Honkers Pub heated up their patio, literally with the second annual Honkers Pub Outdoor Festival.

 

 I caught a handful of the acts playing in the parking lot.

 

 One I really wanted to see was new local country band  the Midnight Sons.

 

Frontman Bryan Horvat  Keyboardist Gary Drayton, bassist Ed Knelsen , drummer Craig Fellner and Mark Holden Hall  filling in on guitar, played a set of  mostly country music, but also some soul and R and B.

 

 They opened with Bob Seger’s Turn the Page” and moved on to a highlight “ It’s Hard Around  Here”

 

 Their version of Ray Charles  “Seven Spanish Angels ” was another highlight as was their version of “Under the Boardwalk” which was especially soulful.

 Steve Keenan was up next with another  solid solo set of songs from his albums as well as crowd pleasing covers.

 

He was also in a Bob Seger mood , playing several Seger hits.

 But he opened with  Blue rodeo’s “ Cold  December Night.”

 

 He added  “ I Don’t Need A Million” from his latest CD “ In My Hands”

 Keenan played a medley of Johnny Cash hits including “Folsom Prison Blues”, “One Piece at at a Time” and  A Boy Named Sue,” before going back to the Bob Seger well.

Keenan wound his set down with a cover of  Neil Young’s “ Old Man,” before ending with Bob Seger’s “Night Moves.”

 

 Luke James Bruce played a solo set of mostly original music, but focussing on songs about drinking including country hit “Dust on the bottle” and his own “ Till Drink Does Us Part.”

 I left to do my radio show as he was playing the Nitty Gritty Dirt band’s“ Fishing’ in the Dark.”

 

 I missed sets by  Train Wreck, The mark Hall band, Saints and Sinners and the closing set by local Tragically Hip Tribute  The Hip Trip.

— by Richard Amery, L.A. Beat Editor