*From The Beacon - November 18th, 2003*

Rooney Brings California Sunshine To Florida

California power poppers Rooney lit up the stage at the Culture Room in Ft. Lauderdale on Nov. 12. The Sound, an energetic punk group from Sweden, and Damone, unfortunately replacing Palo Alto, opened the show.

The club was full of anxious faces waiting to see their favorite band shower the stage with their upbeat presence.

All three bands made sure to put the audience in a good mood with their catchy lyrics and happy rhythms.

The first band Damone had to deal with disappointed fans awaiting to see Palo Alto. Damone demonstrated a great deal of energy but lacked the musical talent and originality that really draws in a crowd. It seems a little too pop and not enough rock and roll.

The Swedish band The Sound quickly won over the hearts of audience members (including myself) with their retro sound and very memorable lead singer, a cool mixture of Joan Jett and Mick Jagger, as she swaggered down the stage making flirty eyes with the audience and swinging the mic playfully.

Their sound is reminiscent of that old rock star that gives the finger to the man and loves black eye shadow.

When Rooney took stage there were dozens of screaming fans awaiting the California band.

With a mixture of Weezer and their brother band Phantom Planet, Rooney performed great live. With a lot of energy even though their was some technical difficulties, Rooney gave it their all.

They sang the usual happy tunes like "Sorry, Sorry" and their famed single "I'm a Terrible Person." They mixed in a couple of slow tunes like "Blueside" and "That Girl has Love" that got the audience in lighter-waving mode as they swayed back and forth.

They also added some knew songs like "Juice" which is another catchy tune much like "Sorry, Sorry." They ended the concert with "Shakin," probably the most infectious of all their songs.

The concert was a great deal of fun for fans of this type of music. For people looking to shake their tailfeathers to a different type of rock, the Culture Room was the place to be Wednesday.

An appreciation for this type of music is needed to enjoy the infectious beats of Rooney, The Sound and Damone but, it is definitely worth at least checking out for those pop rock non-believers.

-Krystal Alvarez