Live Reviews, and CD Reviews

Live Reviews

" This is the second time our college has hired Hooch to perform and they did not disappoint. They are always a pleasure to work with and provide a non-stop energetic performance. We will definetly ask them back again! They are highly recommended! "

--Janna K, 2/13/2009, Valentine's Day Party, Claremont, CA

" Sleeve were awesome. If you are looking for a wedding band look no further!!! They learned two songs for us at short notice and performed them perfectly. Also super easy band to work with and everyone at the wedding loved them. Definitely recommend Sleeve. "

--Paul G, 8/8/2008, Wedding, Pomona, CA

" Everyone from both myself and the groom, all the guests, other vendors and the staff at our venue could not stop gushing over what a wonderful job Hooch did at our wedding. They went out of our way to accommodate every single one of our requests and made the ceremony heavenly. My new husband and I have spent hours raving to each other about how talented the musicians were, it was the absolute highlight of the entire wedding. Hooch SERIOUSLY ROCKS. FYI, every single song they did was indistinguishable from the original version, except where they made it sound even better! BOOK EM! "

--Shawn B, 8/3/2008, Wedding, Costa Mesa, CA

" Hooch was great at our company event!!! Everyone loved them and their music was awesome. They played fantastic! Thank you~ "

--Gina M, 7/3/2008, Corporate Function, Rancho Cucamonga, CA

" We hired Sleeve for my wife's 40th birthday party for the live music entertainment. We wanted to hear alternative "KROQ" music from the 80's and 90's, instead of top "40 hits". Sleeve played for two hours, and did a great job. Their performance really helped make our party a sucess! Everybody enjoyed them. "

--Clayton M, 5/3/2008, Birthday Party, Claremont, CA

" The guys did everything to make our wedding perfect! They opened with mellow acoustic guitar. They did our announcements, played our special tracks on their DJ equipment, and played an awesome variety of rock, pop, and dance that kept everyone dancing even in the cold weather. They were awesome "

--Kristina H, 12/22/2007, Wedding, San Juan Capistrano, CA

" Sleeve had a wide variety of songs. They sounded great and made our company holiday party memorable. Thanks for a wonderful time guys! "

--Kristen G, 12/8/2007, Private Party, Laguna Beach, CA

" We were so happy with Hooch playing at our wedding. We had only heard small samples of their music over the Internet so we basically went on crossed fingers that they were any good. During the entire wedding, everyone kept commenting on how great the band was. Furthermore, they accomodated any requests we had before the wedding and came through in the end. Each member of the band was sincere and helpful and we truely felt they wanted to make 3 hours of music the best 3 hours possible, AND THEY DID!! Thank you so much Hooch! "

--Johnson L, 6/1/2007, Wedding, Redondo Beach, CA

" Hooch went all the way to help us have a great wedding. They played alt all of the requests we threw at them, and they came prepared. They planned many tunes in advance from our favorite groups. Hooch ranged from mellow classics in the early set to dance tunes, to hard rockers later in the evening. They made everyone happy, and we loved Hooch! "

--Stuart P, 9/8/2007, Wedding, Santa Monica, CA

" 2 words "Hooch Rocks". I had hooch play at my wedding this past weekend and man they turned it out. I gave them a song list which mostly consisted of Red Hot Chili Peppers, and boy did they jam. Everyone was complimenting all night on how much they sounded and played just like the band they were covering. Even the older crowd was impressed. All I know is that I am trying to find another excuse to have shindig so I can here them jam. Thanks Hooch you guys are sick. Everett & Naomi P.S Also their professionalism was unbelievable "

--Everett M. Rancho Cucamonga, CA 5/12/2007

" The band was excellent! Everyone said that this was the best party they had ever been too, the band HOOCH MADE the Party. They could sing just about anything. We loved them so much that we paid for 2 extra hours to keep them around longer. And at about 12:30am, we needed to quiet down a bit, so the lead singer grabbed his acoustic Guitar and played on the patio. He sang just about every request thrown at him. It was truely a great experience, we highly recommend this band. The party was for a combined 30th and 50th birthday party...And all the guests loved HOOCH!!!! "

--April H. Rancho Cucamonga, CA 4/28/2007

" They made the party! Everyone loved them! Great choice of songs to really give the party a fun atmoshpere. I would definately have them back! "

--Joell V. Palos Verdes, CA 9/9/2006

" Hooch was a smash hit at our wedding. All of our guests from 12-92 years old commented on how good the band was. They have a great play list and were willing and able to perform requests. We did not feel like we were just another gig to these guys. They listened to what we wanted and went above and beyond to accomodate our needs. They arrived early and in the 5 hour gig only took one 15 minute break. I've never seen that before. Hooch took this job seriously. Hooch is not only a great band, but is also respectful, professional, accomodating and a lot of fun. Wayne, Charlie & Laurence are great guys and real gentlemen. We are extremely fortunate that we hired Hooch as our wedding band and highly recommend them."

