Divino Niño kicked things off with their silky smooth sound that is downright sexy. Dreamy guitars and vocals meld together to create some of the most welcoming jams. While not all of their songs deal with love (many are just sick and tired of it and the world around them), they do have a certain atmosphere that exudes tantalizing vibes. Case in point is "Maria", a Spanish language song about the breakdown of a relationship that sounds like anything but. Its alluring melodies make you want to happily sway the night away even as singer Camilo Medina laments the end of the relationship with a shit. Seriously, this band is something special and you should seek them out.
Palehound kept that level of enthusiasm up with the crowd with their spot in the lineup. Fronted by Ellen Kemper, Palehound quickly burst into their set with "If You Met Her", off their sophomore album A Place I'll Always Go. They were so quick to dazzle the crowd that Kemper broke a guitar string. "I can't believe I did that on the first song" she said as she turned to the crowd with quick banter about her birthday (same as Kim and Kelly deal) as she fixed the tuning on her guitar.
The rest of their set went swimmingly without ever losing the intensity of that first song. The setlist did a fantastic job of getting the crowd heated up and introducing the band's sounds. Tracks of all their full length release were on display with their latest, Black Friday, taking up most of the spots. Which was totally ok by me as Kemper's songwriting and stage presence made for an excellent performance.
- Julian Ramirez
Who is as cool as Kim Deal? No one. Even her sister Kelly (who is pretty freakin’ cool), ain’t Kim.
So, when The Breeders came back as a full-time concern after Kim’s break from The Pixies, I was ecstatic.
So, let’s take a step back and think about this. Kim Deal was the coolest bassist of all time in the band that Nirvana (rightfully) ripped off and created a structural sea change in rock and/or roll.
SO. THE BREEDERS. At House Of Vans.
They did what they came to do. There is no point where you need Deal to prove her bonafides. They played a set that depended on the hits. And they even played “Gigantic” at the end, which to be clear, is an absolute Deal song.
I actually thought this out. What deep thing can we say about The Breeders?
I can’t.
Kim Deal is cool as fuck. End of story. -Jim Kopeny
All photos by Julian Ramirez