On the Fourth of July, the United States turned 232; the city of Ventura, six years younger, still hasn't caught up, and the soundtrack for the Poinsettia City, Raging Arb & the Redheads, rocked out at an uneventful but fun 25th anniversary free show.

The festivities commenced on the sand not far from Pierpont School, where most of the bandsmen learned long ago that they liked the beach better than the classroom.

The Raging scenario has morphed into Aging as gravity and time, as well as all six originals, were on hand to play songs off their only two albums as happy and/or drunk people danced to the rockin' country blues.

The band's first gig was 25 years ago at what used to be Carrows not far away, and all sorts of fun and craziness has filled the interlude.

"Everything's the same except our weight," frontman John "JD" Drury said.

Indeed, all the hunks had become chunks and all the hot chicks had chilled, yet new generations of Redhead fans bonded with the veterans and the same old songs were still fun, if not new and improved.

The tourist-proofing June gloom was absent, and it was a swell day on the beach as several hundred locals showed up to check out the sun, the surf and the show — all of which started more or less at 3 o'clock or during Raging Arb himself's lunch break.

John House, resplendent in his black Vons cap, works at the Pierpont store, and is the bass player. Both Emerys were there — drummer Ross and guitar player and main songwriter Toby, who also is in a lot of other local bands.

Billy McGraw provided the slashing guitar solos and Glenn Ansberry — or "Pinner" — wailed away on harmonica.

As they always do, the band kicked it off with "I'm a Man," the Yardbirds' version more or less but with 200 percent more harmonicas and guitars.

Speaking of percentages, there were 100 percent fewer fights than in the past and although the totals were uncertain, there probably were no DUIs; most of the fans were Pierpont locals.

Historically at a Raging Arb show, the bar set a record, the owner paid his rent in a night and, for the fans, there were equal opportunities for either a casual date or some sort of medical issue after all the fights; certainly there were hangovers.

Evidently, all the old-school maniacs are dead or in jail or have their own knucklehead kids to deal with; in any case, it was a kinder, gentler Raging Arb for '08 than the rowdy band of yore.

As it often happens, as the pages flew off the calendar, the band members got lives, wives, jobs and kids and played fewer and fewer gigs — now just a few a year. Only Toby Emery is a serious musician — fronting Jackass and doing other stuff with other groups.

On this day, the band played the same set it always does with favorites "Strut," "Jackson," "Daze Gone By" and all the others to the same result — an increasing amount of sand dancers, most of them female.

When Arb had to go, Jimmy Gianatti took over on bass and Chris Byrd, who is to blame for getting the band together, took over on lead — just in time for the usual three party enders: "Sympathy for the Devil," "Silver Train" and "Sweet Jane."

Since all the Redheads are still around, a regular gig a month somewhere would be a good thing. Or, as goes the refrain from "Jackson," still capturing the essence of it all: "Yee-haw!"

— E-mail music writer Bill Locey at blocey@pacbell.net.