East Riverside’s premier rock and roll venue, the venerable Emo’s, hosted epic indie-rock darlings Delta Spirit last week in support of their newest release, 2014’s Into the Wide. The album’s lead single is a lush crawl with far-reaching reverberation tails and shining vocals from lead singer and guitarist Matt Vasquez who recognized his Austin roots while sporting a “Native Texan” ringer tee. Their live sound represented that epic stadium-inspired sound found on the new album, capitalizing on a commercially-ready sound backed with a live intensity delivered by all five members.
Vasquez filled the leading man role with confidence and urgency. At the helm, he pulled us along as our guide, long dark hair flying into the air and onto his face as keyboardist Kelly Winrich jumped to an oversized drum that he began to wallop into a stomp like a marching band. Guitarist Will McLaren performed some serious guitar moves to Vasquez’s rhythm playing, offering a high-end contrast full of Fender reverb and Coldplay-esque delay.
While not directly urging the crowd to participate in sing-alongs or hand claps, the music lent itself to a communal experience of exuberance and joy; we’re all at the party and having a great time enjoying each other’s company. Cosmic subject matter about friends and family are presented in three-and-a-half-minute-jams ready for consumption. Hardly enough time to grab a beer, the band is on to the next solid tune. Without skipping a beat, the band played a mix of their best, which is now being pulled from a four-album discography of Americana-infused stadium fare that typifies the California heart Delta Spirit cherishes, starting with their wonderfully charming debut, Ode to Sunshine.
Preceding Delta Spirit, Eric D. Johnson of Chicago indie-folkers Fruit Bats fame performed a solo set of new material. For his new album (which we reviewed here) he goes by the solo moniker EDJ. The music is equally expansive and grandiose as Delta Spirit but retaining a folky twang that keeps it out of stadiums, for better or for worse. In his solo set however, without the pleasure of a full band, EDJ utilized a vast array of pedals, loops and samples to build his guitar playing into a fully-realized set of groovy, blue-eyed soul roots vibes. His voice and its specific nasal inflections cut through the mix on the high end of things, allowing him to accompany his swaying hips and dance moves, shaking it on the large Emo’s stage. Check out the photos below.
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