No studies, just fun times last week - at the Rickshaw Stop's anniversary series of shindigs and then Social Studies on Jan. 26 at Bottom of the Hill. J'adore those kiddie tambourines that were distributed to the audience for those bang-along songs.

Came in just in time for Magic Bullets whose vocalist was a deadringer/-singer for Robert Smith. The stellar indie pop kept on keeping on when Social Studies entered rocking dark denim, synth, and a terry-cloth headband. Natalia R's dulcet tones evoked, gosh, 10,000 Maniacs-era Natalie Merchant - and that's not an insult! An extremely Social-ized crowd went ape, like monkeys drunk on KROQ. More please! SS's next show is Feb. 10 at Hemlock Tavern.

Getting social at BOH. All photos by Ka-ching! Chun