Each show is different, but eerily the same.

The same folks show up and give up their few bucks to

get a chance to see a couple hours or so of music, and come back again next week for someone
else. But every time it's that air that can't be described that changes- constantly. Whether it's if the
people are dancing more, less, just enough or if the right amount of heads are bopping to the beat.
That magical feeling after finishing the first song with those cheers from random faces into your
own. Its everything.
It was around 9:45 when Patrick and I showed up to stay at the venue- the place of my first show in
Oneonta and the infamous starting spot for so many bands, The Black Oak. The jumper opened the
door on our way in, and the bands were there before the crowd was and everything was set up. To
the left of the entrance sat the amps and drums ready to tear the roof down. Andrew was there
with the rest of his band, Rootkit Disaster. Andrew comes from the same town as I do, Massena,
and apart from being in Rootkit Disaster, he also shares a spot on stage when Naughty plays as
well. Brian and Joe are up around the set making sure everything's all ready for when the boys
from Secret Beaches go to drop their stuff off.
Babs, Slade, Brian, and Greg are the newest group on the scene, and make up the openers for the
night, Secret Beaches. Greg sat behind his drums while Slade and Brian plugged into their amps.
The jam started thick and beckoned the crowd to hush as the three started the show. By this time
the place was packed to the brim; 10:30 brought more than just the down beat but what came
along with it was the spirit of the night as everyone paid close attention to the stage. They were
missing one crucial member.
Strutting from behind the scene of people, Babs, the man of the hour, made his way up. He already
had their attention and they didn't even know it, swaggering about the room like a modern day
Casanova of musical proportions. They went nuts as he parted the line and broke on to the stage,
as calm and cool as he could, and then Secret Beaches was in. The music began to crash against
ears like the waves of a hurricane as the front man put on his Shades, and grabbed hold of the mic
with one hand.
Apart from the band playing so well together, and Babs' unimaginable amounts of charisma, it's
safe to say that this is exactly what Oneonta needed. They break out the stops in normal fashion,
and so beautifully, the conductor throws up his hand and screams in the Mack truck spacing which
the band creates. It's exciting to see how crazy these boys are- Slade laying down the nastiest bass
lines with the moves sly enough to make girls swoon, Brian's sweet guitar cutting the mix with
melodies that'll keep you singing through the song, and Greg with his innumerable faces behind
everyone, falling into his set with the fury of a new age Buddy Rich. The perfect openers, middlegoers, and I'd put them at the end of the set too. I hope to see more of these boys, and if you have a
free night on your plate go for it; you won't regret it.
The Kamikaze that is the break down to Secret Beaches last song ends with Babs flailing all about
the stage and lastly landing in front of the drum kit.
"Thanks for coming he says, stick around, I heard the next two bands were alright." He awaits his
seat at the kit later.
With that, The Beaches exit from the stage and so came on Rootkit Disaster. Joe Salto taking his
throne behind the set, Brian on bass for now, and Andrew on guitar; these guys were LOUD, they
were ROUGH, but above all, they were GREAT. Opening the set with a heavy hitting onslaught of
funky punk and Andrew screeching his heart out, they made the crowd bump. These dudes have
been together for a couple semesters now, and still break out the jams each time. Each song had its
own sort of zing to it, but they all have this underlying tone to them. Needless to say its easy to
know once youve come across a tune by Rootkit. Catchy licks and rhythms that would make the
oldest nun do a split, these guys added quite a flavor to the mix. Andrew standing the tallest, and
switching off with his bearded compadre Brian between vocals, guitar, and bass. When the three
of them sing together its from out of this world, and it comes from out of nowhere, as Salty Salto

harmonizes or gives an under-toned yeah to accompany whoever was singing. I like to think of
these guys as a counterpart to the band that Im in, Naughty, and who was about to make their first
appearance in what felt like ages.
Rootkit Disaster hit their last note and packed up their things, and were met by their adoring fans
who sat just off the edge of the stage. After them it was the headliners of the show, Naughty, which
so dubbed the moniker, Naughty Night at the Black Oak.
Everyone asks if its nerve racking to get up on stage, and I have to say only briefly. That very
moment the last band strums their last chord my heart starts to palpitate. Nothing else matters
accept getting to my guitar, plugging in, and tuning up, and its the scariest twenty feet to walk
each time. I take a deep breath after Im all tuned, and my tones sounding right, and exhale out as I
look out into the crowd. The procession that I once was part of but now standing in front now and
commanding all eyes and ears be on us.
Babs was behind the kit and was given it the go round, making sure it sounded just right. Patrick
gave me the thumbs up that he was good to go, and Andrew was all set up from just having finished
with Rootkit. Gathering around Babs sharing a water, Maybe we should all get our own. He said
as no one paid much mind, and then he pounded on the bass drum. Getting Colder shot through
the crowd and hushed them as Patrick voice rang around them. We all take our turns at singing,
whether Babs is swooning 69, Andrews crooning 90,000 Seconds, or what have you we all
bring our voices into the mix. The set lasted an hour, from twelve to one, and much to my surprise I
had to say this is our last song three times. The first was my mistake as we ran out of our set list
before we did time, and had fifteen more minutes. Then it was finally our last song, until they told
us to keep going- we only had one more song that we knew, really. The night ended on high note as
we covered a song that weve played since Naughty first became a band called Do You Wanna? by
The Kooks. The question that I couldnt get out of my head, however, was When are we gonna
play again?