For a band that regularly tours nationally like The Airborne Toxic Event, being back on home turf provides an extra spark. Barely one song into the popular Los Angeles quintet’s exhilarating 95-minute set at the Greek Theatre, leader Mikel Jollett exclaimed, “Isn’t it great to be alive?!”
Indeed,
the swelling alt-rock music, elevated by Anna Bulbrook’s violin and
Steven Chen’s inventive guitar work (not to mention their keyboard
tradeoffs), frequently provides a sense of grandeur a la early
Arcade Fire. Those elements have helped TATE rack up a half dozen
modern rock radio hits since ’08 and appearances at Coachella and KROQ
festivals.
Thursday
night, the musicians had friends and loved ones in tow. Chen even
brought his dog along (!) and was seen trotting the animal through the
VIP section.
Tellingly,
the pre-show music included Queen & David Bowie’s “Under Pressure.”
Hearing an a capella version of the 1981 pop hit inspired Jollett to
step up his musical game on upcoming fourth album “Dope
Machines.” The self-produced effort, which the front man recently
described as “the weirdest we’ve ever made,” is due in 2015 on Epic
Records.
Fans
got a taste via the enticing, danceable first single “Wrong,” featuring
electronic drums and percolating synth lines. Onstage, Jollett
dismissed initial public reactions questioning whether TATE was
still a rock band.
He
introduced “California,” another promising new track, by sharing how
when they go around the country and people find out the band is from LA,
he often gets asked about movie stars.
Featuring a beautiful
Bulbrook violin intro, echoed drums and group backing vocals, the tune
found Jollett singing, “we’re all stuck in the same scene/all nightmares
and daydreams” and dancing “in the glow of the Hollywood Freeway
light.”
With
a large white eagle perched behind the instruments, an obviously happy
Jollett initially walked out for “All At Once” hoisting a wine glass and
later expressed disbelief about playing the Greek. The
band immediately got the crowd excited with the jaunty “Gasoline” and
stomping “Changing.”
Much
of the 19-song set was culled from the group’s eponymous 2009 debut CD.
New bassist Adrian Rodriguez acquitted himself well live (he replaced
founding member/co-songwriter Noah Harmon, who was fired
earlier this year for unspecified reasons). Despite the band’s concert
cancellation in Rhode Island a few weeks ago due to Jollett’s laryngitis, there were no problems in LA.
Sporting fuzzy guitars, Moog and
gang vocals, “Hell & Back” (from the “Dallas Buyer’s Club”
soundtrack) was a standout. Jollett interacted with his bandmates
several times and made plenty of connections
with fans standing in front by leaning or jumping into the crowd.
Bulbrook got into the action with a brief bit of crowd surfing.
Before the searing rocker “Wishing
Well,” he reminisced about writing it “just down the hill on Vermont
Avenue. The neighbors used to yell at me because I played it all day
long. It’s the first song we
played as a band at The Echo” down the way. Elsewhere, big hit “Sometime Around Midnight” was regal as ever and Bulbrook’s violin playing got a welcome spotlight
on the frenzied “All I Ever Wanted.”
Come
encore time, a captivating stripped down segment included “The
Graveyard Near the House” (off 2011’s excellent “All at Once”) and the
waltz-like “Elizabeth,” charming “Bride
& Groom” (about Jollett’s parents). All contained a lovely
male/female vocal blend.
Then
the band pulled out all the stops for the frenetic “Does This Mean
You’re Moving On” and epic closer “Missy” as an ever-gracious Jollett
talked about dreams coming true. They segued into frequently
played covers of The Cure’s “Boys Don’t Cry” (the melody sounded
amazing on violin) and Bruce Springsteen’s “I’m on Fire” before circling
back to the main tune.
Opening the concert was Twin
Shadow, led by George Lewis Jr. Clad in a black leather jacket (sans
shirt) and bike shorts on a chilly evening, the singer/guitarist’s
smoldering chillwave and indie rock
sounds went over well with the crowd.
An especially loud cheering section
yelled “we came for you.” Taking advantage of a generous 55-minute
stage allotment, the Dominican Republic-born Lewis previewed several new
songs from his forthcoming
third album. The set highlight was a soulful “Run My Heart” from 2012’s
“Confess,” where Lewis added a few lines of Sade’s “No Ordinary Love.”
The Airborne Toxic Event
Setlist:
All at Once/Gasoline/Changing/Happiness is Overrated/Something New/Hell
& Back/California/What’s in a Name/Safe/Numb/Wishing
Well/Wrong/Sometime Around Midnight/All I Ever
Wanted
Encore:
The Graveyard Near the House/Elizabeth/Bride & Groom/Does This Mean
You’re Moving On/Missy>Boys Don’t Cry (The Cure)>I’m on Fire
(Bruce Springsteen)
Photos by Drew A. Kelley
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