Hometown heroes at Downtown Brew

Few bands with local ties enjoy the hometown support of Sherwood.

The power pop foursome routinely draws crowds every time it plays San Luis Obispo. That's why Downtown Brewing Co. is sure to be packed tonight.

As guitarist Dan Koch told The Tribune last March, Sherwood's founding members met while attending Cal Poly.

Singer and bassist Nate Henry, a parks and tourism major, had a joke band called The Ragnomes whose hits included "For a Good Time, Call 911." Drummer Joe Greenetz played at Campus Crusade for Christ meetings and with nowdefunct The Push Game. Koch, meanwhile, was a philosophy major with a love of punk rock and The Beach Boys.

They came together in 2002 to create melodious, hook-heavy pop with a touch of emo and indie rock.

Countless shows and musical festivals later, Sherwood has gone to booking their own shows and hawking CDs in malls to playing the Vans Warped Tour and rocking audiences from New Jersey to Orange County.

They released their second album, "A Different Light," on MySpace Records in March 2007. The band's current lineup includes Mike Leibovich on keyboards and percussion.

According to Koch, Sherwood recorded "A Different Light" in Mexico to tap into the Beach Boys' summery sound. Songs on the album sparkle, shock and soothe, revealing well-crafted melodies and thoughtful lyrics.

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The all-ages show starts tonight at 6 p.m. at Downtown Brewing Co., 1119 Garden St. in San Luis Obispo. Also playing are The Matches, The Higher and We Shot The Moon.
Tickets are $13 in advance and $14 at the door.
For more information, call 543-1843 or visit www.downtownbrew.com.

You can check out Sherwood at www.myspace.com/sherwood.

-- Sarah L.

Photo courtesy of Earshot Media.

Nerd to the core

When I heard The Aquabats were storming into San Luis Obispo tonight, a giddy shiver shot up my spine.
Spawned from the Southern California punk and ska scenes of the 1990s, The Aquabats are that rare nerd band with a cool edge – fully accessible, totally fun and utterly geeky. And because they float just below the radar, we get to see them in places like SLO.
Just how awesome are they?
We’re talking about a band that dresses like refugees from some unknown episode of “Super Friends.” (Think short pants, goggles, rubber helmets and really big belts.) A band that performs with scores of stage props, including footage of Saturday morning cartoons and Asian martial arts flicks.
The Aquabats sing songs about snakes, pirates, robots and Martian girls. They go by names like MC Bat Commander, Chainsaw and Crash McLarson.
They are, as the song of the same title states, “Super Rad.”

The Aquabats play an all-ages show tonight at Downtown Brewing Co., 1119 Garden St. in San Luis Obispo.
Hunter Revenge, led by AFI bassist Hunter Burgan, and DJ Lance open the show at 6:30 p.m.
For more information, call 543-1843 or visit www.downtownbrew.com.

-- Sarah L.