By Trevor Meyer
Los Angeles’s own, Army Navy were the opening act during Saturday night’s festivities at the Bootleg Theater. The guys got the crowd into it right away with simple rhythms, well-placed refrains, and hooky melodies. As they made their way through their set, I kept wondering if they were going to lose momentum, but they never did. Song after song, like “Ode to Janice Melt” and “The Long Goodbye” featured contagious melodies and ignited an epidemic of happiness about the room. With so many people smiling and dancing, it would be impossible not to pay homage to Army Navy. Treat yourself and give this incredibly talented band the listening that they deserve.
Next up, Australian surf/punk/pop trio Bleeding Knees Club claimed the stage. Taking the night in a different direction, the three-piece quickly escalated the intensity. Utilizing three chord melodies and heavy snare, they were really able to get the crowd moving. The drummer of this band had some of the coolest facial expressions I have ever seen, it was like he was doing Bobby Knight’s “game face” all the while beating his snare drum to a pulp. Some of my favorite tunes from their set were “Have Fun” and “Truth or Dare.” Have yourself a Foster’s and spin a couple tracks from these guys.
The eclectically dressed Brits took the stage as the headlining act. Musically, Tribes were very tight, very together. They had a noticeable musical chemistry, but there was very little interaction with the crowd (which was the theme throughout the night) and even less interaction between band members. Tribes focused more on their EP We Were Children, dazzling the crowd with hits like, “Girlfriend,” “Coming of Age,” and “We Were Children,” but they forgot to play at least half of their album, Baby including personal favorite “Nightdriving”. They closed with the powerhouse hit, “When My Day Comes” and the popular anthem, “Himalaya.” Perhaps they were expecting a larger turnout, but with only a 30 minute set and a hasty exit, to say that Tribes left a lot to be desired would be an understatement. But, all in all, it was solid performance on the whole. The Bootleg Theater is always a nice place to see music and they did a great job mixing the wide range of music coming from these three surging bands.
Tribes 
(Facebook)
Bleeding Knees Club 
(Facebook)
Army Navy 
(Facebook)
Reviewed by b3
Submit a Comment