New Song

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Back in Clovis not Fresno, kids were leaving New Song in long loose lines, crackling with laughter, revving their cars and shouting window-to-window about fast food and parties. "Aw, that was tight!" said one to Maust, shaking his hand. "Hey, thank you," said Maust.

We went out back not to smoke but just to talk, but we weren't out there for more than a few minutes before someone poked the alley door back open and said, "Hey, can you guys come sign some stuff?" Sure, Cold War Kids said, and they filed back inside where I already saw a hand holding a marker. "Sorry, we're rock stars," said Aveiro; he grinned at the joke and stepped through the door, and I walked back around to the front to go home. Somebody's Saturn sedan whistled past with a silhouette in every seat and "Hospital Beds" already on the first chorus. They'd either brought it with them to the show or bought it just a minute before and couldn't wait, and they had it good and loud so I listened to that until their light went green and they bounced out to the highway: don't stop.

COLD WAR KIDS PERFORM WITH RUMBLE STRIPS AND FIELDING AT DETROIT BAR, 843 W. 19TH ST., COSTA MESA, (949) 642-0600. SAT., 9 P.M. $8. 21+. VISIT COLD WAR KIDS ONLINE AT WWW.COLDWARKIDS.COM. ROBBERS AND COWARDS OUT ON DOWNTOWN RECORDS ON OCT. 10.