Before last night, the last time I saw BRAD was the two shows the band did at the Troubadour in 2002 or 2003. As you're no doubt aware of, Brad is made up of Pearl Jam guitarist Stone Gossard, drummer Regan Hagar of Malfunkshun, singer Shawn Smith of Pigeonhed and bassist Jeremy Toback. Smith and Hagar also played in Satchel together, and bassist Mike Berg has also contributed heavily to the band.

After having dinner in what is no longer the Triangle Tavern, we walked the two blocks to the High Dive in the 195% gentrified and pigment free neighborhood of Fremont.  The brilliant sunset was but a tease, a mere precursor to the blinding, unbridled, scorching rock fest that was taking place under the command of the evening's warm up band, STUCK ON A BUS. 

This band was absolutely DESTROYING "Whole Lotta Love" when we walked in.  A little waif of a girl chewing up the Led Zeppelin standard with so little effort, it was almost as if she were singing along under hear breathe, as an after thought. But she was RULING!!  

At first glance, the band was being led by the long- haired maniac guitar player. He was all show, all day. And great. Full on Guitar Hero Olympics - but with so much know how and control that it never seemed forced or excessive. It only seemed like what it was: an obvious passion and love of the rock.

Then, as the band plowed innocently through the Beatles, Black Sabbath, Radiohead and Bjork, I started to realize it was ALL OF THEM. 

The drummer was SO strong and full of back beat he almost hurt my feelings. He never once seemed to get knocked out of his feel by the fact he was MURDERING IT and his band was playing main support for one of those guys from Pearl Jam. 

The second guitar player was a wiry bundle of energy that would have made Billy Zoom proud; equally as raging a player with a more restrained cool. 

The secret weapon was the bass player who stood back almost motionless while tearing up some of the most intense rock bass parts ever recorded. 

The singer introduced each song not by title but by group, as if doing a living room play for grandparents. Five songs in a row started this way. They had the room in the palm of their hand when she finally introduced a song she figured all the old folks would know.  She said as much with "you should all know this one," at which point they tore into Iron Maiden's "The Trooper." It was epic. 

Did I mention all of them are around 15 years old? And all product of the Seattle School of Rock?

See them - STUCK ON A BUS - before the band breaks up due to creative differences. It happens younger and younger.

The Brad set literally brought me to tears during the song "Screen." I've always loved that song, and like a lot of things for me recently, I wasn't sure I would be seeing it again in my lifetime. 

Brad and Stuck on a Bus will be doing it again at the High Dive tonight (Wednesday June 16).  Do yourself a favor. Get there in time to see the opener. Seriously.

Drummer Geoff Reading - who writes a bi-weekly online column (Fridays) for the Weekly Volcano called "Holding Down the 253" in addition to his weekly Wednesday music column - has played music in tons of Northwest bands - Green Apple Quick Step, New American Shame, Top Heavy Crush and most recently Duff McKagan's LOADED - to name but a few. He's toured the world several times over, sharing stages with the likes of Slipknot, The Cult, Buckcherry, Korn, Journey, The Sex Pistols, Nine Inch Nails and on and on. He has called Tacoma home since 2005, and lives in the North End with his wife and son.