The atmosphere was right last Tuesday night when Bucho!, Ok Go and The Donnas took the stage in the University Union ballroom to rock Sacramento State.

Bucho!, a local band who has won two Sammies, opened the show with their unique style that had a sound similar to a mix of Sublime and Ozomalti (who played on campus a few months ago). Vocalist and lead guitarist Gerald Pease, along with drummer Derek Taylor, brought the band together some five years ago, and they’ve been playing the Bay Area and Sacramento circuit since.

They were minus one band member Tuesday night, a Stanford college student who is currently studying abroad in England, but they still had the energy and musical skills to get the crowd going for the next band up, Ok Go.

Ok Go, can be found on MTV with their big single “Get Over It,” or with their catchy “You’re so Damn Hot” playing on various TV commercials. As soon as they took the stage, they had the audience by the reins with their quirky and tongue-in-cheek lyrics and pop-rock sound. Unfortunately, their more mellow and toned-down songs seemed to tax the energy of the room and left this reviewer craving more upbeat songs, which were soon performed. The band proved to be the best of the night with their excellent stage presence and onstage antics, including bringing a couple on stage for a not-so-slow dance.

Finally, The Donnas, the headliners of the night, took the stage in all their punk rock princess finery. It seems they are a unique taste – one that must be sampled from their album before seeing them live. Though their songs seemed to merge into one similar song, they were powerful performers, delivering sarcastic lyrics and a sound mostly associated with all-male rock bands. These ladies were no wilting flowers whining about the bad features of men.

Their songs spoke of the boys taking it all off, and of dirty old men sitting front row at their concerts (there were some … non-traditional male students at the concert at the very front as well).

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