Mini Mansions, Here We Go Magic, White Rabbits concert review

April 20th @ The Urban Lounge

Rarely does a concert with three bands appear to have such a definite theme as this one. While each bands makes very different music the common thread was the use of stand-up drummers.

Pounding away on a double floor tom, cymbal combination Michael Shuman and his band Mini Mansions were the un-announced opening-opening band. Not knowing what to expect these guys took the stage and proceeded to play five or six numbers. There songs really floored me in their sophistication. This LA band takes its music quite seriously. Surely these guys are going to get bigger. Afterwards I talked with Michael about the set and the LA indie rock scene. It appears that we have a mutual acquaintance in the band Red Arrow Messengers whose show at the Phoenix Gallery in Park City was a venue I DJed at during Sundance.

Before their set, Luke Temple, obviously not partial to green room apartheid was walking about the venue with a frosty beer enjoying the opening band. I briefly discussed his Here We Go Magic project's first album with him. Truly one of my favorite 2009 albums, the opener Only Pieces didn't disappoint.

At about 10:30, Here We Go Magic took the stage with Pete, the rather tall drummer, Luke Temple out front and a keyboardist, back-up guitarist and bassist. Additionally on percussion was Matt Clark, who kept the night going with it percussion theme.

Indeed Here We Go Magic lives up to its reputation as a live act. While their sound on the album wouldn't appear to neatly translate to the stage, the opposite is true. These guys brought such fresh exuberance to their show that the audience couldn't help but be into it. Indeed Here We Go Magic did something I hadn't seen in some time and did it quite succesfully I might add, and that thing is jam. Most of their songs have sort of hypnotizing vamp somewhere in whether it is the the slow chant of "Only Pieces" where the highlight was two members of White Rabbits plus Shuman from Mini-Mansions on percussion adding a dynamic tribal thunder, or "Collector" the single from their upcoming album, Pigeons, which has a krautrock-esque pulse. By the time they closed with "Tunnelvision" everyone was craving their stuff. The venue which had been relatively empty for Mini Mansions was no semi-full and wouldn't only get more full as it approached sold-out capacity for White Rabbits.

Having heard their new album It's Frightening, I must admit I had low expectations from these guys. The album on first listen came across as sort of derivative, especially considering the Britt Daniel production duties. However, with percussionist Matt Clark leading the energy along with his fellow well-dressed comrades, I was pleasantly surprised. Openly with the opener off of their first album "For Nightly" these guys for one thing know how to write a setlist. Each preceeding tune felt like exactly what needed to be played. The band, a six-member affair, wastes no time between songs and played an intense set with no breaks until about one in the morning. At which point it was time for the dark and windy drive back up the canyon from SLC to Park City.