* I didn't take this picture, nor is it from the show I just saw. I'll bring my camera next time.
Last night I ventured into the LA indie scene for the first time, attending a show at Echo Curio (a small gallery) in Echo Park. It was serendipitous that I made it there at all. Earlier in the day I had been happening to be listening to burgeoning rockers Real Estate and had offhandedly checked to see when they were playing in LA next. Sure enough, it was that very night and it was only $5 (a big plus for me at the present time).
I was really pleased with their performance. They are really solid songwriters, particularly from an instrumental approach. Most of my favorite moments of the night were sans-vocals, typically near the end of songs when they really started building the music up and cycling some good lines. Their drummer, who looks like Martin Starr but apparently has the amazing name of Etienne Pierre Duguay, was a particular highlight. Frontman Martin Courtney definitely needs some seasoning as a performer--he doesn't look like he's having fun but isn't pulling off any kind of brooding enigma persona either, not to mention he doesn't sound great live--but in the crowded gallery with a soundman that may or may not have existed, he didn't detract too much. He does sound excellent on their self-titled album however and I would recommend checking it out. Some of their songs remind me a little bit of Guster, which some hipsters might not like to hear, but my guess would be Real Estate would not list that particular band among their influences. Here my current favorite track from the Real Estate LP, Beachcomber, stolen from stereogum.
A quick note on their opener, LA's Pearl Harbor, they write good songs but haven't exactly figured out how to perform them yet. They use a drum track with some guitar parts and other effects prerecorded and have live vocals, bass, and guitar. Prerecording is usually a pet-peeve of mine (especially in the rap community) but I thought they were pulling it off well until I heard a particularly nice lead guitar part and then looked down to see that guitarist on stage wasn't even playing it. Instead, she was just strumming some G and D chords, which didn't strike me as all that interesting to watch. A little too Guitar Hero-esque for my liking. Nevertheless, once the group gets comfortable on stage and fills out their sound with live musicians they should find some decent success.
Best Coast performed last (though the fire department almost shut down the show before they started because of how crowded the space was) and they sounded pretty good, though I was not enthralled to a level that overcame my weariness. The singer sounded much better than the two that came before her though and their bassist/guitarist (the same guy) was a pleasure to watch. I'd like to check them out again for real sometime soon.
More accessible posts from me soon.
No comments:
Post a Comment