Last weekend I saw another great local band perform: Noble Savage.

Noble Savage is a band comprised of friends of mine. They sometimes perform a song that I wrote. One of these days, their bass player is going to help me record a CD of my songs. So, I'm pretty much obligated to like them, or to say that I do.

But here's the thing: I don't just like them because they're my friends and may in some small way further my own musical aspirations. I like them because they're GOOD. In fact, anymore they're better than good, they're pretty damn great. They'd be one of my favorite local bands if I'd never met them before in my life.

It's been amazing to watch and listen to them grow and improve over the past few years. Their playing just gets better and better. Their lead singer is a powerhouse. They've expanded their repetoire in directions that have taken them from being merely a "fun" band to one that really kicks some ass. The originals they play easily stand up to the covers they perform, so much so that I eagerly await their next CD release. They really got it goin' on.

I've known all this for a while, but it really hit home Saturday night when they launched into Metallica's "Enter Sandman". They tore the roof off that sucka, and damn near every single person in the place full-on rocked out with them, heads bobbing and banging along. You could seriously feel the love in the room - not just because the song is a popular favorite, but because the band fuckin' turned it out, perfectly. Moments when an audience and a band connects like that are pure magic. I had goosebumps, I was so proud! Now I can hardly wait for their next show, and that TRULY rocks.