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Riverboat Gamblers & Lower Class Brats with theLINE, Tiltwheel, Youth Large, Transistor LB at The Locker Room

The Locker Room at the Garden Amp – August 31st, 2019

We got to the Garden Amp early, we couldn’t believe how many great bands were going to be playing! We thought the show was at the Garden Amp, but when we got there, the box office was closed and the gates were locked. We were really confused, the only thing that seemed to be happening was a nearby Quinceañera.

Madison and Lower Class Brats

We decided to drive down the street and see if we could hear music or see people heading to the show. As we drove down, we saw people making their way to the Garden Amp and so we turned around. We ended up parking on the street, directly adjacent to the stage area and stepped outside to follow the walking people. Everyone was making their way along a small path on the side of the Garden Amp to a podium that had a security guard and a register. We found it! We had never been to the Locker Room and discovered that this is a small club-style room behind the Garden Amp stage.

Madison and Mike (Riverboat Gamblers)

Apparently we had gotten there so early that the bands were still setting up their merch tables, so we schmoozed and took pictures with band members while they were eating from the taco stand and setting up. It felt like we wandered into a secret show that only select people could attend, it was actually pretty amazing!

The Locker Room at The Garden Amp in Orange County hosted Riverboat Gamblers and Lower Class Brats along with theLINE, Tiltwheel, Youth Large, and Transistor LB. The venue itself was super cool and colorful. The walls were covered in Graffiti artwork and “The Locker Room” had a back wall of yellow, stickered up lockers, creating a great backdrop. It was a small show, the room had a maximum capacity of about 49 people, which made it a super cool and exclusive experience, yet pretty hot and stuffy! Transistor (LB) started the event off strong bringing a fun vibe to the early crowd. Next, Youth Large played which was an all male band with a female singer. Their music was pretty good, but the transitions were not the smoothest between songs. The singer later was invited back up on stage with the Lower Class Brats for a song which sounded great! Overall, their performance was pretty good. This band was followed by Tiltwheel who was good at connecting with the audience by making a ton of jokes. They brought a lot of personality to set up theLINE who played after them! The show really started to pick up when theLINE came on. Their guitarist, Donald Horne, was extremely talented along with the other band members and created a nice transition into the headliners. Lower Class Brats followed this performance bringing some more energy and a great sound! I personally loved their music. The members of the band were also super nice and they put on a fun performance. The headliners, Riverboat Gamblers ended the night with their energetic performance and awesome stage presence! Mike Wiebe, the band’s singer, was jumping into the crowd and creating a surge of people towards the stage, knocking down the lights and speakers. The audience wanted to get as close to the performance as they could! Mike also punched the ceiling tiles and broke them over his head. The band also was very connected with the crowd and let a little girl in the audience participate in the performance with them. The rest of the band matched the energy of Mike with their instruments. Riverboat Gamblers definitely ended the show with a bang! The show started late, but it was cool being able to meet the bands! Ultimately, the show was great and super fun for all ages! It is a cool experience to see bands like Riverboat Gamblers in such a small environment, creating an unforgettable night!

– Madison Mairs
13 Stitches Magazine

Riverboat Gamblers

Band Members: Fadi El-Assad (“Freddy Castro”) – Lead Guitar, Mike Wiebe (“Teko Buller” or “Rookie Sensation”) – vocals, Ian MacDougall – Guitar, Rob Marchant – Bass, Ian Walling – Drums