As I strolled into the Rhythm Room at a little after 8 p.m., I was surprised to find that so many had already shown up for the Miniature Tigers/Pepper Rabbit show. The crowd was rapidly forming, and though their last show was a sold-out affair, it was still nice to see that so many had made the journey to Indian School Road and 10th Street this lovely Thursday evening. A crowd of mostly college-age hipsters and music lovers, it was obvious that everyone held an eager anticipation for this evening’s show. First band to open was the local and delightful sound from ROAR.
With their '60s-like ballads with a little bit of angst thrown in for good measure, their energy was contagious. The crowd respectfully ate it up and it was a fitting way to open the show. The lead singer’s beautiful vocal harmonies made ROAR a decent confection of sound for the twenty minutes they played.
Then, it was time for the Valley’s own Gospel Claws, whose mixture of blues and rock make for an amazing performance. One of their best, “Walk Me Down,” got the crowd riled up and ready for more. Considering that Gospel Claws contains memebers of the ever auspicious Dear and the Headlights, I expected no less. Each band member really put their heart and soul into the performance, and it could be heard through the range of musical instruments being played.
Next up was an act I had seen two times previously: Pepper Rabbit. Hailing from Silverlake, CA, with an array of instruments that even contains a clarinet, these guys always put forth a great live set. Though the last time was in a larger venue (Soma San Diego), their strength lies in smaller venues in cozy/small-spaced scenes like those at the Rhythm Room, and the contrast from the two shows was more than noticeable. The way their music was able to fully take advantage of the stellar acoustics that the Rhythm Room has to offer. Some personal favorites of their set? "Send in the Horns" and "Older Brother" were the two that captured my heart (and I'm sure the audiences', as well). So you can sample for yourself:
Next up was the main event: the Miniature Tigers. With an awesome beginning (that included the ever bouncy, "Rock & Roll Mountain Troll"), the show only went uphill from that point. Their setlist included a slew of new and old tracks that kept the momentum of the show going forward. The crowd was nearly beside themselves (on both the under 21 side and the older bunch). With plenty of dancing and jumping even the band was getting hyped (I'm sure that AZ being their old haunting grounds had a bit to do with it). At one point lead singer Charlie Brand jumped into the crowd himself, dancing himself silly with everyone in the vicinity. Things got crazy, no doubt (Mr. Brand even wore a tiger's head mask ensemble for the last tune, "Last Night's Fake Blood"). The last thing I expected was good old fashioned concert craziness, but Miniature Tigers did nothing but deliver. My tell-tale sign a show has escalated into another level? My hair becomes a poofy hot mess of curls and my bangs become sweat out.Was I a hot mess at the end of the night? Oh yes, and I enjoyed every loud, joyful, booty-shaking moment of it. Miniature Tigers is still currently on tour. For more information, check out miniaturetigers.com.
I leave you with one of my favorite tracks from them (which definitely did not dissapoint in a live setting):
And for a snippet of the show:
