Maxi Rad are a no-frills punk rock band from San Francisco and, besides having a delightful name, they seek to surprise and delight in other ways. From their unexpectedly sunny, galloping guitars to their strange obsession with Ronald Reagan, Maxi Rad have a way of approaching punk with a light touch that is most welcome. As has been said time and time again, there's just something about California. It warms and softens the brittle bones of punk rock, allowing a band like Maxi Rad to be hard and silly at the same time. A Tacoma native like me - so used to the gravel and gray skies - might not know what to do down the coast, where the sun shines all day and the night is made for rock ‘n' roll. 

[The New Frontier Lounge, with guests, 9 p.m., cover TBA, 301 E. 25th St, Tacoma, 253.572.4020]