Los Angeles was on fire.  Smoke rose from beyond the downtown skyline as I drove to the El Rey. Helicopters sliced through the air—this was clearly the apocalypse but nobody on Wilshire Blvd seemed to know it. I quietly repeated to myself, “No fate but what we make.” Inside the theater it was no different. A girl stood with her camera pointed directly up at one of the chandeliers for a few minutes, trying to get the perfect shot. A security guard told some kids to get behind a black line on the floor to keep the fire lane clear. These people were completely unaware the chaos that was just outside. As Tall As Lions were opening the show and I suspected most of the people in attendance were not there to see them as I looked around at the sea of Rx Bandits and Dredg T-shirts. The lights dimmed and there was movement behind the stage curtains. Cue the reveal and As Tall As Lions launched into their first song, one that slowly simmered with a strong drum and bass core while the other instruments and vocals were added in layers. By mid-song the fire was crackling as the 6 musicians on stage mixed a boiling soup of sonic apogee with strength that was best measured by the deafening silence in its absence. Silence quickly broken with applause, a sign of approval from a crowd who was now intrigued by the blaze that had suddenly erupted before them. Six people always seemed like an unnecessary number for a band but As Tall As Lions carried their weight well. The instruments were more like choir members than soloists. Which is not to say they could not stand out. The lead singer was consistently able to lift out of the mix, his vocals rising and permeating like a thick smoke. His neck strained to hit some of the notes but his voice never faltered. After a song he stopped for a second to catch his breath, the fire was getting to him too. All the while, the crowd stared. Not so much watching the band, but feeling the heat radiating from on stage. When it was over they cheered and applauded, I think pleasantly surprised that their ears had been singed before they expected flames at all.

—Steven Martinez