It was a sort of homecoming for Honeyhoney frontwoman Suzanne Santo at the Grog Shop last night.
She grew up in the area before moving to Los Angeles for an acting career that including spots on Law and Order, Medium, and Judging Amy in her late teens.
She met guitarist Ben Jaffe, who was doing commercial music and formed an Americana duo with Santo playing banjo, guitar, and violin. They released their debut, First Radio, in 2008, and last year followed that up with Billy Jack.
Fresh from buzzed-about appearances at SXSW, they showed what the fuss was about last night. Playing before a crowd of about 70 people, they showcased their ability to easily blend different stylistic idioms.
Sure, banjo, and fiddle scream country, but they compete here with folk, blues, and even a trace of psychedelica and British Invasion rock.
There were even moments during the song breaks where Jaffe cut loose with greasy kinetic guitar freakouts, clearly taking advantage of the live setting.
