BECAUSE SOMETHING IS HAPPENING AND YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS...DO YOU MR JONES

Last night's trip out to The Echo could be very accurately called a trip. I had been hearing of the "movement" taking place with a dozen or so bands happening that seem to be taping into a world sound, with tribal rumblings, painted faces and dancing (that's right, on the east side of LA). People at the show were even on boomers. Talking with people throughout out the night there was a growing sense of pride that a large number of artists could put down their competitiveness and share in something centered around art and rhythm and less about being obviously cool. While the three bands I observed had a common thread, they were all unique in sound and presentation.

Opening up was RAINBOW ARABIA, a two-piece using a middle-eastern keyboard with sounds from a distance and a frontwoman that could play dubbie guitar parts and sing like a banshee. I had heard their name circulating around the CMJ chatter this year, and apparently they just finished a successful tour. I spoke with Danny from the band, and again this theme of pride was lifted at this network of friends playing music that supported a vision. Lee loved the band.

FOOL'S GOLD took the stage next, filling it completely with their 10 members, some from various LA bands of distant pasts, and this band gave us something part African, part middle eastern, almost yiddish music that was reminecent of a KING SUNNY ADE set. At this point in the night many people's trip started to turn into a bolder flash, and the dancing lifted with the tempos and I saw some people whose faces were melting.

The night was running an hour behind so the old man in me had to keep it to three bands and sadly I had to miss the headliner, WE ARE THE WORLD, which seemed to be what everyone was anxiously waiting for, but I did see WEAVE!, the band who put together this residency. As noted previously, references to THE SLITS come to mind immediately, but live there was more LiLIPUT and ESG in there for good dance-art measure. Here were four people that might not be the most talented technical players, but the 'feel' and the diving head first into the art approach over compensated any of that. I liked that they were unorthodox and didn't even line up on stage in a normal fashion. Last night I kept having that feeling that I had slipped back in time almost to the NO NEW YORK era, where commercial interests weren't present and inspiration was the status quo. Refreshing.

Now I know that Brooklyn will probably thump it's chest about the MGMT/YEASAYER scene that launched, and rightfully so they should be proud, and if part of the embers from that fire jumped west and landed in Echo Park, then an even bigger thank you goes out, because people dancing, being engaged in music and including others instead of holding what's cool for themselves, is worthy of appreciation.

Keep your eye on this pack of 12 or so groups playing shows together, it's worth the trip.