Moody Floaty Chili Peppers

Michelle's launch party for the new SPI website tonight was downtown at the Showbox, sharing the bill -- or really, elbowing in on the bill -- with some band named Floater. I'm so out of it that when I heard Floater I thought of The Floaters, the one-hit wonder soul band that sang "Float On" in 1977. But then that was 30 years ago; these guys probably weren't even born then.

The band came on and, again, I'm so out of it I didn't realize it was an opening act -- the first of two, it turned out -- somebody named Low Thin Square. Buncha crazy headbangers.

It kinda reminded me of shows I used to see at the I-Beam in the Haight when I was entertainment editor at the San Francisco Bay Guardian. That was 20 years ago. These guys were like a really loud, whacked out combination of the Moody Blues and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. The bass player was a Flea wannabe, with no shirt, big tats and these weird pigtailly buns on the side of his head that made him look like Mickey Mouse on X.

The headbanger kids in attendance all seemed to dig the music. Michelle's SPI crew -- interns who fit right in -- were going around taking pictures and promoting the site.

I really didn't mind the set, but by the time the second band was setting up I felt like I'd had enough and Michelle said she'd put in her appearance, so we bailed.

We never did hear what Floater sounds like. I'm sure it was nothing like The Floaters. But just for kicks, here's "Float On," The Floaters' big hit: