Right from the start, with a backing band ready to support, Bedingfield kept the energy high, encouraging audience participation, and even jumped into the tightly packed crowd several times. Blending melodic pop and at other times traces of funk, he tackled a wide range of musical styles and techniques, proving the Hotel Cafe is capable of hosting a boisterous show every once and awhile. Photos by Leslie Kalohi

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“All I want in life’s a little bit of love to take the pain away.”

“Save your little soul
The music that you played so hard
On your radio
All your dreams and diamond rings
And all that rock and roll can bring you
So long, so long”

Photos by Debi Del Grande

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The recent addition of Brown Bird as openers struck just the right chord. Brown Bird is a two-piece ensemble consisting of Dave Lamb on guitar, banjo and percussion and MorganEve Swain on violin, viola, cello, and upright bass. Both perform vocal duties and play off each other like a well oiled ’65 Chevy. The range of stylistic interpretation from both musicians created a genre-bending sound consisting of elements from folk, country, roots rock and even a few songs featuring textures weaved from modal melody and exotic Eastern European scales. A flawless fit for warmup duties they delivered pitch-perfect. Photos by J. Wise
Trampled By Turtles:

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London-based The Boxer Rebellion must have felt right at home at The El Rey Theatre with its largest crowd in the States yet. The band wrapped up its tour by playing some new tunes, many from The Cold Still, and a cover of Depeche Mode’s “Enjoy The Silence.” How is this band not signed? Nashville’s Canon Blue opened. Photos by Debi Del Grande

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Craft Spells/Part Time:

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Waterhouse has been on this planet for a mere 25 years but his homage to vintage soul feels like that of a lively octogenarian. He has gone the fully monty with his tribute that feels mostly authentic, even coming from a Southern California white boy. That said, Waterhouse may at times be a little stiff (this writer chalks it up to humility) and seems to not quite fit into his tailored suit.

Surrounded by a packed stage, any lack of rock lawlessness, however, was salvaged by the nine fun-times having band members, especially Waterhouse’ female back-up vocalists, who shimmied and shook the vibes till they all got loose.

Waterhouse and gang hit their stride on “Some Place,” from the May 1, 2012, Innovative Leisure release, Times All Gone. The packed venue rumbled with bouncing heads and adulation. Couples in plaid made space to dance to the final moments of the crooner’s set, where he took a brief, humble bow and snuck off back stage. The show’s last quarter was its peak where Waterhouse and crew had just gained momentum.

—Angel Baker

official video “Some Place”

OFF!’s record release party at the historic Whisky A Go Go could not have been better placed. Frontman Keith Morris’ (initially of Black Flag and Circle Jerks fame) uncle-like story telling of shows he saw in the ’70s, and times he got drunk with other hardcore legends and rolled dumpsters down hills, fit perfectly in the packed house of early punk rock. The venue is a home to history and where history this night was made.

Following Morris’ brief opening remarks, OFF! unleashed an all out frenzy. Old school punk was resurrected. Faces smiled ear to ear before some went nuts in the pit or floated to get a closer glimpse or a high five from one of the guys on stage. Dudes in hoodies hollered “Mario Speedwagon!” to drummer, Mario Rubalcaba, and “PUNK ROCK!” to anyone who would listen, getting laughs from the band, whose 17 songs melted faces.

In response to the adulation, Morris joked, “Do you really consider us a punk rock band? I’m just a member of the human race, and I’m really pissed off. Can’t a guy just play really hardcore fast paced-music?” Naturally, the predominantly all dude audience proclaimed, “YES!” and OFF! was back at it with more loud, hardcore, punk rock.

The 40 minute set included four new songs from the Vice Records May 8, 2012, release, and at least one broken nose from a nasty spill in the pit. Writer plea: Do NOT miss a live OFF! show if you can help it.

—Angel Baker

Official Video for  “Wiped Out”

Openers Turbo Fruits, which is ex-Be Your Own Pet’s guitarist-now-frontman Jonas Stein, rocked fast and heavy. The song “Mama’s Mad Cos I Fried My Brain” from the band’s first 7-inch had every member and some of the crowd belting out the “whoa-oh-oh” chorus that steadily brought more people to the front, interested in the four-piece from Nashville.

Proud residents of the state of Rhode Island, Deer Tick started its set with a few tracks off its newest album Divine Providence.

Deer Tick’s sound comes from a vast array of influences and as each member of the band took a turn singing, different musical genres were introduced—if only for a song. On “Main Street,” which is a slow blast of alt-country, blues and rock ‘n’ roll, you can almost see the Black Lips lighting the fuse to that song, mischievously hiding in the wings of the theater.

After a song with a gratuitous saxophone solo, main Tick John McCauley slowed down the evening with a few solo acoustic songs, including a cover of Warren Zevon’s “Carmelita” sung in the key of Dwight Yokam. It’s a song that would make Elliot Smith cry, about a man strung out on heroin in Echo Park.

Next, Deer Tick kicked-it by bringing the Turbo Fruits onstage for “(You Gotta) Fight for your Right (To Party),” a tribute to MCA, who passed away Friday. In a gesture of hip-hop solidarity, he even poured out some beer on the stage.

As the crowd’s cheers increased, Deer Tick reciprocated with its single “Miss K” and then a fairly standard yet timely rendition of “La Bamba.” Last but not least the band played a Dropkick Murphys-esque anthem, “Let’s All Go to the Bar,” which brought the members of Turbo Fruits back onstage with a bottle of whiskey. It was time to party.

—Dan Shapiro