Every so often we’re blessed with a kick-ass triple bill where we’d go see all three bands on their own. Friday night at Spaceland was one of those magical nights with Helio Sequence taking headlining duties behind The Can’t See and The King of France.
I realized as I was driving to LA that I had yet to give away ice cream at Spaceland. Since this was a sold-out show I made sure I arrived early so I could get a good parking spot for Bessy, plus I didn’t want to miss The King of France. After a little door snafu, Timothy and I slipped in and quenched our thirst with some PBR. The place filled up quick as The King of France took the stage for their LA debut. For an opening band, the crowd was extremely responsive to their quirky, keyboard laced pop songs. I couldn’t believe the response. It was deserved but it’s pretty rare in LA. I had listened to their tracks on Myspace (yes, it’s a great source for music) and when they burst into “The Beast” I swear it felt like a song I had known for years. Be sure to check ’em out when they come back to town Feb 22nd at The Fonda. It could be the next triple with Nada Surf and Rogue Wave filling out the bill.
Next up was The Can’t See from Seattle. I was jazzed to see them because the band was fronted by John Atkins from The Magic Magicians and 764-hero. It didn’t take long for his trademark sound to come ringing through, which propelled me into bouncing and singing along to songs I had never heard. “Sad Version” was catchy as could be and the same was true for “Fall in Love Suffer and Die”. The only reason I know the titles is because they were selling their LP for a whopping ten bucks (and it came with a CD too)! I’d tell you to pick one up but since they only pressed 300 I reckon they’ll be tough to find.
With the place packed and filling up the dance floor, the two-piece explosion known as The Helio Sequence came out swinging. As much as I’m against playing to tracks, they do a better job of it than anyone else I can think of. I had seen them a couple years ago when they opened for the Pixies but only actually caught the last song of their set. Had I known they were playing the second night of that stint, I would have shown up on time. It’s great to see a band make it on their own terms. As much as two piece bands are becoming more common, most of those bands have strong roots in garage rock where as The Helio Sequence has more roots in pscychedelic and space rock and electronica. I had been listening to their live set on KCRW and watching the video for “Don’t Look Away.” As the started into it towards the end of their set, I regretfully made my way to the door. I wasn’t ready to leave, but needed pole position so I could get to Bessy and sling some cream afterwards. Thus is the life I have chosen, this is my curse. Haha. Once again, another beautiful night in Los Angeles.
