Rocking Out In San Diego

It was Monday night at a small venue in Downtown San Diego called The Casbah. This place was founded in 1989 and by the looks of it- they haven’t changed a think. Very retro to the point that the red and black décor with the stage and ceiling looking almost intentionally run down a hair, that I forgot what decade I was in. Really, it looked awesome. It’s a small, loud place with a bar for those who like to drink and listen. Yes, the atmosphere had a positive vibe. Be warned, I am very critical of any musical performance-You have been warned.

I found a spot out in front of the stage, standing room of course. Then one after the other four bands performed. First was a group called the Slpwlkrs. Yes, that is how the name is spelled. As they played through their set I noticed that while talented, they didn’t mesh quite right. They did have some energy, but not enough. They just couldn’t capture the audience attention, what little there was t the time. The vocals bugged me a little, but the two guitars were well played and the drums were what sounded the best.  I will admit that throughout the night and with all four bands, that the vocals were being drowned out a little and that was likely the fault of the sound engineer. And this could very well contribute to my perception.

The second band was Unknown Mortal Orchestra who didn’t have much of a stage presence. The music was good, drums, bass, guitar all working quite well. But again, the vocals sounded good but were drowned out too much. Not much energy either. I would say their strong point was drums giving solid beats but unbalanced with the rest of the band.

Next up was Abandoned Pools who brought the audience back out on the floor. A little more energy and stage presence went a long ways. It also helped that they spoke to the audience between songs giving a sense of interaction. These guys brought it with good sound and vocals. But while they managed to bring the crowds back to the floor, there was little movement. All in all a good solid performance.

The last on stage was The Napoleon Complex who brought down the house. They got the audience moving. The drums were cooking all through the set (I must admit going in the doors, I knew their drummer could nail the beats with the best). The vocals were solid and the guitar, keys and bass blended with ease. A trumpet player came on stage for one song and nailed it. Everyone in the place was tapping their feet and some of front were dancing and carrying on. This is what music should do, get your feet shuffling and with that quality sound make you want to dance. Excellent performance, and with the intensity and energy coming from the drums it would be hard to resist enjoying yourself. In fact, they were the only band that the audience requested (chanting) for an encore song- and they delivered!

All in all and four in four out, this was an awesome Monday night. It started a little slow but picked up real quick towards the end of the night. If your looking for a good show and good music check out the Napoleon Complex. Abandon Pools, too, are worthy of a shout out too. However, it’s Napoleon Complex who stole the night. What a night! Awesome indeed!