Friday the 13th was indeed a lucky day for both the bands and the fans at DiPiazza, the Long Beach, CA gem of a rock showcase on Pacific Coast Highway.

With a bill featuring Mary Kill, Third Grade Teacher, Thinking Aloud, New Dead Radio and Numb Existence, in that order, I rushed from my house in the Seal Beach area and jammed along PCH into the next beach community over, arriving just in time (9 p.m.) to jockey for position in front of the stage as The Teacher and her staff set up their gear.

3GT, as I like to call them, have been around for about 10 years now. I first saw them in 2001 at The Gypsy Lounge in Lake Forest, CA. Since they book most of their gigs conveniently LA-local, they make it easy for anyone in the geographic area between LAX and Irvine to see an energy-packed, trip-out rock show at least once a month – all of this, and high-quality musicianship too.

With Sabrina Stevenson (a genuine third grade teacher at Fourth Street School in Long Beach) on vocals and psychodrama, Rob Ahlers on drums like none since Keith Moon, Laura Smith on rock-solid bass with attitude, and Dave Guerrero on shredmeister guitar, it was obvious on Friday that the band have taken their bizarre, highly entertaining mix of parochial school image coupled with punkish power rock to a new level.

As the band opened with the charging “Rageaholic”, I noticed the crowd was far larger than usual, pushing to the front of the room and rocking out as Sabrina hurdled offstage to flail and prowl through the audience while shrieking the song’s antagonistic lyrics. Could the throng be due to the recent release of their debut, Third Grade Teacher, on Pinch Hit Records, or was it because they had an unusually early timeslot? I decided to enjoy the show and get Laura’s perspective in an interview later.

Sounding tighter and stronger than ever (Sabrina’s voice has come a long way since their first indie release) the band plowed through some of their new songs, then into the signature “Schoolboy”, a favorite among 3GT fans. The group seems to be having more fun onstage these days, and Friday’s show was no exception. The deep crunch of “What’s Going On”, followed by the manic bounce of “You’re Fantastic”, created an electric-vibe energy flow through the club, causing most every onlooker to exclaim, “She’s really a school teacher!” at one point or another - quite a phenomenon. Even the black-leathered-out metal people were caught in a trance.

As for the venue itself, Mark and Maralyn DiPiazza, the owners and actively on-site operators of this live music haven/pub/bistro, have done much to maximize the use of space and promote their philosophy of bringing exciting new music acts of many genres to the people, including the youth of the community. Most, if not all, shows are all-ages, and the club has something for everyone. You can watch the Laker game while simultaneously enjoying a slice of pizza and listening to your buddy’s garage band play live. Mark and Maralyn are open to booking acts of all levels, types and origins – the more diverse, the better - a win-win-win for everyone.

After the show, I chatted with Laura for an insider’s view of the latest and greatest on 3GT:

MM: Hey, Laura! Indulge me with a little down-low.

LS: Hey Marlene! Great to hear from you. Glad you saw us the other night. It was such an early show, I didn't really get to hang out much beforehand, but it was a good time.

MM: I noticed a larger turnout at Friday's show - I realize you had an earlier slot than usual, but have you also seen increased interest since your CD dropped?

LS: Part of our turnout was probably due to the early set time, and maybe because we've been playing fewer local shows... but when we do, we are definitely seeing some new faces and recent converts - I mean, fans! – checking us out after hearing or reading about us and our latest CD. Nice to know the word is getting out.

MM: Your music has been featured on an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and in a few films. What other interesting things are in the works - your side projects, more TV and film activity?

LS: Sabrina recently enjoyed another venue for her theatrical side, in her one-woman show of vignettes that got some good press. Rob has a side gig playing in Kristin Hersh's new band, and David and I have been accumulating and playing around with more acoustic instruments - the quieter side of Third Grade Teacher! Primarily, though, we're right in the middle of recording our next album; lots of new material we’re all excited about. Just you wait for summer!

MM: Score! Music Magazine is based in Arkansas, with operations in Akron, Ohio. What out-of-state gigs, if any, do you have coming up soon?

LS: Ah, Akron, Ohio - birthplace of Devo! Now there's a town I wish was on the itinerary. I’m not sure where our travels will take us next. We have a few shorter jaunts in the works right now - Arizona, the Pacific Northwest (Oregon/Washington), and of course Northern California and other places easy to drive to. We’ll travel anywhere that will have us, really - would anyone in Japan like to fly The Teacher over for some lessons? Score! Music looks like a cool site – we’re excited to get into a new arena with them.

MM: Thanks, Laura, and all the best to you. We’ll see you at your upcoming shows and keep the Score! readership posted.

Third Grade Teacher

Photos by Marlene