To say that PAPA, the four-piece Los Angeles music project toting a recently acclaimed EP titled A Good Woman Is Hard To Find, stole the show on Friday night as the middle band in a three-group bill would be to sell Superhumanoids and Writer short. Both of these groups performed with passion and received their share of love from the audience, but, with the performance that PAPA put on in between them, they never really stood a chance.
Writer, the two-piece San Diego group that began the evening, have a bond the reaches beyond what you would normally expect from bandmates. At one point in their set, the singer walked over to the drummer and seemed to wipe some sweat from the drummer’s nose, a sign of intimacy that you rarely see from two dudes. So, it makes sense to discover that the band is actually two brothers, Andy and James Ralph.
This being my second time seeing Writer, their songs began to resonate a little stronger than before, anchored by the rapport that the two musicians carry on when they perform. One part of the set features the brothers standing next to each other for a stripped down duet. Otherwise, the band is remarkably tight, with James’ fiery percussion holding the audience’s attention even if the songs were not familiar. Doing more than warming up the crowd, Writer left the Echo stage have impressed the audience, and possibly with a few new fans as well.
This would be the part of the review where I talk about PAPA, but, we’ll just skip that for now and get into the headliners, Superhumanoids. Another band of whom my knowledge is limited to having seem them one time previously, but, like Writer, they prove to be a live band that is easy to lose yourself in. Playing on a darkened stage, the band let their music do the talking, relying on the crowd to be swept up solely in the sounds they heard to help complete the atmosphere. Luckily, the crowd did engage in the music, moving in unison to the heavy beats, carried away on positive Friday night, carefree, I-don’t-give-a-fuck vibes. As a headliner, the band played their part perfectly, with Cameron Parkins shifting his body weight rapidly with his dance steps, challenging the audience to keep up with every movement. Holding everything together were the vocals of Sarah Chernoff, which hung loftily above the crowd in a marriage of garage and new wave. On any other night, Superhumanoids would have won the evening. But, there was no touching PAPA on Friday.
With only a five-song EP to their name, PAPA filled up their spirited set with a healthy dose of songs I didn’t recognize, even noting after one number that it was “brand new.” But, the thing about PAPA’s music, is that it is so immediate, rooted in soul music in the same way Huey Lewis’ music is rooted in soul music, but with enough honesty for any emotional sentiment to not go wasted. “Collector” easily provided the biggest emotional turn of the night, with singer/drummer Darren Weiss shouting a plea for “it to be quiet” at the song’s crescendo that is as stirring as anything created recently in music. But, then the band has songs like “Let’s Make You Pregnant,” which was dedicated to the ladies and was all fun, allowing the audience to dance like the awkward indie fans that we are and not really give a shit.
After what was revealed to be the closing number (the infectious “Ain’t It So”), something weird happened. The audience, enjoying the set in a particularly vocal nature, called for an encore. And, while this occasionally happens for openers, the strangest thing was that PAPA actually complied with the request. The encore, their best known single “I Am The Lion King,” took the room to another level, partly because of the joyful exuberance that is presented in the song, partly because it was the SECOND time that the band had played it that night, also using the song as their opener. Fans began jumping on stage to dance with the band, with all four members eating up the moment, grinning from ear to ear. At the song’s bridge, Weiss left his drum kit to assemble the audience closer, allowing him to dive off the stage and get carried around the floor, hoisted on people’s hands, not unlike a quarterback after winning the big game. The crowd was terribly careful with the singer, making sure not to drop him and returning him safely to the stage, where he resumed him drumming duties and gave the song its ultimate exclamation point. It was a night-stealing moment, showing PAPA connecting with people in a way you don’t often see support acts do. I can only imagine how PAPA will be received as their reputation begins to precede them.
