This past Saturday, the M Bar in Hollywood was the place where radio came alive, bringing adventure, outlaws, Martians, heroines and creatures of horror in the Bermuda Triangle. This thrilling evening of entertainment was written and produced by Ben Acker and Ben Blacker. The Thrilling Adventure and Supernatural Suspense Hour can be experienced the second Saturday of every month at the M Bar. The talented cast of actors are: Hal Lublin, Annie Savage, Marc Evan Jackson, Mark Gagliardi, John DiMaggio, Graig Cackowski, Dave (Gruber) Allen, and Paget Brewster. Amber Benson (Tara, BtVS) joined the cast on stage during Act III for a bit. Find more information at www.myspace.com/thrilling_adventure or www.workjuice.net.

After our thrilling adventure, we were treated to a superb performance by Common Rotation. I have been to many of Common Rotation’s performances in the Los Angeles area over the past several years and am always impressed. Their talents are dynamic; adding new bits to each performance with a touch of seriousness and then comedy. Their MySpace page lists them as “Folk”, but they are more than that and can not be labeled. Their lyrics lean toward the political; their general outlook seems, sadly, negative, but their talent is immense and evolving. Common Rotation’s energy is infective, and they take command of their audience with a strong drive. Adam Busch (Warren, BtVS) leads vocals with a strong voice and brings an entertaining stage personality for the trio. Eric Kuf’s voice is gentler and brings a sweet sadness to the ballads. Jordan Katz is a multi-talented musician and brings a quiet strength to the stage. The three together create a musical performance that never disappoints.

We ended the evening with The Dust Bowl Cavaliers, an energetic and rowdy Bluegrass band that woke the audience up and got everyone’s feet tapping. They are a six member band, two of whom, Rev. Matthew Young and Ryan Raddatz, play regularly as back up to Common Rotation. This was the first time I experienced their energy and talent and am, now, very much a fan.