Silverlake, California: The hilly refuge of the terminally hip where streets curve and intersections are marked by three way lights is, I think, designed specifically to make the barely-urban denizens of Greater Los Angeles feel ill-at-ease. I thought I might get lost just by turning on a sidestreet to find a parking spot. I thought my self-esteem might shatter when I eavesdropped on one conversation after another regarding Arcade Fire and realized that I don't really care about Arcade Fire in the same way that I never really cared one way or another about Elliott Smith or many other artists that received the indie hipster stamp of approval.
Silverlake reminds me of the snooty Catholic prep school I attended in 9th and 10th, where people are so intent upon being cool that good times are irrelevant. I transferred high schools for the same reason that I hate hanging out in Silverlake, I don't deal well with that sort of bullshit. All that said, I have two rules when traveling over the hill and to the east, never go alone and never stay long.
Last night, I broke one of those rules when my brother and I arrived at the club at 9:00 p.m., thinking that the band we were intent to see, The Mojo Filters, might play early. Actually, The Mojo Filters were scheduled to play last. When I related the information to Brother John, he glared at me. I glanced around the room and thought, "shit."
Fortunately for us, though, the caliber of last night's performances more than made up for the fact that we spent four hours in Silverlake. Brother John said that it was the best show he's seen this year. I think he was more than slightly relieved that none of the performances relied on pop culture references and cheesy onstage antics that are supposed to function as performance art.
The Slighted opened up the night with a set that had its moments, but fell shy of being noteworthy. The band boasts a singer with appropriately snotty punk vocals and a good stage presence that fit nicely with the slightly evil-surf vibe of the guitars. However, the songs were not concise and, at points, seemed to drag like chains on a Herse. The band was at its best towards the end of the set, when it opted to play shorter, Misfits-sounding numbers. The Slighted have a good dose of potential, but still seem a little green around the edges.
If an A&R rep from a major label happened to be inside Silverlake Lounge last night, my guess is that he/she would have signed The Oohlas on the spot. This band has serious crossover appeal-- good energy, a cool look that will still appeal to a more mainstream audience and songs that rock critics will describe as "infectious." While the set was enjoyable, it went on for a bit too long and featured a few too many songs that were not up to the level of the band's best work.
Something about The Prix led me to imagine quirky Southern bands. Maybe it was the guy with the top hat behind the keyboard. Maybe it was the boogie in the band's step or the interplay between the singers. Regardless, The Prix is one of the unhyped treasures of the Los Angeles music scene. If you happen to be at Warped Tour on Friday, check out this band on the E.I.Y. stage.
By night's end, I couldn't control my feet. It's all the fault of The Mojo Filters.
I heard that The Mojo Filters have played on an almost weekly basis for the past three years. It shows. Singer George knows how to work the microphone in a small venue, where guitars nearly always overpower vocals. The band's sound is tight, actually better live than on disc, and filled with the sort of soul I had previously only heard on mid-1960s rock records lifted from my parents' collection. This set was definitely worth the wait.