Ticket Insider

Another belated concert review - The Captives June 28 at Hollywood Alley!

July 17th, 2008 Posted by: Dust Devil

Folks, I really am trying, I don’t intentionally mean to wait so long every time! This is one to pay attention to, I am big about supporting good local (Arizona) music.

I have written about The Captives before, so let’s get right to this particular show, because it was quite a bit different than shows of theirs’ in the past. As usual, this is my cue to rail on the locals for not showing up. Most of the time The Captives draw a good size crowd, so I am amazed that there was not a big crowd for a great time slot on a Saturday night. C’mon people, I’m 39, that is around my normal bedtime and I was there!

Now that I am off the soapbox, here we go. An interesting set by the band this evening. The thing that stood out for me was a very relaxed attitude by the band, which I thought was a huge plus. The songs seemed to flow very well as a result. There is a time to be ultra professional, such as their previous show when it was their CD release show. However, this is rock and roll, and to me the idea is spontanaeity and having a good time.

They led off with Skin (Underneath My), a great track off their latest release Dreams In Stars. Those classic, shimmery guitars of Eddie Lebario’s were in full force. Shoegazer is a genre of music back in vogue and The Captives are doing a fine job of capitalizing on things. A couple more tunes from the latest release came next, then the band launched into Best Served Cold from their debut disc In The Cobalt Twilight. The older tunes possess more of a Smiths influence than the newer material, but remain relevant today seven years later.

Tom Laman has really developed into a fine frontman. He is a little more reserved than in the past, which allows him to concentrate on the vocal delivery rather than just the theatrics. Some may disagree with me, but personally that has been a key in the fact that this band has really grown on me this past year. The songs are truly sang today, with the same passion Tom has always possesed. This should be a huge plus in this band garnering a big following outside of Arizona.

Steve Flores plays a mean bass and does so in a very methodical manner. I have said this before, I think Robert Lerma is one of the best drummers I have witnessed over the years. Together they do exactly what a rhythm section is supposed to do, maintain the pace of the songs and the show. This night was no different as they played well off one another, provided fabulous backing for the band and allowed the focus to remain on Tom and Eddie.

An interesting point was in the middle of the set when Steve and Robert left the stage, allowing Tom and Eddie to perform a unique version of Collapsing from the debut disc. I enjoyed the break in the action and the tune sounded wonderful done in this manner. This allowed the band to display another side of them that I was not even aware existed. It was a tender moment and set up a stellar second half of the show. Should it happen every show? Probably not, but it worked on this occasion.

Steve and Robert returned and the band jumped right back into the classic Britpop with For Tomorrow, another new track. There may have only been one song off the new disc that was not played this evening. The band mixed in a good amount off the first disc as well.

Folks, this was a great show. If you are looking for a current band that showcases elements of the Chameleons, the Smiths and Kitchens of Distinction, then check out this band. They play fairly often, have two good discs, one just released this spring, and put their heart and soul into their performances. When a band works hard, they deserve the support of the local community. Get off your duff and go see them!

Cheers!
Frank

Hollywood Alley in Mesa, AZ http://www.myspace.com/hollywoodalley

Filed under: Event Reviews