A Tuesday Night at The Silverlake Lounge with Armada (21 July)
With a post ten start time on a Tuesday night, you're not going to get much of a crowd, especially with a band who does not seem to be known amongst the usual suspects in Silverlake. Oddly, Armada was the only band scheduled for the night, so at least the sound check wasn't be a problem. They start with the core reliable track: Great Spectacular and get their feel for the small stage as they transition seamlessly into People. As always, Core sets the pace superbly with precision drumming leaving the energetic atmosphere to bassist Jeremy Gruber and Cody Page. The band stay tight as they go through a new song, a keyboard infused rock out. Once they pull Beautiful Heat off with aplomb, Page and Gruber relax, joke about the massive amount of sweat produced in a tiny bar with no ventilation, and lay into The Sprinter, a fast-paced, non-stop attack on the senses.
Starting with Possibilities, a slow jazzy love song, Armada moves into their bluesy sound. The rest of the show sticks in this vein, and its only with the foot-stomping grit of Up, Out that you notice Page's subtle cowboy boots. The song, apparently inspired by a Jack Kerouac novel dwells in insanity, escape, and a homey, southern feel. Next up is the gratuitous ballad every rock group needs, a slow keyboard enhanced I Love You with appropriately muffled warbling vocals. America For Sleeves bends the boundaries of the "bluesy room" and gets the place back to a rocking energy with Core, drenched in sweat, pounding away at the drums. For the finale, Cody Page invites the audience to the front for some slam dancing fun, and starts with a slide for that energetically grating sound. He hops off the tiny stage/platform and plays at the furthest reach of his amp cable, gearing up the song: Renaissance. Back on stage to sing, Gruber and Page jump around the stage narrowly missing each other with their instruments as they rock out the final song, sending us home happy.
Starting with Possibilities, a slow jazzy love song, Armada moves into their bluesy sound. The rest of the show sticks in this vein, and its only with the foot-stomping grit of Up, Out that you notice Page's subtle cowboy boots. The song, apparently inspired by a Jack Kerouac novel dwells in insanity, escape, and a homey, southern feel. Next up is the gratuitous ballad every rock group needs, a slow keyboard enhanced I Love You with appropriately muffled warbling vocals. America For Sleeves bends the boundaries of the "bluesy room" and gets the place back to a rocking energy with Core, drenched in sweat, pounding away at the drums. For the finale, Cody Page invites the audience to the front for some slam dancing fun, and starts with a slide for that energetically grating sound. He hops off the tiny stage/platform and plays at the furthest reach of his amp cable, gearing up the song: Renaissance. Back on stage to sing, Gruber and Page jump around the stage narrowly missing each other with their instruments as they rock out the final song, sending us home happy.