The first night of Burgerama II at The Observatory is in the books and what an incredible night it was.

A super-enthusiastic all-ages crowd danced throughout the evening to genres that tilted towards Cali punk but included sets from legendary hip-hop group The Pharcyde and the jump-for-joy R and B sounds of Nick Waterhouse and his talented band.

The quality of the lineup assembled for this two-night event is unlike any I’ve been a part of.  Tickets ($20) were sold separately for each night and sold out about a week and a half ago.

The 19 bands that played on two stages Friday night were limited to about 40 minutes each.  A posted schedule was followed almost to the minute.  DJ’s on the main stage spun vinyl between sets.  Cassie Ramone of The Babies was among those who appeared stage left to participate in selecting songs during the intermissions.

I had some apprehension going in about the festival-style shortness of band sets.  Sometimes a group’s performance can feel hurried under such constraints.  My fear was unfounded.  Every participant on the main stage Friday night (except for maybe Merchandise’s snotty frontman) seemed relaxed.   Adulation from a greatly appreciative and celebratory rock and roll crowd was showered on all the bands in almost equal doses.  The tone was set early when the Tijuana Panthers kicked off the festival to the shrieks of a sizable audience that had endured rush-hour traffic to reach the venue by 530 PM.

Set well off a busy thoroughfare in a neighborhood that straddles Santa Ana and Costa Mesa, The Observatory is a unique venue.  A local indie music supporter named Jon Reiser bought the place a few years ago (with investor help) and spruced it up.  Reiser converted The Observatory (formerly The Galaxy) into a popular spot for bands who make more than one tour stop while hitting the massive LA market.

The building that houses The Observatory is hidden away from prominent view.  Within the structure, there are two different performance spaces.  The main room is said to have a capacity of close to 1000 and a smaller space (The Constellation Room) fits about 300.

For Burgerama, bands were playing simultaneously on both stages.  During lulls on the main stage, you could faintly hear sound from the Constellation Room.  It wasn’t a problem.  In fact, it was great fun moving between the two spaces.

I’m really impressed with how well this event is put together.  Burger Records deserves credit for the lineup and I’m pretty sure it’s Reiser and his staff who deserve kudos for the fantastic sound, security and management of the stage set-up as acts came and went.  There are several bars throughout the venue.  You never had to wait for a drink.  Buds were five bucks.  Cheeseburgers were grilled outside in the backyard and were sold for five dollars.  Beefy security guys from an outside firm were remarkably patient and friendly as they attempted to limit the crowd surfing in the pit in front of the main stage.

The highlight of night one for me was the 35-minute set from Ty Segall’s new band Fuzz (pictured above).  Segall wears many hats in many acts.  In the newly-constituted Fuzz, Segall plays drums.  The sound is Sabbath-like and Segall crushes the drums.  After each song, Segall or bandmate Charlie Moothart repositioned the cinder block securing the bass drum after it had shaken loose from Segall’s fierce physical punishment of it.

Bleached was great.  The Clavin sisters said midway through their set that their parents were on hand.

Pangea was fun.

Tonight, I go back for Burgerama night two.  White Fence is what I’m most pumped for but after last night, I’m expecting plenty more pleasant surprises.