After the whole "late-for-Luna Park" timing fiasco earlier in the evening, I knew my imaginary show-going friend and I would have to be strategic to both catch headliners the Fever Pitch and to support our lush-like thirsts.

So I will admit right now that we had a quick listen to Seattle-based trio the Senate Arcade before heading back to the older-kid crowd in the grownup bar at the back of the club. It was nothing personal! The Senate Arcade featured three rowdy ones (Todd Schlosser on bass and vocals, Matt Terich on guitar, and Austin Hugill on drums), and they played so hard that after the first song, Austin had to put weights around his drumkit to keep it in place. Todd vocally screached his way through the songs, plowing his bass, and Matt positively lit that guitar, adding further validity to my theory that indie-rock is finally ready to ROCK.

But being that it was a rock show, we needed another round. What a quandary! We had committed to the final band of the night, and we weren't allowed to bring glasses past the orange plastic barricade surrounding the back bar of the Croc. Priorities! Choices!! What to do…?

Well, I'd like to think the Senate Arcade would understand our sacrifice, as Todd himself toasted his rock-and-roll glass of water to the crowd and proclaimed, "Here's to all the 18 year olds." Rock on, Todd! I hope you got yourself a decent PBR as soon as your set was done!

Plus, thanks to this "world wide web" I've recently discovered, you can now hear the Senate Arcade for yourself here. Turn your speakers to UP. Amazing how that works…

Happily imbibed, I entered the showroom just in time for The Feverpitch, thankyouverymuch. Another trio of guys, also rockers, but…. WOW. These guys created a phenomenal wall of rhythm — and yet, the music contained so many intricacies atop just the rhythm section. I couldn't believe how much noise, how much organized musical disarray I heard coming from these fellows three. They made so much sound and sense.

And no wonder — drummer Burke Thomas also fronts Pris, bass player Arthur Hagman Luna Park, and the whole schbang of them used to be a little group called The Pinehurst Kids. A pretty impressive line-up, indeed.

I dug vocalist had just finished playing with Joe "Captain Sausage" Davis' raspy voice and engaging stage banter (many jokes about his ride up I-5 just to play this show), and was floored by the drummer process of Señor Burke, who in his day job plays guitar and sings. Can you all say, talented? Talented.

I went on to learn some amazing tidbits about this band, which I will share with you now:

• They almost never practice, because Joe lives in Portland (hence the I-5 jokes). How is this possible? The band's nice, they're tight. They were giving me the go. Incredible.
• Joe told me Burke runs 10 miles a day. That's crazy talk. But then, I'd be scared to see his energy levels without that release.
• Joe just quit smoking. Good for Joe!
• Joe has put over 3,000 miles on his vehicle in the past 60 days for the sake of jamming.
• Happily, he also recruited a fourth band member who also lives in Portland, so now he has someone to share the gas costs.

Good times!