Wilkes Booth at The House of Guitars on Saturday June 17

To paraphrase a quote from a book I read from the 1960’s, “the sky was as blue as policemen’s helmets” but it felt like the 1990’s when Wilkes Booth, a Sunset Strip influenced hard rock band beamed in to the I-square stage for an outdoor show at the House of Guitars.

Consisting of David Wilkes Booth (guitar, vocals), Germ (bass), Mathius (lead vocals) and Kane (drums, vocals) the band exceeded expectations with an hour long set of original songs from it’s latest CD, “One Last Ride.” While many bands sound crappy live compared to the albums they release, Wilkes Booth actually sounded better with the act treading in a genre where it ain’t easy.

Among the highlights of the concert were tunes such as thrashy number “Stick In The Mud” and “The Creeper’ that stayed in the range of what each member does best. Prior to the set, the band handed out copies of song lyrics to “The Wilxxxter” and got a few people to sing along. During the concert David Wilkes Booth was a talented guitarist which lended the rock show an air of authenticity.

The group ended it’s set with a cover of Grand Funk Railroad’s “We’re An American Band.” That made sense for at least a couple of reasons. People know the song, it’s got a cowbell plus that tune feels good on a summer day. 7/10

By Romon Jones