For those unaware, alongside Greg Kihn, the Tyla Gang, Earth Quake, and Jonathan Richman, The Rubinoos were among the musical figureheads of the successful US label Beserkley Records (1973-1986) from Berkeley, California. The label was founded by former A&M Records in-house producer Matthews King Kaufmann to have fun and produce some great records.

From 1975 onwards, the label’s bands conquered the charts worldwide with their US power pop rock and received plenty of airplay - as did I Think We’re Alone Now (1976) by The Rubinoos.

However, the band had already made their debut in 1975 on the album Beserkley Chartbusters, Volume 1. The title of this LP was purely a marketing gimmick. It was the first LP on the Beserkley label and consisted of songs that hadn’t even come close to the charts - some were even recorded especially for this LP - and served only to make the label known to the media.

When The Rubinoos appeared in front of the Rockpalast cameras at the Audimax in Hamburg on February 14, 1978, the four likeable musicians (Jon Rubin, Tommy Dunbar, Royse Ader, and Donn Spindt) were already the darlings of the American rock press.

Forty-seven years later, singer and guitarist Jon Rubin takes stock: This insight into the band’s beginnings under extreme circumstances captures the spirit and silliness that have defined us from the beginning and continue to define us today.

CD: 1978
1. Rockin’ In The Jungle
2. Tonight
3. Peek-A-Boo
4. Falling In Love
5. Hard To Get
6. Hey Royse
7. Wouldn’t It Be Nice
8. Red Light
9. Promise Me
10. Ronnie
11. Make It Easy
12. Please, Please Me
13. Walk Don’t Run
14. I Think We’re Alone Now
15. Rock ’n’ Roll Is Dead

After a quick introduction, and a notation to the audience that they were about to unleash, as their first number that night, an acapella version of Rockin’ In The Jungle, they do just that (and very acoustically atmospherically too, might I say) and back that up with the low slung textures of Tonight and then comes the guitar roustabout of Peek-A-Boo, the melodic Falling In Love, the mid-tempo pop sensibilities of Hard To Get and then come both the swinging Hey Royse and the delightful Wouldn’t It Be Nice.

Along next is the pop-tastic Red Light and the slower Promise Me and they are in turn backed seamlessly by the propulsive pop-rocker Ronnie, the harmoniously crafted Make It Easy, a substantially dutiful cover of the Beatles’ Please, Please Me (which will have you thinking it is the Merseysiders!), a dynamite guitar track in the form of The Ventures’ Walk Don’t Run, before the set rounds out on a deliciously sculpted, breathy version of the Tommy James and the Shondells hit I Think We’re Alone Now, closing on handclapper Rock ’n’ Roll Is Dead.

The DVD features all the same tracks and showcase a band already so very confident in their stage presence and musical mannerisms that it is not hard to believe that all these years later they are still together (for the most part, band member wise) but are actually touring here in 2025/26.

Musicians:
Jon Rubin
Tommy Dunbar
Royse Ader
Donn Spindt

Official Purchase Link