Jagwar Ma recently returned to Los Angeles for their final show of 2013. They had packed The Echo a few months ago and the El Rey was nearly sold-out this past Friday. These Australians have steadily built their live reputation, creating a major UK buzz this summer before focusing on the US. During intermission, the louder than normal conversation level in the house reflected that fans were stoked for this band. Lead singer Gabriel Winterfield told the throng of Angelinos that he’d like to see them “put the LA in play” and that’s pretty much what happened. Jagwar Ma has two distinct identities. One comes from catchy songs on the album such as their biggest airplay hit “Come Save Me”. In fact, they’re a psychedelic jam band and that’s exactly what they did for the first 15-20 minutes of their set. Some of the crowd probably weren’t expecting that and just when the energy started to flag somewhat, the guys brought the bounce with “Let Her Go” and then a fine extended version of “Come Save Me”. Jagwar Ma completed their set with some more pure jam and opened their encore the same way before finishing with the catchier “That Loneliness”. The sound that night was bottom-heavy. That prevented some of their melodic intricacies from shining through, especially on the harmonies which are such a strength for the band. These guys nail everything they do although the addition of a live drummer wouldn’t be a bad idea as the band continue to grow. It was a strong show that might have been even more compelling if there was a little less jam and a little more bounce. Reviewed By Bruce Rave

Jagwar Ma (Official)

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