August 5, 2006 - The Smell, 247 South Main, Los Angeles CA

The Late Severa Wires are just a few of the awesome guys who make up a growing music collective out of Santa Fe, NM. Along with WAT IV (who played an incredibly inspiring show last month at Grand Performances) and DERAIL (who come to town later this month) this synthesis of experimental music goes under descriptions like “unorthodox improvisation” and “unclassifiable”. The scene is definitely experimental, improvised and spine-tingling unique. But that’s as far as words go. Someday you’ll find a section in your local record store devoted to the sound coming out of New Mexico’s High Mayhem Festival, but not today.

I caught the Wires show at The Smell, shared a smoke with the boys in the band and was exposed to all things wonderful in their short set of feedback, samples, and heavy drumming. Mike Rowland bangs his kit like he’s got something angry to tell it and the drum just won’t get it through his thick head. “Cathartic” was how he described his performance. Carlos Santisteven and Yozo Suziki, on bass and guitar respectively, hugged the amps tightly to produce some inspiring feedback patterns. Ultraviolet (aka Sean) on the turntables mixed up a through-line beat subtedly at first until the small crowd was drawn in by an appropriately racial/sexual spoken word sample at the end. Needless to say, these guys have talent, but what’s more, big hearts. They grow ‘em polite in Santa Fe and the LA groupies are grateful for a change of attitude. The Wires had played a gig the night before at a bar in San Diego, more known for it’s barflys than local music. I would have loved to see the expression on the regular patrons faces when the boys’ noise took over. Yozo said, “We had a great time but I think the regulars were wondering what happened to their Lynnard Skinner”. These guys live to play and would have a great time anywhere as long as they could bring their van-load of equipment along.

The Smell is located down an alley between Main and Spring St. As far as downtown spots go, this is one of the potentially sketchier ones. If you show up early, as my girlfriend and I did, be prepared to walk by yourself among closed restaurants and tent cities. If the close proximity of skid row makes you nervous, bring a couple friends to walk with. Parking on the street is metered and plentiful and there are well lit pay lots near by. Do not bother driving down the alley as the Smell’s directions on their website suggest -- you’ll risk hitting the night’s band loading in not to mention shopping carts and broken glass. ‘Nother tip: If there is no cover price listed on the website, it’s $5 at the door. Upside: Bottled water for $1.

That night The Smell was a tad disappointing as far as alternative performance spaces go. It’s all ages which equal a complete lack of alcohol and height. The walls of photographs from the gallery’s collection looked ripped out of junior college portfolios – some were great – but the duct tape frames left a lot to desire. The walls of The Smell are one of the inspirations for me to start up this blog though. Experimental work deserves the correct presentation and forum, which is probably not the wall outside the bathroom of some underground club. Just a guess. It would have been nice to actually light the band performing too. Nonetheless, the bands dug the intimate nature. Being able to yell or screech your guitar into the audience’s face five inches away from you can be a great motivator for one’s performance. The Late Severa Wires and The Smell are more examples of LA’s call for an experimental music scene. I declare the phone lines officially open.

Labels: music, reviews