I had to see the Barstow Boyz Friday at La Cave in Costa Mesa.

I mean, when dynamic, red-leather-pants-wearing frontman Rim Morrisson requests your presence you can’t just say no.

So I had it on the calendar, for sure. In fact, it would be easy. Fridays are usually a busy day for me so I typically stay late to help get the weekend papers out. And because this was a long, holiday weekend there was more work to be done. I could just swing right by there after work, I thought.

But then we know what can sometimes happen to even the best-laid plans. The company installed new software for our Outlook e-mail and I couldn’t access certain files I need to do my job. But I still have the older software on my computer at home.

So on Friday I thought I’d get some of that work done from home and then head into the office. But then one thing led to another and another and before I knew it I found myself interviewing Rep. Dana Rohrabacher by phone to rebut some claims made by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. It was too late to head into the office. I would have run into a wall of traffic worsened by holiday get-away drivers. So I finished my work from home.

Later, I made the drive up to La Cave, but I ran into a traffic jam anyway. In the middle of the night. Where else? At the end of the damned 55 in Costa Mesa. I got to the show, but a little late. To my chagrin, I missed their version of Heart’s “Barracuda.”

For the unfamiliar, a brief primer: The Barstow Boyz include musicians from local bands who come together now and again to play those cheesy songs you love to hate from the ’70s and ’80s looking like some ’90s Hairband that came out of the wrong end of a black hole. Think Spinal Tap as a cover band. On steroids.

In short, they’re hilarious. I’ve written about them before with Mona here. It was an absurd take on the band to match the band’s ridiculousness.

I’d have done that again, but I’m Mona-less this weekend. She went to visit family in New Jersey and I had to go to the show alone. That left me time to think, which is pretty dangerous, I know. Anyway, I won’t get too heavy because that would entirely miss the point. Still, the Boyz got me to thinking about the Darkness, a band I grew to love that I met somewhat circumspectly. I wasn’t the only one. Even the critics wondered if it was a joke. It wasn’t until I saw them live that I understood. The goofy clothes, the hair, the make-up, the prancing around stage — all of the public persona and even the lyrics — were all part of the joke. But they were deadly serious about the music. You could just tell hearing it live.

I get that same feeling with the Boyz. Of course it’s all a hilarious send-up, and lord knows nothing needs it more than rock ‘n’ roll, especially now that it’s dead as pop-culture and preserved by purists. Still, you can tell how much work they put into rehearsing and performing these songs. They sound amazing — every bit as good and often better than the original artists. I’m almost embarrassed to admit the highpoint of Friday’s show was their version of Toto’s “Hold the Line.” I despised Toto. I can still vividly remember the night the band won six Grammys in 1982 at the expense of the much-superior Police’s “Ghost in the Machine,” the beginning of my decades-long hatred for the Grammys.

But still… it sounded so good when they played it. Is that wrong?

I had a great time.

Still, it would have been so much more fun with Mona there.

Maybe next time. When I hatch my (as Dennis Leary would put it) secret-evil plan to stage a battle of the bands between the Barstow Boyz and Rokken. Yes, I have a friend in that band, too. You hear me, Bobbo! I’m calling you out! Let’s do this…

(p.s. If you’re on Facebook you can see my photo album of the show here).

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