The Hype: Trifecta Tuesday nights at the Crosby featuring LA's Pearl Harbor (profiled here and in current
The Show: Who says an electronic sampler has no soul? Pearl Harbor's multiple layers of guitars, synthesizers and drums were triggered by Piper–first names only for all three band members–who gently swayed in time with the music before adding her heavily reverb-drenched vocals to the mix for the striking number “M.L.O.” Skyler (guitar) was dwarfed by her Fender Squier guitar but produced a gigantic sound of gently-bleeding-together notes. After impressing with his guitar skills in Animal Style, Cody pulled double duty by effortlessly anchoring the bass lines for Pearl Harbor.
Last Night: Pearl Harbor at the Crosby
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Pearl Harbor payed homage to some of their eclectic influences by covering “I've Got Some Happiness” by San Francisco cult musician Leland. “Lost At Sea” sounded exactly like you imagine it would with its watery guitars blissfully mixed with undulating vocals. “California Shakedown,” with its woozy chorus, ruminates in your head long after you hear the final note. Had it been on my MP3 player, I would have definitely hit the repeat button.
While I don't expect a Hollywood Bowl mix at the Crosby, it was slightly unnerving to see the sound man text on his phone while Piper and her microphone wrestled with feedback. I have to give credit to the bands as I doubt they could even hear themselves play–let alone their bandmates. I only wish that Pearl Harbor had their new EP Something About Chaparrals for sale to reward them for making the trek out to Santa Ana. Its gotta be hard to make any money when you play a free show.
When I first walked into the Crosby slightly after 9 p.m., Pearl Harbor had just finished soundchecking, leading me to believe it may be an early night. After a few drinks and as many hours, opener Animal Style finally emerged ready to unleash their noise waves over the smallish but eager crowd. The singer/bassist–first name Cisco–noted the irony of playing Trifecta Tuesday as it was their third show ever. Armed with the caveat that they were a relatively unexperienced band, Animal Style fared well, given the circumstances. They blasted through a handful of tunes that had elements of everything from Stone Roses to Dinosaur Jr. to No Age.
Animal Style did have a few false starts and the theme of a trifecta was present again when they finally kicked off the song on the third time. Unfortunately, it seemed to fluster Cisco who decided to wrap up their set after a few songs. I still gotta give Animal Style credit as they list Teenage Fanclub in the influence department. Hang in there and you'll be fine.
The Crowd: It was a typical night at the Crosby. Lots of Pabst Blue Ribbon cans scattered throughout the bar indicating everyone was lubricated and ready to rock. Winter jackets were also a mainstay as my temperature gauge in the car noted it was a brisk fifty four degrees.
Overheard: One guy telling his friend, “Hey man, I'm gonna smoke some weed. Wanna roll?”. I guess its high time somewhere in the world.
