It was quite a night for psychobilly trios at the beautiful Garden Amp in Garden Grove.
San Diego-based band The Blackjackits opened the show promptly at 6 p.m. Led by sole original member Kenny Hill on guitar and vocals, the band is comprised of former Tiger Army drummer James Meza, and bassist Andrew Verdugo. The Blackjackits warmed up the early attendees with an energetic 11-song set that appeared to be well received.
Gamblers Mark, formed 21 years ago in Arcadia, hit the stage next with a blazing rendition of “Hellride” from their most recent album, “Dirty Needles.”
The band has only released three studio albums since 2008, and the first five songs drew from “Dirty Needles” and their self-released LP, 2013’s “The Cho Incident.” “Seven 7&7’s” was clearly a well-known song by this crowd, and this ode to day drinking got everyone primed for the next segment of six songs from their debut album “The Last Chance Saloon.”
“Rock n Roll Mama” showed the considerable influence that the Stray Cats have had on singer and guitarist David Arechiga, and upright bassist Danny Exito. “Rude Boy” followed with some cool trumpet provided by special guest Zachary Groll.
“Hollywood Nites” ended the main portion of the set, followed by “Long Summer,” and finally “The Cho Incident” which started slow before morphing into a furious rockabilly number propelled by drummer Ricky Lobo.
Gamblers Mark certainly delivered the goods in their 45-minute performance. The show’s promoter informed me that the band doesn’t play often; let’s hope that isn’t the case, as this trio rocks!
To say that the crowd was excited for the Nekromantix would be an understatement. This was their first show in 2025, and their last performance in Orange County was at this very venue back in April 2024. Coming out to “Struck by a Wrecking Ball” from 2004 was an electric start to a set packed with fan favorites.
Interestingly, the set list was virtually identical to the one comprising the soundtrack to their 2019 live concert film “3 Decades of Darkle,” which was recorded at the OC Observatory, and typical sets from the last two years.
Sticking to this “greatest hits” formula works well for bassist / lead vocalist (and sole constant member) Kim Nekroman, as he frequently asks the audience what they’d like to hear next, only to play what is next in the printed running order. Often, at least one enthusiastic fan near the front gets the song choice right!
During their 90-minute set, Nekromantix performed songs from their first nine albums, skipping material from their 2016 LP. “Nice Day for a Resurrection” provided the first big audience sing-along of the night, being the first of five songs they performed from their most popular album, 2002’s “Return of The Loving Dead.”
Following the 1991 track “Devil Smile,” Nekroman’s famed “Coffinbass” suffered significant technical difficulties, giving guitarist Francisco Mesa and drummer Mike Mata time to interact and joke with the fans.
The bass problem was solved, and a furious version of “Nekrofelia” garnered one of the loudest crowd responses of the evening. Next up was the hugely popular “Gargoyles Over Copenhagen,” featuring a brisk drum solo from Mata. “Subcultural Girl” brought another vocal assist from the fans, who were then rewarded with “Sea of Red,” a tune that many in attendance had been yelling out for.
Finishing big with two more tracks from “Return of The Loving Dead” – “Haunted Cathouse” and “Who Killed the Cheerleader” – Nekromantix ended their triumphant Garden Amp return just before the 10 p.m. curfew.
Orange County is a strong market for these pioneers of the psychobilly genre, and the band seemed to relish in the warm reception from the local fan base. The band is on the road for the rest of the month with stops in Arizona, Colorado, and Nevada keeping their calendar full.
