Indie-rockers Young Mammals made their way to the stage, and by now the floor was packed full of bodies and the staff opened up the balcony. Our tired legs rejoiced, and we headed upstairs to grab a prime viewing location. The seven songs the Mammals rolled out weren't much different from the last time Aftermath saw them, a mere three weeks ago at the Wild Moccasins' tour kickoff.

The fuzz-wash seemed to have been reined back a tad, allowing singer Carlos Sanchez's vocals to come through a bit clearer. For some reason, though, his vocals don't quite seem to match the music.

Maybe it's the reverb on the vocals, which complicates the matter. One thing is certain, however - and not to detract from BTEOT's Jeff Wilson - but Ryan Chavez is a booming machine behind that drum kit. At this point, it feels like the Mammals' sound is too big for the room, even at Fitz.

Then came By The End Of Tonight. The room's dynamic intensified in anticipation of the frenzied onslaught about to be unleashed, and a hearty cheer arose when the house lights dimmed.

Aftermath paused to reflect, The night before, we'd been to Winnie to see Chuck Berry, and while ol' Chuck's giant hands don't move around the fretboard like they used to, none of this exists without him. The air was thick with remembrance, so much so that we could feel everyone's thinking about the last time they saw By The End Of Tonight. At approximately 11:35 p.m., the first note was struck, and from there time became a blur.

It was impossible for us to determine how many songs the band played. Over the course of the set, which saw them play for 45 minutes straight with a mere handful of pauses, the band probably struck enough notes to fill up six hours of time. Elation abounded, with the entire floor full of people jumping, moshing, fist-pumping, and cheering their little hearts to the bursting point.

These are tiger-blood riffs, Charlie Sheen. By The End Of Tonight is, to put it mildly, riggoddamndiculous. It felt like Houston was saved by the blitz of instrumental fury - our black plague of audiences fouling up concert-going was erased, and not a bad vibe was found in the building. Pure joy (and the music's mind-destroying intensity) abounded, and for the entire duration of their appearance, BTEOT held Fitzgerald's in the palm of their hands.

The band began to break down gear as the crowd called for an encore. After a few minutes of debating, Stefan Mach grabbed an overhead mike from the drum kit. "We're sorry," he said, "we don't know any more songs. We haven't played in three years."

People rushed to buy one of Shelby Hohl's posters for the show, and Aftermath spotted several flying around the room as fans tracked down band members for autographs. The whole night was blissful and carefree, the way all of our favorite shows have always been, the way concerts should be.

It's going to be really fun watching these four fellows take over the stage at Summer Fest this year. Hopefully they get a good slot and aren't stuck playing early in the afternoon. One thing is certain - no matter how many people are in front of them watching, most of those people will either be slack-jawed in wonder or dancing like fools.

We wouldn't have it any other way.

Personal Bias: I had seen this band once. I own two of their split releases. I love most everything that shreds like lettuce.

The Crowd: A lot of people that a) seemed to be married and/or have children; b) don't come out to (or don't get to come to) shows anymore; c) parents? and/or d) kids excited to finally see, or see again, By The End Of Tonight.

Overheard In The Crowd: "Play faster!"

Random Notebook Dump: Sorry, was too busy having my brain torn apart to make any more notes.