Two great local international bands co-headlined at Rézmál Kávézo last Saturday night. The Random Chocolates first took the stage and rocked the house with their high-energy show. They played most of my favorites, including "Charlotte," "Pure," "Found," "Empty Heaven," "Mookie Brando" and "Casa Retro," along with covers by ZZ Tops - "Cheap Sunglasses;" "Just" by Radiohead, "La Tristesse Durera" by Manic Street Preachers," and "Vampire Weekend" by A-Punk. They also played a song I normally cringe at, The Doors' "Light My Fire" - but their version was so different that I really liked it.

Mookie Brando and The Second Cousins then took the stage after a short break and played a great set of Mookie originals and well-chosen covers. The line-up has settled down now to include Bence Nagy on drums, Chris Parsons on guitar and Mike Kentish on bass (doing double-duty on the night). I was glad to finally hear Chris's playing because too often he is either too understated or the levels are not right. Some of my favorite Mookie originals included, "Mr Cliche," "Want it Back," "Angelina," "Angel Tonight," and "Shakin' in the Middle of the Night;" while favorite covers included "Folsom Prison Blues" (Johnny Cash) and "20th Century Boy" (T-Rex). But the highlight of the evening was the arm wrestling match between Feri and Rich - just kidding - it was the encore with The Random Chocolates) doing "Sympathy for the Devil" (The Rolling Stones). Mookie recently uploaded the lyrics of almost 150 of his songs here.

Mookie Brando and the Second Cousins are playing at Treehugger Dan's this Thursday, October 7th at 7:30pm. The Random Chocolates play on Thursday, November 4th- their first unplugged gig. Both are sure to be very special evenings.

Random Chocolates Setlist:
1. Charlotte
2. Home Wherever
3. The Trip, The Bell & The Salutation
4. Just (Radiohead)
5. Pure
6. Bad Saturday
7. Chocolate (Snow Patrol)
8. Found
9. Empty Heaven
10. Light My Fire (The Doors)
11. Bp Life - It is what it is
12. A-Punk (Vampire Weekend)
13. Mookie Brando
14. Cheap Sunglasses (ZZ Top)
15. Wrong
16. Solar
17. La Tristesse Durera (Manic Street Preachers)
18. Budapest
19. Casa Retro

Encore:
20. New Upholstery
21. You & I (Graham Coxon)

Mookie Brando Setlist
November
Mr Cliche
Want it Back
Police on My Back (Eddy Grant)
Shakin' in the Middle of the Night
Angel Tonight
Paint it Black (The Rolling Stones)
Missionary Zeal
Monica
Love Hurts (The Everly Brothers)
Home (Iggy Pop)
Make That Bet
Angelina
There Are Days
To Love Somebody (The Bee Gees)
20th Century Boy (T-Rex)
This Temptation
Folsom Prison Blues (Johnny Cash)

encore (with The Random Chocolates)
Sympathy for the Devil (The Rolling Stones)