Feelies, Dream Syndicate & Sham 69 in one Night?

Glenn Mercer promoting his solo debut Wheels in Motion.

Not really the super groups, but better: We hear the Mercury Lounge is closing, but while it's still open, there's sweet surprises such as last night's show of two of the biggest 'Coulda Been Bigger'-Stars: Glenn Mercer and his buddies from the Feelies (sauf Bill million) and Steve Wynn, former head of the Dream Syndicate, both in splendid form and the famously grand sound of Mercury Lounge. What a musical pleasure, and the thing really started rolling when they went wild on guitars. Lots of older faces in the audience, but merely a head that wasn't noddin to the riddim, consumed by the stream.

Steve Wynn with band, including the most amazing female drummer

But not enough of old men on guitars. I thought it was a sham when Club Midway announced they booked Sham 69, but alas, shortly after midnight they took the stage at New Yorks truest punk rock club and dished out all the old hits: If the Kids Are United, Hey Little Rich Boy, Borstal Breakout, Hersham Boys and what have you. They, that is to say, did not include Jimmy Pursey, who left the band in 2006, but has his own Sham 69. After last night's show we think, the lineup with Whitewood and Dave Parsons, who wrote all them songs, are the real thing, also with the hilariously self-effacing Tim V on vocals. There could have been a bigger crowd for this punk rock legend, considering all the attention punk gets in the media and from the hipsters again. Dudes, you really missed this one.

Sham 69, the Parson line-up: As authentic as it gets