From www.rockreviews.blogspot.com

Posted 8.25.05

New York City roots rockers the New Heathens were the latest band to take up the cause of keeping legendary rock club CBGB open as they performed at a benefit for the in-the-red venue on Wednesday night.

Lead singer Nate Schweber, a coquette who is more Mick Jagger than Gram Parsons quipped that while CBGB was made famous for showcasing bands like the Talking Heads, Blondie and the Ramones, pop-country star Alain Jackson's 2002 performance there made the biggest headlines recently.

"CBGB stands for 'Country, Bluegrass and Blues,'" Schweber told the half-full house of young punks, college kids and tourists. "And we're going to bring that back a little tonight."

The New Heathens played an hour of country rock songs and ballads that were at odds with the more harder edged board-of-faire the club normally hosts. Songs like "Getaway Baby," and the Springsteen wanna-bes "141" and "Goodnight Paterson," sounded gritty and sincere. It wasn't until the band performed its ballad "When She's Wasted," featuring the refrain "She hates me when she's sober/But she loves me when she's wasted," that the crowd took to its feet and gave, appropriately, a rebel yell. -- Peyton Manning