Aces N Eights N Dollars N Heels

By: Dee Miyamura

Once again, I found myself inside Crazy Girls Gentleman’s Club. It is amazing what friendship and the love of live music leads one.

Welcome to Wednesday night. February 17, 2010.

I arrived shortly after 9 p.m. to see the band Aces N Eights. The friendship that dragged me in is the lead singer, Patrick Stone. The friend I dragged with me, Mary L Hines. We find seats front row center as the band sets up.

Aces N Eights are Patrick Stone, lead vocals; Taz Rudd, on guitar; Evan Shanks, on bass; and Phil George, on drums.

Stone is anything but a stone statue. He’s animated, charismatic, energetic, and funny. Working the stages, he danced, ran, hopped, swayed, slid and made sure the young women dancing were well tipped $$. Patrick asked them their names, and encouraged that the patrons tip them well.

The band performed a good selection of original songs, “Just My Type”, “Mean Machine”, “I Am”, “Fire”, “Time”, “Shadow Shining”, “Eternal Sunshine”, “Hate Factory”, and a final cover tune. PS deviated slightly from the set list.

I must give special accolades to drummer, Phil George. As he was breaking down the drum kit, he told Mary and I that the drum kit wasn’t his and he was unfamiliar with it. This show followed about 15 hours of studio work and his muscles and tendons were strained and swollen and during the set he was cramping up! Phil soldiered forth with the show, and to this untrained ear, I did not hear the difference, nor did I notice his struggle! For this Herculean feat, I give him a standing ovation and a well done!

Mary and I, before departing, found Patrick chatting with W. Earl Brown! Brown and Stone had worked on David Milch’s HBO acclaimed series, “Deadwood”. Earl is also a talent singer in his own band, Sacred Cowboys!

myspace.com/acesneightsla