The Smell is a venue that looks like it sounds—a grimy, back alleyway hole-in-wall place in the middle of Downtown Los Angeles, not too far off from the infamous Skid Row. With its decaying red-brick walls, scrawled graffiti decor, and exposed cement flooring, it seems an appropriate setting for post-punk/grunge, but on Tuesday night I witnessed it host several bands performing interesting varieties of progressive rock.
Headliner Bouquet has a three-song EP showcasing a placid style of sparse, cavernous rock with upfront, haunting vocals. If they played any songs off that EP I was never quite sure; sometimes picking out unfamiliar songs can prove difficult, especially in their set, which was much more instrumentally oriented. There were bursts of propulsive rock, heavy guitar and percussion interludes, and even the all-consuming growl of an electronic dub-bass at point one. It translated as edging on experimental and at times disjointed, but when it all came together, it worked beautifully. Lead singer Carolyn Pennypacker Riggs, wearing wicked leggings and a moody black outfit, certainly had stage-presence, and her voice, when it wasn’t lost in the acoustics of the live setting, overcame with its ability to awe and allure.
Equally commendable were the openers. The trio-group Upside Down was an enthusiastic bunch. They performed a fun sort of rock that really shined when the lead singer’s voice swung up to higher notes and began to unleash something raw and powerful. But the band Tony was the exciting find of the evening. Instantly subdued by the sonic booms of their beat machine, I was lulled into their distorted world of drifting ambiances and bass-fueled shoegaze, and was reluctant to see them go. Overall a nice combination of bands and enjoyable evening—and as a side note I was pleased to find The Smell didn’t smell that bad afterall.
Editor’s note: Pop Press International has been greatly pleased with the quality and productivity of our newest writer, Chris Witte. For his first live review, I couldn’t have been happier to send him to see a band dear to my heart, one that has excited me about music more so than almost any band in the past year, even if that meant I had to cringe with jealousy as I read this review.
All photos © Chris Witte and Pop Press International. Click any image to open in slideshow.
