Flaunt, Playboy Manbaby, Squarecrow, Se Vende @ Tower Bar, San Diego

The occasion was the birthday celebration of local drummer Uriel Montes. Uriel plays in two bands, Ash Williams and Le Saboteur. But neither band played this night, because it was Uriel’s turn to party. Instead, he asked his friends to play. Flaunt is a relatively new band in the San Diego scene, and they take their hardcore glam-punk seriously. Well, semi-seriously. Traveling all the way from Phoenix, Arizona were the peerless Playboy Manbaby. Locals Squarecrow and Se Vende opened the night. More people than normal squeezed into the tiny dive that is Tower Bar, and when it was all over, everyone had a sweaty good time. And Uriel was a year older.

By Paul Silver