Concert Review - Little Joy @ Slim's 09 Dec

LA based Red Cortez were the first opening band. They were decent, I didn’t like the lead singer’s voice very much, though. I liked that the drummer used maracas as drum sticks, that was awesome. Their fast songs were the best of the bunch, but when they played slower songs, it just didn’t work very well. When the lead singer pulled out a harmonica, it just went downhill. Stay clear of that, boys, keep up the good guitar work and you might have a chance to get signed someday. The lead singer banged the keys of the keyboard with his elbow on the last song, which I guess was meant to be cool but it was just kind of disrespectful. They had this weird energy thing going on, where they didn’t know where they belonged: slow folks-y songs or let’s-get-trashed-and-rock-out attitude. But yeah, their guitarist and drummer redeemed the set, which was a tad too long (at 40 minutes).
2/5

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Next on came The Dead Trees, from Portland, OR. These guys more than made up for the mediocrity of the previous band. They had everything a band should have on stage: good energy, excellent sync and an awesome sound. I would classify them as somewhat bluesy, but more edgy rock-ish. They had an extra member playing with them, bass player Tad’s brother Tory, who was on an extra drum kit and keyboards. Their songs were strange at times and tambourines were busted out in a quick frenzy, but they pulled it off somehow. The crowd was dancing along; the Dead Trees put us right in the mood for Little Joy.
3.25/5

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Little Joy was superb. They felt like a family on stage. They were having so much fun, and the crowd was LOVING it. They were joined by Matt Romono (the drummer from Albert Hammond Jr’s band) for most of the set. For the last song, “Brand New Start”, they were joined by The Dead Trees, and the three people who Fab thanked profusely (“without whom Little Joy would not have happened”): Noah Georgeson (their producer), Devendra Banhart (“the coolest fucking musician I have ever met”), and Greg Rogove. Greg later wore a scarf that we argued about, he insisted that it was Persian and not Palestinian, and I asked if he was Persian and he seemed offended. It was quite hilarious.

Despite the fact that they experienced some technical difficulties, as Fab’s guitar stopped working midway through the set forcing Binki and Matt had to keep the crowd entertained with an intermission of sorts, the set was perfect. They insisted that they kept messing up, but a few minor mistakes was nothing in the larger scheme of things. A funny point in the show was when someone yelled out “for no one’s better sake”, and Roderigo replied “we’ll play that in a minute!” and then Fab went “NO, we already did that one!”

Fab invited me and a couple of other people backstage, and I got to talk to the band, who were all SUPER down to earth. Roderigo told me that he wanted to move to the city because he really likes it here. I encouraged him to do so. I also told him that Little Joy really surprised me, as I just expected a mediocre side project-y thing, but what I got instead was one of my favourite records of the year. I told him I haven’t stopped spinning it since I first got it, after which he pulled out the record and said “ah! It’s alive!” and then proceeded to point out how cool it is that they hand engrave the number on the inside of the record. I never knew that before. Binki told me that the boys are teaching her Portuguese, but they tell her that her accent is perfect. And then Fab told me that what he loves about Little Joy is it is a lot more laid back from the Strokes (no duh haha). “Don’t get me wrong, I fucking love those guys, I’ve known them since I was 13, but the band is too obsessed with getting that perfect sound.” “Well yeah,” I said. “You are all very meticulous”. “It gets to you sometimes, though. Like tonight. We were all messing up and nobody cared. Not the band, not the fans. Everyone was having a great time”. He then offered us some beer and cookies, and about an hour later, Matt came in yelling “who ate all of the fucking cookies?!” hahaha

Set List:
The Next Time Around
How To Hang a Warhol
No One’s Better Sake
Unattainable (live at Slim's) [mp3]
Shoulder to Shoulder
With Strangers
Keep Me In Mind
*a cover of a Spanish/Portuguese song, I am sorry, I am culturally deprived and cannot identify it*
Eat At Home (Paul McCartney cover)
Don’t Watch Me Dancing
Brand New Start

4/5 because they are just that awesome

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