The Pomonas at the Replay Lounge

The Pomonas

Saturday, July 28

The Replay Lounge

Better Than: Getting hugged by a sweaty, shirtless man.

The scene Saturday night at the Replay Lounge in Lawrence was infernal. There must have been nothing else going on that night in Larryville — either that or the Volunteers and the Pomonas are (or, in the Pomonas’ case, were) bigger than I and my fellow KC pilgrims thought.

By 11:30 p.m., the patio was crowded as hell and continuing to fill with bright young Lawrence things seeking cheap thrills — a $2 cover and $1.50 PBRs. Inside, where the bands were playing, the temperature was in the 80s and getting more sweltering as the room filled with bodies, even though the bartender I talked to said that the air conditioning was indeed on. (Maybe it was because the doors were open?)

The crowd for the Volunteers was paying to be there.

I was stoked to see the Pomonas, a merry band of guitar tricksters who bounce between the Strokes (in that band’s cheerier days) and the Monkees (but with instrumental chops). It was to be their last show before frontman Justin Ripley left to join bandmate Andy Gassaway in Seattle, where the Pomonas’ bassist moved several months ago, presaging the death of the band. Earlier this year, over a period of eight days, the Pomonas banged out their second full-length album, Good Cop, Good Cop, and it’s full of good pop and better pop. I wish that had been the case for the other bands on the bill.