Last Wednesday, I attended my first show at Los Angeles’ newest venue The Bellwether, checking out the warm “Daytime Disco” style of Poolside.
Located at the western edge of downtown Los Angeles, I almost gave up attending the show as the initial parking lot I tried to get into was full, and available street parking was few and far between. I did eventually locate another lot close by, and got myself into the venue.
Though a traditional concert venue, The Bellwether’s lighting and set-up gives off club vibes; a place you’d expect to be dancing to the latest House music DJ and not necessarily seeing a rock band. The layout reminded me a bit of the Hollywood Palladium, with a balcony area open to everyone to watch the show from if the floor isn’t to your liking. There was also a large patio (basically a big smoking area) and a cool restaurant attached to the venue for anyone needing food during the show.
Arriving a little before Poolside were to come on, I situated myself on a balcony to avoid the massively crowded floor. Not that the balcony was empty – every good vantage point was still filled with people. It was a packed house for the show; a good sign for the new venue, and a clear indication that Poolside has a strong following. I had only become mildly familiar with the nu-disco group this year, having heard some of their new singles from upcoming album Blame it All on Love. If you asked me my thoughts on disco music in general, the response would normally not be a positive one, but there was something to Poolside‘s warmer, almost tropical sound that helped it stand out to me and made me want to check out the group in person.
When Jeffrey Paradise and his band hit the stage, it became clear that the focus of the evening was never going to be the band themselves. The lighting remained dim and blue/aquamarine-tinted, with only some basic video projection backgrounds playing behind the group. By turning down the visual appeal, it did allow for a deeper focus on the music itself. During the first track, I could hear elements of The Cure‘s “Lullaby” and even The Who‘s “Eminence Front” in the composition; indie-style music with shades of post-punk and dance.
The group used the evening to premiere a number of their new songs live for the first time, including latest single “Float Away” which was released last week. The audience seemed perfectly amiable to the new tunes, as Poolside are clearly not a group that fans flock to for hit sing-along singles. They are a band for vibing-out and dancing, and it wasn’t hard to lose yourself to the ethereal music and falsetto vocal harmonies of the songs. The music took center stage over the vocals, and there was little showiness to the band’s performance (the only exception being a couple of stand-out sax solos, and the percussionist’s versatile playing).
While described as “daytime disco”, or chillwave, Poolside incorporate everything from Latin rhythms to electronica into their mesh of sounds. The band’s namesake is perfect for them, as their music is perfect for lounging by a pool on a sunny day. While there is nothing eye-catching about their live show, the organic performance of their songs does create a great atmosphere for dancing and forgetting ones problems for an evening.
Check the group’s latest songs here!
The Indy Review 