.

They only played four songs that aren't on their album and, I think, three of them were still originals. The second one was a mainstay of their concerts back in the day, with Tim Thomas sharing the vocals. I again got to experience that strange feeling of recognizing songs that I haven't heard in ten years. Why didn't they break up after finishing their second album?

With three songs left in the set they finally played Victoria. It was the first time I'd heard them play it live since hearing the original version by the Kinks. I always thought that was a Suburban Sect song! The chorus of Victoria is still the best part of a Suburban Sect show with everyone going crazy and showing their devotion to the Queen.

They finished it up with Gentlemen's Hour and I Can't Explain by the Who, which featured one last sing along, and then it was over. Hopefully this isn't really their final show and we'll see them again in fifteen years for the twenty-fifth anniversary of Margo Bird.