Jamming at the Luna Park Grille

This April, it will mark two years since Maria "Pete" Durgan, bass player and oft-lead singer of the local rock/blues/country act Soulbender, started running the Luna Park Band Jam. The event, held on the last Thursday of every month, kicks off with a Soulbender set, and then features two more bands.

It's a chance for the bands to get to know each other in a relaxed and intimate venue, as well as a chance for new names on the local live music scene to strut their stuff. February's event, scheduled for Thursday the 27th, will feature Soulbender, a yet-unnamed act that will play dance-focused pop, and Stranger Things, which happens to be the band I sing in. There's no cover, and the atmosphere is relaxed.

Last night's edition of the showcase featured Wonderjack out on their first live appearance with a new lineup. It was hard to tell—the five-piece group had tight arrangements and harmonies that sounded like they'd been playing together for years. Members of the group said the band itself has been around for a few years, but the lineup has revolved as former members have moved on and new members joined in. The last set of the night featured Last Second Comeback, an acoustic folk-rock four-piece that also strutted some tight material.

Past editions of the Band Jam have featured everything from alternative rock to country to funk to acoustic pop. Each band gets an hour to set up and play, so you get to hear approximately a 45-minute tightly packed set from each group. It's enough time to get to know some of each band's best material.

Plus, the atmosphere at Luna Park is a lot of fun. The long room has plenty of booths and tables for groups to sit at, and a row of barstools with a great view of the stage. There's a great mural of an amusement park at night along one side, and funky vintage sheet music and other interesting items framed on the opposite wall. The staff is friendly and helpful, and the restaurant features a good menu of affordable American favorites. One of the house rules is that bands have to keep their volume turned down so the audience can talk, and that makes it a more social place to listen to music. And they offer live music three nights a week with no cover charge, which is a great bargain.

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