Getting a genuine reaction from a crowd is a hard thing to come by.  Especially when your methods are derived from musical instruments and the city you preside in is Los Angeles.  Let’s be honest, despite my love for the city of angels, we don’t provide the warmest musical environment for younger artists - especially on the West side of LA.  However, No Age are part of a handful of bands that defied LA’s smug attitude by starting their own scene in (still somewhat uncharted) downtown LA at a venue called The Smell.  It was this energy and spirit that filled the Troubadour last week.

Titus Andronicus’ stage presence and strong ability to rock was a great appetizer for people to munch on before the No Age entree arrived.  I grabbed their LP off Emusic a while back, but never got too far into it.  That will quickly change after witnessing their live show.  The night quickly picked up the pace once No Age made it to the stage.

Luckily, the crowd present knew nothing of the traditional cross armed, slouched approach to watching live music, and quickly plowed out a ten foot free flowing dance/mosh pit.  I use the word mosh pretty loosely since at one point someone’s glasses fell off and the “moshers” quickly stopped and started shining their cellphones across the ground until the spectacles were retrieved safely.  The moment proved to be kind of funny, and yet another indication that the fans of No Age aren’t your typical cynics.

This was my third time seeing the wonder duo, and the charm that they speak of is true.  I’ve come to realize that lower-fi the artist, the higher-fi the system necessary for them to perform up to snuff.  It may be an oxymoron or an obvious statement, but I hadn’t thought about it until No Age’s guitar and drum assault began.  Under the roof of a classic music venue, the raw explosion of DIY (hate that term but it definitely works in this case) punk rock finally came into bloom in a way only the recorded albums had before.

Thanks to Shock Hound for putting on this free show!

[mp3] No Age - Everybody’s Down

Here’s a nice holiday treat for you all -  Two great bands, one great club, and nothing to do but sign up.  Shock Hound is putting on a series of free shows (which are all selling out so act quick!), and on Dec 2nd No Age and Titus Andronicus will be packing in The Troubadour.  Both these bands are great live, so don’t miss out on this opportunity.  Follow the link below and sign up to get your name on the guest list.  This will sell out so move fast.

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