Too Much Rock is still in its "trying to catch up" era.

95 Sweetbird opened the gig. Four members from better-known bands who get together to play for grins. It's a roadhouse vibe. Rock 'n' roll. Country. Blues. Well-chosen deep-cut covers. Songs from each of the musicians' other projects. Blended vocals from all four musicians (keyboards, guitar, bass, drums). The new guitarist elevated the group, gave it more soul, added some licks, fit the vibe. The act's tagline is "We loose but we tight." If you know, you know. A sizable crowd at Replay Lounge already knew. Those just out for a Saturday night at the Replay entered their "find out" era.

LA's System Exclusive is on a never-ending tour. They're probably playing your town soon. This trip to Kansas also included a stop in a Lawrence recording studio. No names were mentioned, but the members of Sweeping Promises were conspicuously present. That's my attempt at spilling the tea. The act is a duo. Synth-pop. A drummer who plays real drums, triggers backing tracks, and commands a chain of synths. He's paired with a singer who has a coy and sexy Terri Nunn vibe going on, delights in intentional movement, and plays a curious space-age guitar. No new wave quirk – there's nothing icy and darkwave about this band. The crowd vanished after the locals, but System Exclusive got them back on the dance floor. Our singer even dropped her guitar for the final song to move with the crowd. The twosome is in its "let's give everything we got and see where this takes us" era.

And then there was Drastic Plastic. What a bizarre quintet (vox/guitar, guitar, keys, bass, drums). In another era I'd write a novel about the group, calling out specific adventurous bass runs, shrill keyboard flourishes, and ostentatious guitar solos. Maybe I'd have figured out what influences might drive the genre-less band. But this isn't that time. Instead, I'll shrug and say its punk – not any sort of punk you can put in a box, but punk that involves five members making a fun racket together, bravely exploring artistic corners that need exploring, and inspiring both fists and asses to shake in the process. They must be in some sort of "because no one can stop us" era. I hope it lasts forever.