House shows are a bit different in Vegas. Let’s examine the premise: It’s a group of (often) young, ecstatic individuals taking reprieve from the city’s unforgiving heat by packing into small living rooms—all for the sake of a good time. The results are just sweatier, rowdier versions of what transpires at venues on the Strip and beyond, but on a smaller, intimate scale. This presents a new set of both benefits and hurdles: On one hand, there’s more of a community to support and rally behind the cause; on the other—there are limitations—logistical or otherwise—that could prevent the show from being the best it could be. This show highlighted the former.
That sentiment rang true at King of Heck’s album release show. The “Shine in My Heart” songwriters selected Casa Bonita as the venue for this momentous occasion—a beautiful one-story abode in the historic West Huntridge neighborhood. It unfolded as you’d expect: Bands performed in the corner of a dimly lit living room, and showgoers, armed with beers brought from elsewhere, simply filled-it out. You know that scene in countless music movies where optimistic bands would live their pipe dreams of making it to the big time by jamming in their living rooms or garages for their friends? It felt just like that—albeit, bigger, and a bit more rowdy.
I was able to catch local stalwarts Dark Black first in that setting. The quintet carefully treads the thin lines between dreamy shoegaze, upbeat post-punk and rambunctious grunge with a pummeling rhythm section and slick vocal harmonies. The result? A lush sonic engagement that fared particularly well in that room. The reverb-soaked guitars of “Law of Affect” and “Memory” cut through the room’s echo, and as guitarist/vocalist Dillon Shines furiously strummed the ethereal chords of the latter, his monotonous vocal delivery resonated like a ghost. “Time Lapse” was an obvious highlight of the set, with drummer George Foskaris and bassist Kevin Oakley locking-in beautifully during its upbeat climax. It’s clear that Dark Black takes its listeners places, and judging by the amount of heads bobbing in the room, they’ve got many passengers onboard.
King of Heck guitarist and singer Joel Kirschenbaum acknowledged this early in his band’s set. “You all enjoyed Dark Black, right? It sure seemed like it,” said after rocking “Sup Doc.” Kirschenbaum was clearly in a jubilant mood—swaying his guitar and stomping his feet as the band performed the entirety of its latest effort, Shine in My Chest. It was a brief set that could’ve served as a wonderful introduction to the band—which is somewhat of a spiritual successor to the group’s previous project, Alaska.
Kirschenbaum and company have crafted a much different world sonically, and the self-described “dreamy, trippy punk” is a fair characterization of its efforts. That description manifested when that group performed “Bb Bricked Out”—a charming cut that fuses the fury of punk rock with soaring melodies—not unlike Revolution Summer-era hardcore punk. Bassist/singer Tyler Kawada impressively handled vocal duties and walking basslines during that songs chorus while drummer Nick Strader’s quick sixteenth-note hi-hat hits were crisp among the chaos. “If you’ve listened to the album, you know what we’ve got going on here tonight, and we hope you like it,” Kirschenbaum said before launching into the album’s title track and set closer. We sure did.
-Ian Caramanzana
Photos by Hunter Wallace | https://www.flickr.com/photos/hunter_wallace/
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