HOPE Benefit: Show @ Perhspace featuring Watercolor Paintings, The Dining Dead, Pangea, and Old Lumps -AP Review

 The wonderful Charlyne Yi- actress, comic, musician and more who is best known for "Knocked Up", "Paper Hearts" and countless appearances on late night television,  (along with Jessica Cowley, Dave Horwitz, Reese Jensen, Marina Sakimoto and Dan Dan Chavez Crook), put on a great benefit show at Perhspace in Echo Park. It is all part of her "Caring is Cool" organization. As some of you may know, this is not Charlyne's first foray into "giving back" as she has also been involved with Oxfam America.  

Besides Charlyne's band Old Lumps- the night featured Watercolor Paintings who performed sitting on the floor. The entire audience followed suit and it was like a big love in folksy sort of performance that made you want to drink green tea and chill out. I like them a lot. While totally original, I thought of  Joanna Newsom as I watched the sidewalk chalk drawings that Watercolor Paintings drew in my mind.


The Dining Dead engaged the audience with songs that ebbed and flowed from pretty melodies to dramatic, powerful downbeats as well as a Mexican radio station. Yeah, you heard that right. In the middle of their set, some Mexican radio station found it's way into Perhspace broadcasting through the guitarist amp. For a second I had a "Wall of Vodoo" flash back and thought it actually may be part of the song BUT sadly it was not. The culprit turned out to be a foot pedal that seemed to think it was a radio transmitter. Dining Dead handled the situation well. It was the first time I had seen them and it was a nice introduction. I liked what I heard and want to hear more. I am sure you will be able to check them out in the near future at their local haunt The Smell.


Pangea, damn - where do I begin. Just know this, if you go see them prepare to mosh your ass off or at least dance, pogo, flail, spazz your ass off. There music inhabits a Happy Days world gone askew were Richy Cunningham is a bad ass and Mrs. C is the town slut, (or maybe that's just my fantasy).  Their songs do have that 60's beach blanket bingo jangly guitar thing happening soaked in a punk vibe. I dunno it was like The Black Lips, Dick Dale and the Deltones, Violent Femmes, and ??? were all mashed up into one sweaty fun time. You can get a free download of "I wrote a Bible" here.


Final bad to finish out this wonderful love fest is Old Lumps. It was a three piece Old Lumps this evening pushing out sweet tunes with a hard indie edge. Charlyne shared the singing duties with Jessica Cowley while Dave Horwitz banged on the drum kit which, by the way, had the smallest kick drum I have ever seen. The music was stripped down and raw which I like especially since the melodies were in there essence quite lovely. The juxtaposition of rough edges around Charlyne's sweet lovelorn sounding vocals was endearing.


A GOOD time had by all-
Adler Bloom-