The 2nd Night of the OC Music Awards Best Live Band Showcase was held at the Gypsy Lounge in Lake Forest. The Gypsy Lounge is a long-standing venue in South County and a classic stop for the OCMA’s showcases.
Like every night of the showcase, a KROQ personality hosted the show. On this particular night, it was Beer Mug who introduced all the bands. Additionally, supporters and endorsers of the OCMAs that showed up were Pop Chips, Bud Light, and Wahoo’s. Pop Chips were free, Bud Light cans were cheap, and the first 50 tacos at Wahoo’s were also free, or otherwise cheap!
Snacks and drinks aside, the bands featured were the Gromble, Strange Birds, May McDonough, Kiev, and California Condors. What I found to be the most interesting feature of all the bands was how they all had jazzy grooves in their music.
photo by Angela Joy Dietz
The Gromble had a huge turnout that filled the Gypsy Lounge from front to back. They began their set with words reminiscent of Scott Pilgrim: “We are the Gromble. We are going to destroy you.”
A 5 piece band, the Gromble really did destroy the crowd… figuratively. I saw so many people dancing to their music, which really has a 1950s rock sound. It also could have been because everyone was dressed in plaid. Either way, the crowd loved the Gromble. And I loved the use of brass instruments including the trumpet, trombone, and saxophone, which really brought out their jazz element.
The Strange Birds came next, and their vocals were fantastic. The voices of Aidin Sadeghi and Bret Leinen have deeper voices that sing in chorus and unison. They don’t harmonize, but their voices on the same melody amplify the sound and quality. It’s a pretty fantastic effect that you have to hear. Bret Leinen drops down some impressive bass lines that enhance the band’s wispiness. Wispiness in their scenario can be best described as the ability to hear their music being played over the speakers in a hotel lounge.
May McDonough played after Strange Birds. My two favorite things about this band are the fact that they have a female drummer (made me think more of Scott Pilgrim) and their folk-style use of random materials for instruments. They incorporated a wash bin, a metal post, and a bicycle. Yes, a bicycle. The bicycle was used to create the background sound with its chain running against an object to create a rhythmic metal creak similar to the cash registers in Money by Pink Floyd. The slower rhythm and drawn vocals actually makes May McDonough’s music seem like they could be found playing in a hotel lounge minus the bicycle chain. And they also had a trumpet.
After May McDonough, Kiev rocked out on stage. Kiev is also a five piece band that incorporates a brass instrument: another saxophone. The most interesting part about Kiev is their discordant and disharmonious clashing sounds. You can hear the piano being played slightly off key in minor purposefully to the rest of the band’s music. They’re focused as much on the counter balance of clashing sounds as they are on the fact that it balances and works. They have a Radiohead feel to them, but truly, Kiev is something that stands out.
Last but not least came the 3 piece outfit known as the California Condors. What strikes me the most is that they remind me of the Eagles in Hotel California, but when their voices sing in unison, they sound very much like Simon and Garfunkel. To me, they would be some hybrid Psychedelic Folk, which suits them well. It’s a unique sound that works.
The five bands put on fantastic sets, and no matter who makes it to the showcase, OCMM looks forward to seeing them more in the future.
Next showcase is the Best Live Acoustic at the Lab on January 25th. The next Best Live Band is at the Tiki Bar on February 1st.
