On a rain-soaked and chilly Monday evening, the Whiplash Splash Tour rolled into Columbus for a show at the Rumba Café.

The Dollyrots and The Two Tens were in town for the fifth stop of the tour, ready to rock the small, but eager crowd. We should admit that the Rumba is fast-becoming our staff’s home-away-from-home, as we seem to be there on a very regular basis.

Comprised of the dynamic duo of Rikki Styxx (drums/vocals) and Adam Bones (vocals/guitar), The Two Tens are straight-up Rock-n-Roll for your soul. They proved that one guitar, one drum set and two voices are sometimes all you need. Fast-paced and loud, they aurally gut-punched the crowd with a tight 12-song set.

The Two Tens (l-r) Rikki Styxx, Adam Bones (Credit: Jacob Thompson / Music in Motion Columbus)

Opening the show with the upbeat rocker, Scene, they asked everyone “Where is your scene?” With nary a chance to catch our collective breath, they rolled right into Ella Don’t Like My Hat. Styxx channeled her inner Marky Ramone as she pounded away on her kit.

Life tells the fast-paced tale of a musician, with Bones screaming the true-life chorus of “Eat. Rock. Roll. Shit. Sleep. Repeat.” Taking less than two minutes, this all-out rocker smacked us right in the kisser. And, we didn’t complain one bit.

The standout song of their set was Keeping Hope Alive, released as a 7″ single last month. The 60’s pop-inspired song was rocked-out with an updated sound that made us dream of cool breezes and summer days.

Rikki Styxx (Credit: Jacob Thompson / Music in Motion Columbus)

Closing with the uptempo, full-steam ahead rocker, Can’t Pull Through, they channeled the best of the punk rock of my youth into a mere 1:38. “Thank you very much,” said Adam Bones, “we’re The Two tens.” And with that, they were done.

For those of you that missed seeing a live show of punk bands from the 1970’s/1980’s, trust me when I tell you to go see The Two Tens. You will get a feel of the raw energy, speed and angst from that era with this band.

The Two Tens – Keeping Hope Alive

After a quick changeover, it was time for The Dollyrots to take the stage. Their new album “Whiplash Splash” will be released Friday, March 24, and we were eagerly anticipating some tasty morsels from their new offering.

Kelly Ogden (vocals/bass) and Luis Cabezas (guitar/vocals) were joined onstage by Rikki Styxx pulling double-duty on the drums, making this tour a bit of a family affair. Styxx gave a shout-out to her father during The Two Tens set, as he’s doing a bit of RV driving for the tour.

The Dollyrots (l-r) Luis Cabezas, Rikki Styxx, Kelly Ogden (Credit: Jacob Thompson / Music in Motion Columbus)

They played a raucous 14-song set that spanned their entire catalog… well, maybe it was more of a 14.5-song set. More on that in a bit…

Launching with the upbeat Come and Get It, Kelly’s vocals put the crowd in a good mood. The beat was tight, with Ogden’s and Cabezas’ harmonies shining. With Kick Me to the Curb, it became obvious that the band were enjoying themselves. This energized the crowd even further.

The first of the new songs to be played was Pack of Smokes. The band kept it tight, with a good buildup leading to the last note. The chugging beat of Get Weird had everyone singing along with Ogden on the chorus. Styxx was pounding the crap out of her drums and obviously having a blast.

The crowd began dancing to My Best Friend’s Hot, with its driving beat and harmonic pop hooks.

Another new track, I Do, was introduced by Ogden as a sing-a-long. The fast-pace to the song had everyone dancing and singing, with the vocal harmonies once again shining brightly.

Ogden had a breathy, almost sultry quality to her vocals in Satellite, adding a hopeful suspense to the song. The fast pace of Jackie Chan was the perfect punctuation mark to bring the energy back up, with Ogden having to get her bangs cut on stage-left at the end of the song. Everyone hates when your hair gets in your eyes, right?

Kelly Ogden and Luis Cabezas (Credit: Jacob thompson / Music in Motion Columbus)

At this point, a fan convinced the band to do a request, although Ogden claimed she didn’t remember the words to the lyrically-dark A Desperate S.O.S. from their second album.

After the fan pulled the lyrics up on their phone, the band launched into an abbreviated rendition of the upbeat rocker, hence the “14.5-song set” mentioned above. After handing the phone back to the fan, they rolled right into the final chorus of Jackie Chan.

The third of the “Whiplash Splash” songs to be played was City of Angels. Cabezas said the song was about “the not-so nice parts of town are where you meet the most interesting people.” With the driving groove picking up pace in the middle, they had the crowd dancing again.

“Thank you, Rick, for interviewing me while I was breastfeeding,” said Ogden, referencing her daughter, Daisy Moon, from my interview with the band before the show in the RV. Yes, kids… nothing stops us from getting the interview with your favorite bands.

Ed. – we’ll have an in-depth interview with Kelly Ogden and Luis Cabezas for you next week.

They played the last of the new songs after this, launching into the bass-driven Dance Like a Maniac. And yes, everyone was dancing (some of us worse than others, because I can’t bust a move). The crowd was really digging the groove on this one, as well.

All together for the final song… (l-r) Luis Cabezas, Rikki Styxx, Kelly Ogden, Adam Bones (Credit: Jacob Thompson / Music in Motion Columbus)

To close the show, they were joined onstage by Adam Bones. Kelly gave him her bass guitar, with him flipping it around (he plays left-handed). The crowd-favorite Because I’m Awesome had everyone singing along and loving every second of it. Ogden came off the stage and sang the last verse from within the crowd.

“Thank you,” said Ogden after the song was finished. “We’ll take pictures with everybody. Let’s hang out and shit!” And with that, the show was over.

Both The Dollyrots and The Two Tens put on an excellent show for those that weren’t afraid of a little rain and chilly temperatures. We hope to see that return to Columbus sooner, rather than later.

Setlist – The Two Tens

1. Scene
2. Ella Don’t Like My Hat
3. Sweet As Pie
4. Life
5. Not Alright
6. Dreams
7. On Repeat
8. Rush Out
9. Keeping Hope Alive
10. I can’t Win
11. Mean Spirit
12. Can’t Pull Through

Setlist – The Dollyrots

1. Come and Get It
2. Kick Me to the Curb
3. Brand New Key
4. Pack of Smokes *
5. Get Weird
6. My Best Friend’s Hot
7. I Do *
8. Satellite
9. Jackie Chan
10. A Desperate S.O.S. (snippet)
11. Save Me
12. City of Angels *
13. Twist Me to the Left
14. Dance Like a Maniac *
15. Because I’m Awesome

* new songs from “Whiplash Splash” (3/24/17 release date)

The Dollyrots – Dance Like a Maniac