“We’re starting to feel alright,” sang Paul, from the hot new group Mod Gun. They’ve got a big sound, with splashes of complexity. Janelle LaMarche, sexy, glamor-girl booker for O’Briens, likes a big sound. It would be easy to say she just likes music, but it’s so much more; the environment, the people mixing, the connections!

LaMarche put on a heroine’s act this afternoon at the club, making colorful coleslaw, irresistible 24-carat golden brown sautéed onions, so she really is a hostess, or host—charming, to say the least, either way…

It will be no time before the house kids start beating down the door. However cool the house scene, every true rock star knows it’s special to be onstage, and O’Briens has a good one, with good viewing vantage points all around.

Look Sharp and i-Pistol also played. Look Sharp is a band with a good infrastructure, of which the superstructure gets a little wobbly at points, but they have a… big sound! And many fine moments. Lead singer and guitarist Tom Majkuk calls his style “extraterrestrial punk”, with an effort to “focus in on something to mine its weirdness.” i-Pistol is a band of solid punk rockers, with good chops and flashes of grandness.

Ok, for all you guys at The Whitehaus and Smokey’s, be patient. LaMarche is a perfectionist, with the slant that she appreciates even imperfections, the way they give charm to a sound object. So she wants to feature honest younger musicians who are growing, instead of just the next hot thing. She’s hot though, she’s a superstar, and she’ll be around for a while, so go down Harvard Ave some night, and check out her splendid rock and roll offerings. Next show, Wednesday, July 24.