Local Natives at the Silverlake Lounge

Whoever booked the Silverlake lounge for the Local Natives residency probably should get a raise. I haven't seen the Silverlake lounge this packed since the Silversun Pickups secret show. The Local Natives have the deck stacked in their favor as their residency is being presented by KROQ Locals Only, Buzz Bands, Metromix LA, Citizen LA and the Fold.

The Meeting Places



The Meeting Places really impressed me when I saw them with Film School and The Pity Party back in August of 2008 at Spaceland. Those who didn't make it to the Silverlake lounge on time missed another stellar set by The Meeting Places.

Laura Llamas (Keyboards/Vocals) is the latest addition to the band. Laura's sparkling background vocals underneath floating keyboard lines expands their already dense sound. "Love Like The Movies" and "On Our Own" were some of the many stand out tracks along with the debut of a few new songs.

"Millions" had Arthur Chan (Bass) tapping the fretboard of his bass for a hypnotic groove accompanied by the noise washes of Scott Mcdonald (Guitars) and Chase Harris (Vocals/Guitars). Hopefully, they can get a residency around town to help expand their fanbase.

Dusty Rhodes and The River Band



I was unaware that Dusty Rhodes and the River Band had such an enthusiastic following. Silverlake Lounge was bursting at the seams by the time they setup the stage. Dusty Rhodes and the River Band are signed to Side One Dummy records and I unfortunately missed them awhile back when they played at the Orange County Museum of Art Orange Crush concert series.

Dusty Rhodes and The River Band played an inspired set pulling from such genres as southern rock, folk and Americana. I can only draw a comparison to a car collision between The Hold Steady, Arcade Fire and Ra Ra Riot. After Dustin Apocada pulled out the accordion, all bets were off. Dustin Apodaca (Vocals) wasn't the only one singing vocals as Edson Choi (Guitars/Vocals) and Kyle Divine (Guitars/Vocals) took their own turn at the microphone.

It should be noted the Ikey Owens from the Mars Volta produced their first album. This is brought up in relation to when Dusty tore into his keyboard for a mini-prog rock solo that reminded me of Europe's "Final Countdown" during one of their songs. Dusty mentioned they were working on their second album. It was good to see The Local Natives bringing some bands based in Orange County to the east side.

Local Natives




I have to admit it was nice to see the Local Natives play to a full Silverlake lounge. Local Natives have long been on my radar when I previously caught their prior incarnation as Cavil at Rest back in November 2007 with The Airborne Toxic Event and Castledoor on a free Monday night residency at the Detroit Bar.

While The Airborne Toxic Event have enjoyed a huge leap into the national scene by selling out the Henry Fonda, I wouldn't be surprised to see The Local Natives follow the same upward trajectory. While I was originally impressed with the work as Cavil At Rest, The Local Natives have honed their sound and reformulated their sharp tunes.

One thing that immediately grabs your attention about the Local Natives is the fact that Taylor Rice (Vocals/Guitars), Kelcey Ayer (Vocals/Keyboards) and Ryan Hahn (Vocals/Guitars) all could be lead singers in their own right. They strategically harmonize and alternate their vocal parts into a singing juggernaut. It is a gutsy move to cover Talking Heads, but The Local Natives pulled it off flawlessly with their cover of "Warning Sign". The Local Natives have a few more dates left at the Silverlake Lounge and I recommend you get there early for a good spot.