Silversun Pickups at the Wiltern Theatre

The Silversun Pickups have had a spectacular year. They opened for the Foo Fighters and Nine Inch Nails in Ireland and made high profile appearances on late night television. It is fitting that they played to a packed house at the Wiltern on Saturday night. I remember when they played a sold out show at the Echo and Brian Aubert (Vocals/Guitars) had a certain look of disbelief when he appeared on stage. I saw this look of awe again when the Silversun Pickups came out to a large ovation.


The Silversun Pickups have been supporters of the local music scene and had the Happy Hollows from Los Angeles open the show with their spastic uptempo pop rocks influenced indie rock. Sarah Negadari (Vocals/Guitar) was ferocious onstage. When she wasn't two handed tapping on her guitar like Eddie Van Halen, she was running into the drum set and commanding your attention. Charlie M. (Bass/Vocals) was handling the bass lines but also managed to work out some synthesizer action on his Alesis Ion. Some audible influences include the unhinged moments of Sonic Youth, Pixies songwriting dynamics and a smidge of Pavement angular guitars. I am regretting missing their recent residency at the Echo.


I think I have seen Midnight Movies about five times this year. The Midnight Movies opened for The Silversun Pickups before last year at the Troubadour and it was nice to see that the Silversun Pickups offer them the opening slot again. The Midnight Movies are still touring behind their album "Lion The Girl" and seemed very comfortable on the Wiltern stage as it gave them the space to recreate their psychedelic headphone mandatory tapestries. Gena Olivier (Vocals/Keyboards/Drums/Guitars) hit up almost every instrument on the stage and pulled it off without a hitch. Larry Schemel (Guitars) must have had smoke coming from his Fender Telecaster Deluxe when he did the guitar solo. Ryan Wood (Guitars/Keyboards) had his mysteriously blue box theremin working overtime during the beginning of "Patient Eye". I need to find a picture of his mini noise making box. The crowd received them well and they will be playing a free show at Hollywood and Highland on November 3rd.









The Silversun Pickups were beaming when they hit the stage. I have been to the Wiltern many times and would say that this was the most intimate show of the year. Brian Aubert (Guitars/Vocals) had his Epiphone Hollowbody guitar ready to go as he strummed the opening chords of "Melatonin". I have mentioned it in prior write ups but will reiterate that his guitar tone is in the upper tier of guitar players. Brian's guitar tones are widened with the atmospheric overtones of Joe Lester's keyboard work and Nikki Monniger's bitting Gibson Thunderbird bass lines. Christopher Guanlao (Drums) was hitting his drums so hard that his super hi-hat cymbal fell over during the show. Paul Wilson (Snow Patrol) came out to add some extra fuzz on "Lazy Eye" and "Common Reactor". Brian was pacing the stage and seemed right at home as he would occasionally recognize people in the pit below. The Silversun Pickups played all of their phenomenal debut album "Carnavas" and reached back to their "Pikul" ep for an extended rousing encore. They ended their set a cover of The Movies "Creation Lake" that features Nikki's sweet vocals. They left the stage giving high fives to the audience members in the pit making it a night to remember for all those in attendance.

Silversun Pickups setlist at the Wiltern theatre (10/20/07)
"Melatonin"
"Well Thought Out Twinkles"
"Dream At Tempo 119"
"Rusted Wheel"
"Waste It On"
"Little Lover's So Polite"
"Future Foe Scenarios"
"Kissing Families"
"Three Seed"
"Lazy Eye"
"Common Reactor"
"All The Go Inbetweens"
"Checkered Floors"
"Comeback Kid"
"Creation Lake"