Los Angeles was all cold and lonely last night. This long sprawling city was like one massive wind tunnel. So to remedy things, I hightailed it to the Silverlake Lounge. I walked in, went right up to the bar and said, “give me a shot of Rock and Roll, straight up.” The bar tender poured me a smooth glass of Wake Up Lucid, a badass blues-rock trio. With their boot-stomping 70’s rock pounding away, Los Angeles warmed up and fast.

Lead singer Ryan Baca, with his long hair and vintage-vest, had a pure blues-rock belt. But in true rock fashion, this meant I had absolutely no idea what he was singing. He looked at the audience and crooned with all his heart, “I hope you’re all alone.” Or maybe he said, “We should have got a loan.” “She looked just like a cone”? I don’t know, but he definitely sang the line, “I am just a rock and roll hippy.” He absolutely was. And in a city full of ultra-gleam and post-ironic I’m-not-showering-to-be-cool, he was damn sincere.

When Dan Hodge joined him on bass, Silverlake Lounge really starting bouncing. As he was slamming that bass, you didn’t just hear it, you felt it. He even whipped out a tambourine to keep the rhythm while Ian Baca let loose on the drums. Shirtless with extra shaggy blonde locks, their drummer would have made Animal from the Muppets proud. This was blood-pumping, thump-style, Southern-Comfort Whiskey music. Ryan Baca would go into these long guitar solos that made me want to jump on stage and air guitar right next to him. I didn’t do that though, otherwise the evening would have gotten a little awkward.

And then Ryan Baca whipped out the harmonica. Yes, the harmonica! The truest blues instrument there is, and yet I never get to see it live. Wake Up Lucid‘s street cred went up 500% at that point. By the end of their set, the bar was full of excited rockers swaying their beer bottles to the music. What more do you need in life?

Leaving the bar and seeing drunk hipsters stumbling down Sunset, I sighed. It was still a chilly night on the West Coast. But for 45 minutes, I was in the smoking hot South of yesteryear. So the next time you feel like growing your hair long and purchasing some bell-bottoms to match your cowboy boots, check out  Wake Up Lucid.

-Rachel K.
www.loudvine.com