It’s always nice to see an eastside favorite like Parson Redheads playing on the Troubadour’s big stage—even though the lighting traditionally sucks ass and the sound mix isn’t much better. It’s interesting to see Eastie bands without their home crowd, since most Silverlakers can’t afford the Troubadour door cover, let alone their overpriced drinks. At least the place has ghosts. Parson Redheads filled the big stage like they’ve played it before, which is to be expected since they do a good share of touring throughout the year and they ARE a great live band. This was the first time I had seen them since they altered their lineup a bit, with three guitars, a slide, and four-vocal harmonies led by Evan Way. Aesthetically, the band misses Way’s sister keyboardist Erin (left to focus on acting) and her twisty tambourine playing, but musically they are still fun in the sun. The band played local favorites like “Got it All”—classic West Coast psychedelic pop that veers into jam land—and broke out some new numbers as well.

Robert Francis is currently L.A.’s singer-songwriter dujour. His recent residency shows attThe Echo brought out a bunch of Topanga stars for cameos, but his songs don’t yet register with me. He has charisma to spare and he always has great musicians backing him, but after seeing him two-and-a-half times, I still can’t give you a lyric or a melody. Don’t get me wrong, the audience was digging him, and he drew a strong crowd to the Troubadour for a Thursday, but he seems to be one of those John Mayer/Jack Johnson type guys that sell millions of records but are interchangeable. He’s only 20 though, so he’s still got plenty of time to grow into his music. I’ll give Francis another shot to win me over when he plays the Roxy in July.

—Scott Schultz

[ed. note: Photos coming soon...]