Fans weigh in on SAC’s Whisky gig

“The greatest concert of my life and I still have Strawberry fever!” The Strawberry Alarm Clock returned to the Whisky a Go Go for a mid-January concert as part of the club’s “60 Years of Rock” series. Here are two fan reviews:

‘They still love to play together’

By Greg Spencer

Of all the four shows at the Whisky we attended, this was the show that surprised me the most. The Whisky was packed and it was quite evident that these guys still have a local following and are well loved in L.A. Maybe that’s why the ticket price was slightly higher for them than the other shows.

I knew the least about the Strawberry Alarm Clock than the other headliners we saw and was less familiar with their repertoire, despite owning all their albums. I just never played the albums much, even though I liked them. Maybe I felt their brand of psych was a little too light for my usual taste.

Now, I must admit, I thought the Strawberry Alarm Clock were going to be good, but I had no idea they were going to be that good! They were great and to say I was impressed is an understatement.

There are five original members of the Strawberry Alarm Clock still in the band and the one non-original member has been there for over 30 years! That alone is hard to believe, but what’s even more impressive is that these guys can still really play. They come across as a band that still loves to play and even more importantly, they still love to play together.

Very inspiring watching these guys, who released their first album in 1967 and must be in their mid to late 70s, playing to an audience that still loves them. Those guys in the band must feel pretty lucky to still be doing it and doing it that well. Pretty amazing!

‘Everyone went nuts, of course’

By Eddie Love

It has been just over six weeks since I witnessed the greatest concert of my life and I still have Strawberry fever!

I am in my 30s and ever since I could remember I liked older music, especially the 1960s. I grew up loving the Beatles, the Kinks and Elvis. I liked the singers of the Rat Pack and almost anything from Motown. I loved the Beach Boys (especially). Along with the Byrds, the Doors, Jefferson Airplane, Pink Floyd, you name it! But it wasn’t until I was a junior in high school when I bumped into two albums that would change my life forever. “Wake up … It’s Tomorrow” and “Incense and Peppermints” by a unique band called the Strawberry Alarm Clock.

Fast forward to the year 2024. I boarded a plane on the 13th of January and flew from New Hampshire to Los Angeles to finally see my musical heroes in the flesh. I already knew that I was going to see my favorite band, but I was not prepared for how incredible their performance was going to be. I am no stranger to concerts. I’ve been a concert goer my entire life. I believe I’ve seen some of the best! Newer bands, older bands, unknown bands and the famous ones.

The truth is, Strawberry Alarm Clock didn’t have to perform so well for me to have a great time. To me, they’ve already paid their rock ‘n’ roll dues by recording some of the best songs there is. I didn’t expect them to be in their prime. I didn’t expect the insane musicianship. Their tightness. Their voices. The very vibe in the room. As soon as they began the show with “Sit With the Guru” I was left speechless. I also couldn’t believe the enthusiasm of the crowd, and realizing that much of the crowd was younger than myself!

Each song sounded better than I’ve ever heard it. One highlight being the gorgeous harmonies that end “Bird in My Tree” and then the band (with perfect timing) smacked us in the face with their anthem “Incense and Peppermints” … everyone went nuts, of course.

There is something incredibly haunting about that buzz sound Mark Weitz gets out of that organ. I completely lost my mind when they surprised me with “Black Butter.” It was insane! They gave us a full show, too, with almost every song you would want to hear. “Rainy Day Mushroom Pillow,” “Pretty Song,” “Lose to Live,” “Sitting on a Star,” “Barefoot in Baltimore,” “Paxton’s Backstreet Carnival” and even some new material from their upcoming album! Look out for the song “Monsters” because it is spooky good!

I have never put this much effort into seeing a band in my life: by hopping on a plane, renting a car and a hotel room just to fly home the very next day. Another fact: I would do it again in a heartbeat for THIS band. I recommend any true music lover to do the same. The best choice I’ve ever made.

Photos by Eddie Love