I've fallen behind again. Maybe you've come to expect it. I should have by now. So here we go:

The Uncouth were supposed to open, but something happened. I don't know what. Tane Graves was offered the opening slot at the last minute. That was a good fit. Tane Graves is an acoustic-wielding punk rock troubadour. Although most of the set were recast tunes from his punk (or is that pop punk?) band Tightwire, once most of the power chords were replaced with quick-strummed cowboy chords and his strained and breaking vocals were added, the result was gleefully close to folk punk. Graves joked with the audience throughout the night, confessing to the crowd that all his songs sounded alike, that they were all the same chords, and his stammering was, in fact, him being professional. He's fun. The short set closed with an urgent take on Smoke or Fire's "Cryin' Shame." Graves sang a lot about getting drunk. Fun. I hope he's doing okay. He'll be back for a band show on April 19th – I think I'll check in on him.

Austin's The Oxys were up next. The band makes it a point to stop by KC each tour and up until this gig, we hadn't shown it the required hospitality. That changed this time as fans filled the venue, pushing up against the tiny stage, and corralling the five musicians. It seems that the tight quarters of Hillsiders have finally given the gang a Kansas City home. The line-up has changed since we last saw the act in November, but that happens a lot with this crew – enough that the quintet played two tunes about the phenomenon. The latter was brand new, joining a trio of new ones played during its fourteen-song set. It's crazy that the group is playing new numbers when it just released its excellent album Casting Pearls Before Swine a few months ago, but vocalist Phil Davis and lead guitarist Jason "Ginchy" Kottwitz are prolific, pouring out their ballsy slurry of sneering punk 'n' roll, snotty '77 punk, and searing rock 'n' roll at a dangerous pace. The forty-five-minute set mimicked that urgency, and the bright no-nonsense mix from Rory Cameron had the boys sounding better than ever. Now that they know what Kansas City is capable of, surely that'll be enough to bring The Oxys back.

The Rumours headlined the night. The band's bio said Iowa, but I suspected this surly rock 'n' roll trio was scraped off the Sunset Strip sidewalk. Carli Foxx (guitar) and Ela Rose (bass) fronted the group, trading lead vocals and working the crowd. Current drummer Clint Wheelman pushed the duo forward from his nearly invisible perch at the back of the stage. The ladies were locked in, hellbent-for-leather, full of back bends, wagging tongues, synchronized dance moves, and f*ck you-feminist lyrics. Rose was quick to point out that their costumes – hot pants, bikini tops, and cowboy boots – weren't for the male gaze, offering "We dress like this for ourselves… and for the ladies." The threesome's eleven-song setlist favored latest release, Kill or Be Killed, but also included a few oldies, the current non-album single "San Francisco Coffee Shop Freakout," and a gutsy cover of Agent Orange's "Bloodstains." There were no complicated teenage symphonies to God, but that doesn't play well at Hillsiders anyway. The audience came for libidinous rock 'n' roll, and The Rumours ensured that's what it got.