The Steve Allen Theater in the east part of Hollywood isn’t accustomed to live music events, or so it would seem. The theater at the Center for Inquiry (seemingly any kind of inquiry) usually hosts things like “variety” shows and horror flick screenings. So the Akron/Family’s three night residency that kicked off at the Allen last night was bound to be something at least rare if not special.
Those who arrived on time were treated to a really fun (and positively bizzare) magic performance (you guessed it! that was my card!) and then a mediocre performance by the Golden Animals. By the time the hirsute-faced Akron/Family took the stage, the crowd was a little buzzed from the beer they bought across the street at Rite Aid (or smuggled in in their underage boots), and ready to hear their favorite band as they launched into an hour plus set.
From opener “Meek Warrior” to closer “long extended noisey noise,” the trio hardly stopped for air. It was quite impressive: without any bravado, each Family member holds his own on his instrument(s), carrying the other two in between songs, never letting the sound go away. In between the melodies are mere sounds, but the half-blitzed hipster slam dancing in the middle of the floor loved every minute of it.
Alas, no amount of avant garde experimentation can make up for a good old fashioned sound check, and there were times that vocals were off and guitars were on. But for this venue and this show, there remained a bit of DIY charm through the finale as they banged out some keys on the old house piano, amplified by a manually rigged mic.
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