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Live Reviews

Camarojuana

The delicious drunken daze that was the ’80s may have reached its pinnacle with Portland audiences. From Dover, New Hampshire, come a band audacious enough to pretend that we’ve not crested yet, that somehow we’re still riding a Hunter S. Thompson-like wave of hairspray, cheap beer, and Jagermeister, barreling toward a shoreline littered with bad hair and even worse spandex.

Camarojuana, an ’80s tribute act, replete with props (like the Jager bass and Eddie Van Halen signature guitar) and poor wardrobe decisions (like the unusually tight-fitting and wide-striped pants on the lead singer), carry the torch for this time of excess and questionable taste.

• Todd Richard
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• Hunter S. Thompson
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• Eddie Van Halen
• •

On a weekend when there should have been lines out the door of every Old Port venue, Saturday's audience was anemic — not even dressed to regress, like the usual Camarojuana crowd. “Sweet Child O’ Mine” got them engaged and properly warmed up. But when they began “Here I Go Again,” it seemed like the band were lamenting that fact.

This kind of act needs an audience as fuel. Without that, the whole thing looks like it was unearthed in some sort of Pet Sematary. If this truly is the “Rock of Ages," then I think “Dr. Feelgood” needs to write us a new prescription.

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