Words by Carolyn Neuhausen and Carlos A. View the entire photo album here (will open new window)!
It’s August 21st, somewhere between Newport Beach and the Sunset Strip’s Viper Room, when a voice from the back screams, “The beer is in the other bus!”
Two crowded buses depart and the one I’m in is set to complete this 2-hour drive completely sober. But that’s not going to happen. Immediately, everyone in Bus One starts calling everyone they know in Bus Two. The lines jam and the static peaks but all for a good cause.
“Pull over! We have no drinks!”
After both buses pull to the side of the freeway and the drinks are returned, we set en route to see Adam’s Attic deliver us to climax.
The kind of fans Adam’s Attic has screaming their songs is loyal, attractive, and will go that extra 50 miles to be there—and they bring friends. At the door, the local fans wait in line with us. They become friends too.
A large crowd of dedicated fans fills the intimate black interior of LA’s Viper Room, eagerly anticipating the power pop/ rock sound that characterizes Adam’s Attic, the night’s headliner.
The venue conjures up images of wild parties, rocking music, and Hollywood, and though it will always be associated with the untimely death of actor River Phoenix, the Viper Room is also a club that’s seen both emerging and established musicians. Tonight, the club’s rich history serves to color the atmosphere as fans dance to DJ’d music, meet the band briefly for photos, and continue their bus conversations.
Finally, the curtains open and Adam’s Attic deftly plummets into their fast paced song “Waiting.”
All of that band practice has paid off. Everything about Adam’s Attic sounds professional; from the confident and assured stage presence of lead singer Joe Henry to the perfectly synchronized sound they produce, the group excels at making the difficult task of creating a cohesive sound seem easy.
While they play the small stage at the famed music club, two things about the band stand out: the meaningful lyrics attached to their songs and the beautiful and majorly powerful guitar work they produce.
In their first song, Adam’s Attic guitarists Frank DeSalvo and Keith Frey strum rhythmically on their guitars, slowly building up the strength of the guitar line with a crescendo into the first lines of “Waiting.” Joe Henry’s voice cuts through, all power, as the band moves onto melodically harder stuff.
Songs like “Waiting” and “Where is Love” are filled with lyrics that describe times of sadness, hope, and change.
“Man, have you all been keeping up with the craziness in the Gulf?” asks front man Joe, referring to the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, right off the shores of Louisiana, and where the band originated.
“We’ve written a song called ‘Where is Love’ about our home town,” Henry says.
With an opening riff reminiscent of U2, the song starts with a sense of fragility, but progresses with more strength, aided by Henry’s steady solid voice.
Adam’s Attic started in New Orleans, where they played clubs and gained local notoriety, opening for Lifehouse at the House of Blues New Orleans. Radio station 104.1: The Rock of New Orleans also played “Waiting” from the band’s 2008 independent release Skylines and City Lights.
And then the storm came. Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast, and ruined almost everything the band members had, save for their musical gear. Local clubs and music venues were shut down, leaving Adam’s Attic with no place to play. The band decided to take a chance and move from their home to Los Angeles, and since they’ve moved, they’ve been making waves here, both on radio and in the clubs.
They play a short set, punctuated with fast paced, strong songs, and the band never looks tired, but rather full of energy. The night culminates in a great finale when Joe Henry asks, “Do y’all believe in a thing called love?”
Adam’s Attic’s cover of The Darkness song “I Believe in a Thing Called Love” is pitch perfect; Henry’s voice is well suited to the song and the stream of guitar waves. The energy persists even after the band walks offstage, their audience carrying the lingering reverb long after.
For the rest of the evening and in boarding the buses back to Newport Beach, one realizes the strange nature of following Addams Attic, partying in their bus; we are all lucky to hear their stories, while dancing, back to our hometown.
