ADIOS GHOST, PALM SPRINGSTEEN & SWIMSUIT ISSUE PLAY BABY'S

Walking into Baby’s All Right last week, my excitement level was high. One of my favorite local bands, Adios Ghost was on a bill with two up-and-coming LA-based bands that are both starting to create quite the buzz.

The room was already filling up as Adios Ghost took the stage under a rainbow of lights and projected patterns. Their combination of a solid drumbeat, funky rhythms and a sprinkle of synth take you on a trip. Layer that with Ben Sigerson’s gritty vocals and you get the feeling of driving through a desert in an old van, windows down and hair flowing in the wind. Not only do they vibe with the audience, they vibe well together on stage – a key factor to producing a cohesive sound.

Adios Ghost

AG

Adios Ghost

AG

Adios Ghost

Palm Springsteen, who describe their sound as “blow pop, in space,” is comprised of four Cali dreamboats who have moves like Jagger and look like Danny Zuko trying to dress for the beach. Someone in the crowd said they reminded him of the Talking Heads. You can definitely hear the resemblance in breathy-ness as Nick Hinman wails during “Sister Sister” to David Byrne in “Psycho Killer.” Hinman brings the crowd into his performance as he jumps off stage, tambourine in hand, almost knocking me over and created a giant dance party in the middle of the venue. Having just ended their tour with Foster the People towards the end of 2017, Palm Springsteen is on their way to becoming the next “it” band coming out of LA.

Palm Springsteen

Former model turned musician, Miles Garber teamed up with his friend David Gagliardi to form Swimsuit Issue. They had their debut show at the Silverlake indie venue The Satellite in late April and last week was their first time showcasing their chops in New York City. A lot of hype was driven up over this band and I was excited to see them at the show but I will be honest and say that they were pretty mediocre. Their stage presence, compared to the other two bands, lacked a connection with the audience and they seemed to be just going through the motions. I’m hoping this is just beginning-of-the-band jitters and not a band that’s trying to capitalize off of Garber’s model past instead of producing a quality performance.