Itchy Grooves by Rich Kane

OC Weekly Concert Review
"Locals Only" by Rich Kane
April 24, 1998

Rubydiver
at Taxi's, Huntington Beach, CA
Sat. April 11

We came to Taxi's to see Long Beach's Ruby Diver, whom we heard were getting wildly popular. But we had also heard rumors that they were nothing more than a lame 70's cover band, which had scared us away from their shows for a while. On that count, we were wrong, though we thought our worst fears had been realized when glamorous lead warbler Miss Paula not only come out looking like Patti LaBelle circa "Lady Marmalade" with all that glitter stuff on her face, but then she also started moaning the ultra-schmaltzy ballad "The Rose," which we despised even back in sixth grade, when it was happening.

Looks like Patti, perhaps, but Paula sounds more like Grace Slick, with her big-bottomed throat, which got the attention of even the most ignorant chattering assholes in the room. Then the rest of RD started pouring this wickedly itchy groove concoction of funk and R&B (were those extra fingers we saw on the nimble bass player's right hand?), and within seconds, our minds were free, and our asses followed. We don't remember much after that--we were too busy gettin' up on the down stroke, baybeh--so Ruby Diver must be great. Any band that can make us forget our [IRS] 1040 turmoil is hall-of-fame bound as for as we're concerned.