For everyone who could not personally attend the Sheila Witkin Memorial Reunion Concerts at the Club Cinema in Pompano Beach, Florida, this weekend, here’s a good YouTube VIDEO that shows the Kids ripping through a cover of the Pretenders’ “Precious.” That’s Joey Malone singing lead, with Bruce Witkin on bass and Beano Hanti on drums; the fourth member with the Fender guitar you will probably recognize without an introduction. . . .

And here’s an especially good eyewitness account of the Kids on stage, written by John Linn. “After a heartfelt introduction the Kids came out to a wail of screams–many of them because the band is that good, and seeing them together is a rare treat. But also because the band’s guitarist, Johnny Depp, showed up to play with his old band. From the minute he took the stage a sea wall of camera phones lit up the entire venue, as desperate school-aged girls and even some rock hardened old dudes tried to snap pics of the Hollywood star,” writes Linn. “The cool thing was how graciously Depp and the Kids handled it.”

And how did the Hollywood star react to that sea wall of camera phones held high? Not by preening, that’s for sure. Writes Linn, “Johnny smiled wide, shook hands with some fans, but said nary a word, preferring to deliver his still-solid guitar work from a spot somewhere behind his band mates. Even though most of the eyes in the crowd were clearly on him, Johnny, looking more boyish than ever in an outsized t-shirt and a flannel clasped around his waist, somehow redirected that energy. In the end, I think people managed to get past the celebrity and focus on the Kids’ music–an unconventional mix of power pop and Costello-infused lyrics that lingered on the crowd long after the last note rang.”

Many thanks to Emma for finding that lovely bit of writing, and to John Linn for taking the time to record his thoughts so eloquently and share them with the world. To read Linn’s full review of the Witkin concert, CLICK HERE. Thanks, too, to Charlotte Depp for sharing the YouTube video. We’re in rock ‘n’ roll heaven. –Part-Time Poet