What could be better for celebrating The Horseshoe's 52nd Birthday weekend than a chaotic CD release party hosted by none other than Vancouver's long-running kings of garage-pop, The Smugglers? Not much.

Opening Saturday's ear-busting extravaganza was Sticky Rice, a female trio that blended Joan Jett and The Runaways candy with down and dirty garage fume bombast. At times, local chick-rockers, Sticky Rice were brilliant in their execution of the style, but occasionally fell off the curb, musically. The audience was won over by the band's charm, and the lasses' white wine-sipping good humour certainly had the 'Shoe's patrons rooting for them. Songs like the bands ode to the pressures of hockey, "Overtime," "Fishin," and "I'm Just Fine" displayed good old garage rock naiveté and were all souped-up sloppy fun.

Next on the bill was Toronto's own Flashlight, brandishing a whole satchel full of deafening cartoon rock that shut a few mouths and turned a few heads. Coming off a thousand times better live than on CD, Flashlight's set was fast, furious and refused to relent.

Their arsenal of pop craftsmanship was played at a velocity that had to be seen to be believed. The band catered to its fans by playing both the old and the new. Songs like "July," "Sonia Bianchi," and "You Smell" had the audience rocking on the dance floor, between the tables and clear to the back of the legendary bar.

The main event of Saturday's festivities was the return of The Smugglers for the release of their latest record, Rosie. When the band took the stage in a blur of white tuxedos and Buddy Holly glasses, the audience responded with a buzz of static-like excitement. The ancient Vancouver garage-kings peeled through their enormous catalogue at an alarming pace. The Smugglers had a high-energy hold on the audience and had them jumping for the Horseshoe's not so high ceiling. The band tore through sweaty renditions of "Buddy Holly Convention," "Bishy Bishy," and their tribute to "Vancouver B.C." The Smugglers seem to thrive on the bizarre, and invited more than one of Toronto's freakier residents on to the stage for some Smugglers fun. During the performance, a heavy metal dude won a trophy in an impressions contest, another won a dance contest, and as usual, special Smugglers Smootch-Dollar vouchers were available at the merchandising table for Valentine's Day.

The band sets a wicked pace and they stick to it ... so folks don't expect any ballads, or weepin' songs at any future Smugglers' gig. The show's climax occurred when an all out tug-o-war ensued between Smugglers singer Grant Lawrence, and Chart's resident cover-boy, Danko Jones. It seems that Jones was there to reclaim the pants that The Smugglers had so wrongly stolen. After a truce was called, Jones strapped on his patented Strat and wailed some Angus Young-like solos over the bands smokin' "Danko Jones Pants." The band got rockin' so hard that bassist Beez's glasses were hanging off his nose.