Every time I bring up this band, my mom has to say to me... I can't believe you like a band called Snot. But the fact is I do, and October 10th was no different - as my parents visited from New Jersey and took me out to a very nice Italian restaurant on Sunset Blvd, they couldn't believe I was actually going to see a band called Snot.

If you're at all curious about this band, you can check out my long essay on why Snot is an important band in the Features section by Clicking Here.

Dinner ended early so I made my way over to the Key Club - a tiny, yet somewhat historic venue on the Sunset Strip situated just West of the Roxy, and the Whisky. An attempt at being a little swankier than its more iconic neighbors, the Key Club is a sleek looking venue, but still has some dirty rock grit, as though it hasn't quite showered since it was a dance club in the early 90's. I walk straight to the front door and give my usual "I'm on the press list speech" and my pulse increases a beat or two as you never quite know whether you're going to be ON the list when you're press. Thanks to one of my more reliable publicist friends (you rule Dana), I was indeed on Black President's PR list and I walked in to a sold-out, though currently very empty Key Club.

As I was about to pass on my offer of a +1, a thin, tattooed young woman with a cagarrette between her fingers excitedly hit my shoulder and asked if I would mind adding her as my +1 - to which I promptly agreed. I now had a concert-going buddy, Mel T, formerly a radio DJ in Florida and now a publicist for Unison Music. Mel later became an equal star of the show as any of the bands - befriending half of the audience and proceeding to destroy a mosh pit of very large men.... all the time she was wearing 3 inch heels. Nice job, Mel and thanks again for the beers.

First band took the stage around 8:00PM and played to almost nobody. They were called Intake and generally, they were very good if a bit generic. The lead singer/screamer was a giant dude who, during Snot, planted himself in the middle of the pit and didn't move. People ran into him, but he still didn't move. He looked very happy and content there.

Next up, Instinct of Aggression - a fine blend of hardcore/punk and technical metal. Is that called Metal-core these days? I never really know. The band featured two solid guitarists who seamlessly ripped crunchy riffs and screaming soloes over and over again throughout the set. The drummer, as is necessary for the genre, was rediculously fast and amazing - dropping heavy grooves next to frantic beats. The star of IoA is the lead singer - a tall, athletic dreaded African American with an over-the-top stage presence that ranges from Henry Rollins style frantic thrashing to more dramatic death-metal style delivery. Just check them out - www.Myspace.com/InstinctofAggression.

Black President followed IofA and proceeded to remind all the kids what Punk is all about. For all of his soft-spoken, subdued nature, lead singer, Christian is a psycho on stage. Two highlights of the night were their single, Suspects and the Black Flag cover (I can't remember the name) which Christian sang from the audience, mic in hand. They're really an excellent band, walking the line between the origins of punk with the meaning behind Rollins era Black Flag - to check them out onilne head to www.Myspace.com/BlackPresident.

I'm told I was supposed to really like the Human Waste Project.... but they missed me. I stood there through three songs as Amy Echo (also of TheStart) and the crew performed their first full set in nearly 10 years. Honestly, I thought they were good, but as an uneducated fan had trouble finding a hook in their songs on first listen. I know - give them more of a chance, but I couldn't make it. I wound up wandering away from the stage and went down the street to the local liquor store and bought a soda.... lame right?

I re-entered the club and watched the end of HWP then situated myself in front of the stage for Snot. Nearly 10 years since the death of James Lynn Strait, I wasn't quite sure what to make of Tommy Vext, a 26 year old hardcore singer who is about twice Strait's size and has a much deeper voice. Finally, as Snot took the stage around 11:30PM, I decided to let the apprehension go and just allow it to happen.

The simple fact is, 10 years has done this band very well. Each member has matured as musicians and Snot, once known for high energy but less-than-stellar musicianship, is now a tight machine with enough weight to bash your head in and enough swagger to rock you with confidence. Tommy Vext brings a different flavor to the group, running around the stage and jumping off of the drum riser - his 250 lb frame makes him an imposing character, but his charisma and youthful smile make him an approachable and endearing front-person.

Was the magic there? Yes. Was it the same magic that defined Snot? Maybe not.

The band performed literally every song Snot had ever produced as a full band (approximately 50 minutes worth of music), two new originals and one cover. The new originals, honestly, were the drawback of the night. The first, an un-recorded, never-before-heard tune called "Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda," didn't really excite or entice the audience at all. Slightly more successful was the new single, "The Band Plays On" - a song which much of the audience knew and so they at least feigned enjoyment.

A special moment occurred somewhere about 30 minutes into the set with Tommy introduced the Strait family. Tears fell, people hugged, a man was remembered. Thanks for the great music Lynn!

We were also reminded of just how influential Snot was on so many bands, even the most succesful rock bands today. Shavo, bassist from the hugely successful System of a Down joined little old Snot on stage, took a guitar, and made noise. It wasn't good noise, but it was noise and respect. From a man who plays arenas and has tons of platinum records, let us not forget where he came from and that Snot was a part of that beginning.

For me, the highlight of the evening, besides my favorite Snot song, "Snooze Button," was the cover - the first song of the two song Encore was "New Noise" by the band Refused. If there is any band in the world that is more iconic and influential than Snot while somehow remaining even more obscure.... it is the Swedish hardcore punk band, Refused. Their album, the Shape of Punk to Come is heralded by everyone from Spin Magazine to Metallica as a defining record in Rock music in the 90's - shaping the way music in the late 90's was percieved and the way an album should be written. And yet, in an audience of 500 dedicated Rockers, I was one of a handful that lost their minds when guitarist Sonny Mayo started playing that first signature guitar part to start off the song. Playing "New Noise" note for note, Snot, shined as just a great band. Amazing.

The evening closed at nearly 1:00AM as all of the women in the audience within reach of the stage climbed up to join the band and dance and sing along to their crude and chauvanistic hit song, "My Balls..." Of course, the star of the show was my new friend Mel T, who proceeded to dance her ass off with about 20 other young women on stage and a bunch of giant spherical balloons.

After seeing the show, I must say that I am happy Snot is back. They are currently on a short headlining tour and then they hit the road as direct support for Mudvayne for a few months. I hope that, after finishing this tour they enter the studio to make a new record. There is a part of me, however, that really hopes they choose to make the record under a new name for two reasons. For one, the new band, with Vext at the helm, in these new times, can really be on the level of a Disturbed or Slipknot and be viewed as a superstar act - they are that good.... but Snot is a name that won't carry them there. The other reason is, without Lynn, and with new music, this isn't Snot. I accept them calling themselves Snot as a tribute, when they take the stage with 3 of the 5 original members - plenty of bands do it every night. But without those songs, it's a new band and a new sound - it deserves a new name.

It is difficult for me to make you experience Snot in writing as this obscure music can only be heard. It is not for the faint of heart or for the feminist to take too seriously. It is, much like Motley Crue before them, party music with a soul.

Visit Snot online at www.Myspace.com/Snot