Daniel Ahearn and the Jones and Auditorium at Los Globos (1/15/13)

Hitting the concert trail again Tuesday I bundled up and headed out to the Sunset bus and, just like Monday, rode out to Sunset and Parkman, this time to go to the caverous, cold (freezing really) Los Globos to hear some good music. But this show was upstairs, where I have never been and it was actually quite cozy. It's low ceiling and wide audience space reminded me of the old Hollywood Knitting Factory (which I still miss), but it's character as a bar room did make for some pretty distracting background chatter.

Nevertheless, Daniel Ahearn and the Jones (at right) wooed the audience with a startling collection of tunes that ranged from simple folk tunes to majestically complex compositions that actually reminded me of Arcade Fire. Mindy Jones has a finely tunes vocal instrument that sounds pitch-perfect as she either weaves intricate harmonies or lets loose with a belting lead. Daniel Ahearn really impressed me when I first heard this band at The Echo last February when they opened for Breathe Owl Breathe (a wonderful show!), and I noticed the similarity of timbre and tone to the voice of Joey Burns of Calexico. In an interesting coincidence I saw Calexico the following night (Wednesday) and I'll review that tomorrow (or soon).

Daniel had sent me the link to their latest song, "Make It Right" and it gave me a hint of what I was to hear from the stage that night, but I was unprepared for just how good it was. This is real quality stuff and I advise checking it out. They are playing next week on Thursday at The Echo.

Auditorium appeared whthout two of their regular singers, but it was an opportunity to enjoy Spencer Berger's vocals without any of the solid backup he usually gets. And he has such a strong vocal personality that it was a pleasure to hear the songs in such unadulterated renditions. One had to be impressed at the songwriting skills that make the music just bounce along, becoming unforgettable in the process.

When last I saw the band at The Satellite the sound mix had been a little off, with Berger's vocals overpowering the rest of the band and altering the delicate vocal harmonies. Here Spencer sounded just right, in perfect balance with the rest of the performers. It was just a little show that came up out of the blue and it made for a very enjoyable night out.

whrabbit