Bishop Allen makes fans feel Infinite in Los Angeles

November 11, 2008, at the Echo

By Melissa Bobbitt
Published: November 13th, 2008 | 12:10pm

These are the songs that dream mixed tapes are made of. (Pardon this writer’s antiquity — dream playlists, that is.) Something cheerful that rousts listeners from their seats to make them feel as if the elation of the night could go on forever, something poignant and pretty, something you can fall in love to.

Undoubtedly, the majority of eager faces in Bishop Allen’s audience at Los Angeles’ the Echo were anticipating “Middle Management,” the rollicking tune made famous by its appearance in the Michael Cera film Nick & Nora’s Infinite Playlist. Tactfully, the band used it to close its jovial set, bounding around the tiny stage like teenagers fueled by Red Bull.

Thank goodness for the members’ enthusiasm, because the show didn’t start so perkily. Electric Owls’ Andy Herod befuddled the crowd with his overly emotive acoustic ditties, peculiar pieces that sounded like a frat boy’s interpretation of what a love song might be were he actually sensitive. True, Los Angeles audiences aren’t always the most receptive to new sounds, but he was just being callous.

“This is cool,” he said smirking. “I’ve always wondered what these songs would sound like with people talking like assholes over them.” Wisely, he cut his portion short when he forgot his own lyrics, and instead depended on a Smiths cover to close.

A big contingent of attendants was there for An Horse, an Australian duo championed by Tegan and Sara. Kate Cooper is an ace frontwoman who recalls Corin Tucker without the out-of-control warble. The pair’s pleasant pop rock enamored the fans, and drummer Damon Cox absolutely tore up his kit as they wrapped up a strong, if interchangeable, session.

Being 11 p.m. on a Tuesday, some of the youngsters drifted out of the venue before Bishop Allen hit the stage. Or rather, the stage seemed to hit them; the baby-faced bassist battled with a broken microphone, and toward the conclusion of the show, lead singer–guitarist Justin Rice was rocking with such aplomb that he whacked his own mic to Mini-Me height.

“This will not affect the rest of the show one iota!” he exclaimed. The B.A. boys (and girl) treated the crowd to a mix of old and new, all of which threatened to become your new favorite song. Marimbas and ukuleles rang out merrily, damning the sorry state of current events. Herod even careened back into the scene for a few minutes, beating a tambourine so violently and joyously he mangled it — all in a day’s work for indie rock’s most gleeful group.

For more photos from this show, visit our Flickr page.