Hippies and hipsters. Two words whose similarities have been expounded upon bountifully across message boards and blogs and, probably, legitimate news sources. They are two subsets of American culture who rarely mix, but, when you think about it, aren’t that far apart ideologically or hygienically. And when they mix, it is still easy to tell which camp each patron sympathizes with, as happened near the end of opener Delicate Steve’s set on Wednesday night at the Echo. After revealing that it was the New Jersey five-piece’s first time in Los Angeles, one joyous shout came clearly from crowd-left, “let’s go drinking!” This was met with a mild cheer and then an opposing viewpoint from crowd-right, “fuck drinking, let’s blaze!”
Such was the scene for sold-out show of Akron/Family, the formerly hyped and still beloved experimental folk trio that came out of Williamsburg with a blast and still tour with the same force. Sure, their recent release Akron/Family II: The Cosmic Birth and Journey of Shinju TNT didn’t receive the same attention with which their self-titled debut or Love Is Simple were bestowed, but that speaks less of the album’s quality and more to the fickle music media who are always latching on to the next thing and are often abandoning some of our more consistent producers. But at the Echo on Wednesday, none of that came into play. Rather, the dance-floor was crowded with doe-eyed followers, who were going to lap up Akron/Family’s ernest compositions like a panting dog at a swimming pool.
Opener Delicate Steve made good use of their time as momentum builders, paving a clear path for Akron/Family to conquer the small room. Fans of straight ahead songwriting might be turned off at the youngsters’ jam-band tendencies, but these played almost like a false front, disguising what actually turned out to be pretty accessible and uplifting foot-stompers. See, when people hear music that steers clear of rock cornerstones, like, say, vocals, it is easy to write-off the band as clearly not seeking mainstream appeal. It becomes niche music. But in the case of Delicate Steve, the guitar leads provided the melodic hooks, both with a glass slide and old-fashioned shredding. In fact, for an L.A. debut, if you can ever leave the stage by announcing that you would be back on Sunday and have the crowd erupt with the question of “where?,” then you have done your job successfully. In hindsight, though, they should have been prepared to answer the question, but they weren’t.
Now, to say that the liberal melting-pot that the venue had become was in Akron/Family’s corner would be an understatement. While in line outside the club, the three-piece walked by to get coffee and literally knew half the members of the uncharacteristically lengthy strip of people. And the show lived up to that home-crowd characteristic, with the audience hitting every singalong cue and stomping around as if it were a Brooklyn living room. But that wasn’t the only reason why the show was an unabashed good-time. The band’s performance lived-up to the atmosphere, showing a maturity and self-awareness that you just can’t find in many less experienced acts.
The three members of Akron/Family don’t fall into traditional roles, with each switching instruments and laying delicate textures on the first couple of opening songs, including the recent “Island,” to ease the group into the communal atmosphere. But with third song “Rivers,” a slow-building party of a number, the vibe lifted from surgical to blanketing, sweeping over the audience so smoothly that a casual observer would not have been able to pinpoint when everyone started having a blast. But, it happened. The band ended up in the crowd, leading a clapping love-fest that forty years ago would have involved more tie-dye and bare breasts. Delicate Steve members set up additional percussion and became the “family” that makes up half of the band name. The relaxed band members taught the crowd a silly dance that took no convincing whatsoever to get near 100% participation in. And, perhaps most importantly, the crowd, who would probably divide on every issue apart from dietary leanings and political affiliations, blended into a singular entity of Akron/Family enthusiasts, a tie that would bind them for the couple hours until they parted on the rough street of Los Angeles.
But, don’t worry. They’ll all meet again at Coachella.
