photo credit: Hydrogen Babies

Back in the day, I used to edit a music zine. Remember those? They were labors of love – little self-published magazines that primarily dealt with music, culture and a smattering of sex. I would make the rounds of the best music clubs in North Carolina and write about the bands playing – Ziggy’s Tavern, Baity’s Backstreet, Somewhere Else Tavern, Cat’s Cradle, Local 506, The Cave were my main haunts.

I think I cracked a rib in the mosh pit during a Dead Milkmen show, I got kicked out of Myrtle Beach’s Xanadu for dancing on the speakers, lost 5% of my hearing at an AC/DC show, the last time I camped out for tickets was for Fugazi at Guilford College some years ago, you don’t want to know what happened to me at the Circle Jerks concert, I saw the Red Hot Chili Peppers rock out with their cock out, and for my birthday in 1990, Marky Ramone gave me his drumstick which I have mounted behind glass at home. I even produced a rock-n-roll vampire film, Immortal. The soundtrack of Immortal is said to be the best example of the 90′s indie rock scene in Chapel Hill. Suffice it to say, I am a disciple of rock.

So last weekend on San Francisco’s Fillmore Street, I am checking out who is coming up at the Boom Boom Room when I heard a skull shattering sound emanating from the bowels of Japantown. I walked up to check out the racket (also known as serious punk rock) and discovered the Cherry Blossom Festival and on the stage I found a band called The Hydrogen Babies. They were decked out in lab coats and at first, I thought I was at a Clinique sales conference.

They had a neuvo punk flavor and their songs seemed to be inspired by the city around them. Get On The Bus tells the tale of dating and public transportation and is an excuse for the band’s drummer, HOFFFFFMEEEYEEERRRR! to show his work. Cotton Candy was well-liked by the crowd and gave a little atmosphere for the street festival. My favorite so far is Night of the Golden Calf. That thing is begging to be on my iPod.

This band was just fun. So many acts take themselves way too seriously and that inner demeanor comes across in the performance. The Hydrogen Babies are folks you want have play in your backyard just to piss off the neighbors!

The band line-up is Mr. Swirly Rat Jr. on bass and is the lead vocals, John Hofmeyer can beat the living shit out of a set of drums, Alejandro Maestas and Rich Beerman are Gods on the rhythm guitar.

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