It’s been about a decade since I last went up the hill to Folsom for some music at the Powerhouse Pub. I was invited this week for a friend’s gig at the weekly free music Wednesday concert. A Wednesday night gig is tough, staying up late on a weekday ain’t so easy for me. But, with the encouragement of my friend and my own interest to revisit this institutional venue, I decided to commit to the adventure!

The venue is in the historic Folsom district. The area maintains an old-west feel and is kept alive as a community hub. It’s only about 3 blocks, but there’s plenty of restaurants, bars, shops, and cultural resources. On my brief walk about before the show, I found that the seasonal ice-rink was nearly ready and that some places were lively on this cold Wednesday night.

The Powerhouse Pub is not a large venue but it has a lot of character. Over time, the walls have been adorned with a melange of curiosities, and colorful lights everywhere establish a festive party atmosphere. It seems to me like there is a lot more color, particularly black-light, than there was a decade ago. The place really pops!

As I entered, Sammy Karlin had already started his opening acoustic set. His strong voice and ringing guitar filled out the place nicely. He had an assortment of covers and originals to share. I would describe the style as acoustic 90s grunge throwbacks. His renditions of memorable songs from bands such as Pearl Jam pleased the audience and they would sing along with him for the hooks. He expressed his appreciation to the attentive crowd and shared about how playing for wineries gets his music appreciated as background ambiance, so tonight’s active listening really pleased him.

As I explored the venue, I paid special attention to the sound. The place is equipped with some satellite speakers and has plenty of volume. Kick drums can lack presence and here it felt like the kick was blasting. I believe that this overcompensation cascades into a messy mix. I believe sound is best served when it suits the context, and I feel there was more sound volume than there was volume in this space. The sound at this venue tends to be highly regarded, and it is admittedly well equipped, but I believe there’s room for improvement.

But, maybe it must be so loud because the venue is conjoined with an active karaoke bar, and that sound bleeds into the room. Those circumstances cannot just be mixed out.

Big Red Rabbit followed Sammy on the stage and played a set of mostly original material and a cover or two. They are a 3-piece that I saw at Rock & Brews recently, where technical problems hindered their performance. Gladly, the equipment all worked and they could focus on their act. They kept a good energy on the stage and that led into getting some dancers onto the floor. I believe that dancing is what really bumps up a gig, and I was happy to participate for a bit of it myself. I expect that I’ll be following this group and their members as they progress past this, only their second live performance. Their genre is rock, yet I feel like they are still finding their sound, so we’ll see where they go.

The closing act was Cardboard Ringo, an unabashed 80’s party rock group. Their songs about parties, drugs, sex, violence, and the lead singer’s on-stage antics made for an interesting act. The 4-piece seems to have some history playing together and it showed with their ease on the stage. They kept me out til the end of the show, later than I really intended to stay on a Wednesday.

Driving up the hill to Folsom wasn’t such a hassle. Maybe it just always feels like it is because Route 50 is typically slow with traffic and construction, and furthermore, there are many venues closer to my home where I could hope to catch a local act. However, I think this has dispelled some of my reservations about attending show up there if I see something interesting on the bill.

On a weekend!