Encores Are Like Dolphins…

My wife and I went to the Glass House in Pomona to check out Be Your Own Pet on Saturday night (Oct. 21). We arrived a little after 9 p.m. to avoid the opening bands and noticed immediately the lack of pedestrian traffic in the area. Usually, Second Street is cluttered with concert-goers milling about between sets or waiting for opening bands to end. The Glass House is one of the few venues that I know of that allows "Ins-and-outs."

Once we got inside, we realized that the lack of people outside was indicative of the lack of people inside. The house had bisected the room but even that left plenty of room to stand around waiting. Since either Awesome Color or Tall Firs was still playing, we left the venue to check out the Glass House Record Store. Nice store, good prices, enthusiastic employee. My wife picked up a used copy of A Far Out Disc by the Toy Dolls and a Toys That Kill ep for a total of $13.

We sat outside until the opening band ended and then entered the venue. There were probably fifty people in attendance. While we waited, as an apparent concession to the minimal crowd, the band moved all of their equipment off the stage and set up on the floor.

And then the show began. With only two feet (maybe) between the crowd and the band, the show felt like a house party or, at the very least, an instore. The band was great, a tight three piece. And Jemina Pearl is an amazing front-woman, physically pulling the audience into the set and starting the pit by herself. They only played for approximately 35 minutes including "Damn Damn Leash," "Adventure," "Thresher’s Flail," "Bunk Trunk Skunk," "Bicycle, Bicycle, You Are My Bicycle," "Wildcatt," "Stairway to Heaven," and "Bog."

Of course, after such a short set, the audience demanded an encore, which the band granted with Jemina’s caveat "Encores are like dolphins, in other words, gay."

With that, I beg you to check out one of the more interesting debuts of the year and one of the most invigorating live acts around.

Here is the latest from my iPod:

1. "On Your Side" by Pete Yorn
2. "Capers" by the Birthday Party
3. "Ch-Check It Out" by Beastie Boys
4. "Scarlet Pussy" by Prince
5. "Vibrations in the Woods" by Robert Pollard
6. "Misinformed" by Soul Coughing
7. "See You" by Foo Fighters
8. "Sweet and Tender Hooligan" by the Smiths
9. "Warrior" by Yeah Yeah Yeahs
10. "Adult Books" by X