Indie-pop masters, Los Campesinos!, charm fans at Amoeba Music in honor of latetst LP, Sick Scenes!
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For me, writing about Los Campesinos! will always be personal. Ever since a certain friend shared songs from LC!’s first record, Hold on Now, Youngster, when we were in 5th or 6th grade, the band has unconsciously influenced my taste in music and culture.
Frontman Gareth David’s vocal delivery, which navigates between the sarcastic and sincere, would later, in my mind, be uncannily connected to singers like Paul Westerberg and Bob Dylan; his lyrical topic matter would sound eerily in dialogue with emo/pop-punk bands like Say Anything and Brand New; and listening to guitar-driven indie groups like Built to Spill and Pavement would seem strangely familiar — despite only these last two bearing any apparent influence on LC!
That being said, there was no way I would miss LC! performing at Amoeba Music on Friday, February 24. The band was playing in-store in honor of the release of their latest LP, Sick Scenes, and the last time I had watched them live was in October of 2012 (more than four years ago with that certain friend) at the El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles.
LC!’s Amoeba set-list (in order)
1. “What Death Leaves Behind”
2. “Sad Suppers”
3. “I Broke Up in Amarante”
4. “A Heat Rash In The Shape Of The Show Me State; Or, Letters From Me To Charlotte”
5. “The Fall of Home”
6. “I Just Sighed. I Just Sighed, Just So You Know”
In-store, the band played six songs — three old ones (“What Death Leaves Behind,” “A Heat Rash In The Shape Of The Show Me State; Or, Letters From Me To Charlotte,” and “I Just Sighed. I Just Sighed, Just So You Know”) and three new ones (“Sad Suppers,” “I Broke Up in Amarante,” and “The Fall of Home”). In-between, Gareth made light of his sore throat — assuring the audience that he would feel better after drinking about six more beers by the time they would perform at The Great American Music Hall — and joked that in-store shows were “weird” because he always had lots of things in his pockets. But most excitingly, my chance had been fulfilled!— the band stayed afterward by Amoeba’s in-store stage to take pictures and sign anything fans brought them (soccer jerseys, t-shirts, papers, and new and old records). I was able to pose for a photo with Gareth and Kim, and I had my silly-looking papers generously signed by each band-member. I knew their newest record that they released that day was inspired by troubles with mental-health which Gareth dubbed as “sick scenes,” but meeting the band at Amoeba — however briefly — was an amazing scene to experience first-hand.
Long live Los Campesinos! ❤
LC! at Amoeba Music
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Check out Los Campesinos’ website here!
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