--Robert T. Rancho Palos Verdes, CA 7/15/2006

" Great band. Great party. Played everything we requested & more. Thank you. "

--Amber S. Menifee, CA 5/27/2006

" Awesome group! This band went way beyond expectations. They went out of their way to make the party enjoyable for everyone. They're very professional and really know how to play music enjoyed by all. People danced that hadn't danced in years. Some people never got off of the dance floor! By the end of the evening no one remained seated. People have talked about the party for days, with many comments about how the band made the party happen. Thanks guys. "

--Pauline B. Lake Forest, CA 4/15/2006

" Thanks guys for playing my birthday. It was a total blast. You rock!! "

--Scott B. Escondido, CA 5/6/2006

" Excellent band. Very professional. Guaranteed we'll hire Hooch again. Made grandpa's 80'th great for everyone. "

--Bob E. Fontana, CA 3/18/2006

" This is the 2nd time we've had Hooch play a party for us, and this time they were even better than the first!! Will definitely use them again. "

--Guadalupe B. South Gate, CA 3/4/2006

" The band was AWESOME!!!! I couldn't have asked for anything more. They played a variety of 80's and classic rock. We had sooo.... much fun!!! The night was definitely one not to forget. "

--Alexandra Z. South Gate, CA 10/8/2005

" The band was great .They came ready to rock and they did. Hooch played all the music we requested, and lots more,,,they rocked with the 80's - 2005. cool band I would definitely use them again . "

--Misty B. Fontana, CA 9/10/2005

"Sleeve of fontana have surprised a lot of budding fans with a different brand of music. It shifts from safe radio-friendly alternative melody to almost offensive punk, and everything in between."

Daryl Searle - Mean Street Magazine - April 1997

"Sleeve took one look at my sound equipment and said, we'll take over from here. These guys came prepared, they were very professional, and for those reasons, I still think to this day, that they were the best sounding band we've had on."

Rocky Costanzo - Producer of television program "The Main Event With Rich Lava" - April 1998

Sleeve CD Reviews

"Multiple personalities with a list of influences a mile long, Sleeve knows how to keep you riveted--mainly because you don't know what they will try next. A punk garage sound that revels in noisy classic rock riffage, that's when they kick the guitars into overdrive and burn it up with "Rabid" and the weird 90's modern rock of "Latex Annie"."

Mish Mash Music - September 1999

"Sleeve has gotten a great start towards establishing themselves as an intruiging modern rock band with some heavy-hitting, accessible songs. If you're not willing to stick with the band as they mature, don't worry-Sleeve will be OK without you."

Mike Moore - Indie-Music.com - August 1999

"A positive message of freedom laid in between Molten Modern-Rock with influences varying between Smashing Pumpkins, Nirvana, Rush, & Midnight Oil. On "Rabid", drummer Wayne Woodall lays down some solid rock drumming as he does throughout the CD, but a little faster on "Rabid" a manic paced, Nirvana-esque tune. "

Stu Shulman "Cowboy Surfer" - Music Dish Magazine - April 1999

"Whether they're playing a mellow little melody or driving you down with a heavy number, they're always good. Mostly though, they tread along the modern rock route with an entirely surprising number of good songs on the cd. "

Sal - Raw 42 Monthly Music - March 1999

"There's a lot of great music to discover here for the uninitiated, from the amazing string sections found throughout "Sink", which the band indicate is a song about homeless people, to the excellent caustic riffs on "Rabid", the band run a surprising range of styles. Other cool tracks are all over the album, but those which must be mentioned here are "Pawn Me" & second track in "Matter". "

Terry Allen - hEARD On-Line Magazine - April 1999

"The jangly pop song "Hucklebuck" is a nice little offering which has a slight tinge of country to it while tracks such as "Down" and "Lies In A Bottle" are real catchy affairs. Well now are you satisfied? Fans of "Smashing Pumpkins", "STP", and some of the newer breed of commercial rock will be. "

High Beam On-Line Magazine - April 1999

"I don't know if I got this tape before they started making it big but it was quite a thrill to put the tape in and go, hey - these guys are already big on the radio out here! With a mix anywhere from Collective Soul to Green Day (but with their own sound), Sleeve will be on your radio waves and kicking ass!"

Sticks - Zine of The Times - June 1998

"One of the strongest numbers is "Never Love," with a powerful guitar-drum duo intro which falls into a mid-tempo jazzy ballad format. The clean guitar and percussion, along with scarce muted vocals make it pleasing to hear over and over again."

Daryl Searle - Mean Street Magazine - September 1998

"The first track on the CD -- the title track -- begins with soulful guitar riffs, which prove to be Sleeve's strong point throughout. Dave Porter's lead guitar is ingenius, as is Max Mendoza's bass, and Woodall's drums. "

Lisa Rena Trudeau - 181.4 Degrees From The Norm Magazine - April 1999