Show Review: Japandroids @ The Echoplex

Brian King, (photo courtesy of sleepydoll)


I think my buddy Kevin described Japandroids best when he said 'time to watch two guys make four guys worth of sound'.

After sets by electro, grind-core rockers All Leather and rabbit-accessory clad surf(?) band NoBunny (who's set will forever lurk in the dark corners of my mind), Vancouver garage-rockers Japandroids took the stage to a warm, LA reception.



NoBunny


Starting things off with 'The Boys Are Leaving Town', the band ferociously ripped through their entire album and then some with my favorite track 'Wet Hair' being played a time and a half due to a 'we effed up' moment.

The crowd was extremely active and really hit their peak during the desert-groove track 'Crazy/Forever' starting a mini-mosh pit which saw several small, hipster girls get carried away in the swirl of humanity.

Dressed in all white, guitarist/vocalist Brian King was his usual energetic self, 'exploring the space' and taking many of his normal drum-kit perches as he and drummer David Prowse traded vocals over most of the set.

Concluding at a peaked energy level but noticeably drained after really given it all out and leaving it on the stage, Japandroids thanked everyone for coming out and ended things.

As my buddy Randol said, it is nice to see that not all bands feel compelled to play an encore especially with the performance level these guys put out. He was right, too. An encore would have seemed like taking the foot of the throttle. I'm glad they took us all off the cliff.



VIDEO: Japandroids - 'Wet Hair'



Website: www.japandroids.com