Live: Menomena 3/10/07

Menomena’s Saturday night show at the Echo was met with a crowd that did anything but hide its adoration. The three handled their often-tricky material expertly (at one point Justin Harris was playing a bass keyboard with his feet, playing guitar, and singing at the same time) and, with an army of new and excellent songs from “Friend and Foe”, the audience left the show with their love for Menomena growing exponentially.


Damn you redeye, damn you. But check out Justin’s sweet baritone sax.


Brent Knopf looks like he’s nineteen years old. Oh yeah, and he’s a computer programming genius. His vocals on “The Monkey’s Back” during the encore were haunting and incredible—easily the highlight of the night.


Danny Seim is eight feet tall. And treats the drums accordingly.



Download:
Menomena - The Pelican [mp3]
Menomena - The Monkey’s Back [mp3]

- Dominick Duhamel -

Live: The Parson Red Heads 3/10/07

Last Saturday at the Echo, Menomena couldn’t have asked for a better opening act. Drawing most their songs from their debut full-length, the excellent “King Giraffe” (which came out a couple weeks ago), the Parson Red Heads’ eight-song set was one of the more joyful concert experiences I’ve had in a long time. The band, whose members performed clothed in white (tinged with red), knows that there’s power in numbers: with a total of ten musicians onstage, their sunny sixties psych rock was not only being played to but shared with the audience, whose members willingly gave themselves over to the Parson Red Heads’ sense of family, community, and wonderful musicianship. It was a show that felt full of love in more ways than one, an aesthetic that, in retrospect, makes a lot of other live bands feel distant and cold. This band is something special and, along with Bodies of Water, they deserve the attention of the Los Angeles music scene more than any other group right now.


The Parson Red Heads’ frontman and chief songwriter, Evan Way. He can’t be taller than five foot nine, but you’d never know it from the quiet confidence he exudes.


Jason Wrightman, Erin Way, and Aaron Ballard. I swear that, between Jason and Erin, there has never been such whole-hearted tambourine-slapping in a live performance. Ever.


Dane Garrard and Evan Way. GUITAR SOLO.


Aaron Ballard playing harmonica (which goes nicely with his vest-bandana ensemble).



Download:
The Parson Red Heads - Punctual As Usual [mp3]
The Parson Red Heads - Full Moon [mp3]

- Dominick Duhamel -