The folks over at Spaceland lined this one up good and proper for a Monday night. Viva K was the resident but the
Editors were a good chunk of the reason the house was full. This was another one of those English invasion buzz band nights that brings ’em from all reaches of the land. The line up on Silverlake Blvd. at 7:30 PM in front of the club was all the conformation I needed to see that this was going to be another fun one (I later heard some were there at 2:30 PM).
After about 45 minutes of waiting outside, I found myself in a decent spot near the stage as the room steadily filled toward capacity. Without question, this night was Editors’ for the taking with the crowd eagerly awaiting their presence on the stage. As openers Minutes til Midnight started things up, a member from the audience shouted for a “10 minute set!” as though an indicator and reminder of whom they were there to see (not them). With the stage mostly dark throughout the set, outside of a few strobe lights and colored floor set-ups, the band dug into their atmospheric rock sound with a sense of mystique and disregard for the jeers pitched their way just moments prior. With a familiar face from the Warlocks behind the drum kit they rocked it live. I think many were surprised with the sound. Check out their myspace page for more.
Next on stage, Editors brought the four piece in bang-up style worthy of all you’ve heard and maybe more. The live show toes the line that is “control.” Brilliant indeed. Had it been Ian Curtis up there, rest his soul, he wouldn’t have been able to handle the flash bulbs for the excitement surging. I must admit, I fired 5 or 7 too many myself, but I did also manage to squeeze a few nice ones off without flash. It’s all about timing. Look for Editors at a big venue in the California Desert this April. What do I know? I’m only half English.
To close out the night Viva K melted into their set with that lush, rockin’ sound that’s all their own. I especially enjoyed when they brought the sitar out (I think that’s what it was). This being the first night of the residency I was able to get to, I was pleased to see what they were doing with the lighting. The projections created both a great backdrop as well as some interesting silhouettes, while the side lighting added a simple dramatic touch to the evening. Don’t be fooled, Viva K rocks just like they like to. Listen to their performance on KCRW here.
Peace.
